Meet a Colleague: Kevin Finch Kevin Finch is an associate professor of journalism.

W&L News Office
September 10, 2025

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have been working at W&L for 12 years.

Q. What courses are you teaching this term?   
JOUR 362 – Producing Live TV and the Web
JOUR 162 – Broadcast Announcing Practicum
POL 203 – State and Local Government

Q. What is the most satisfying aspect of teaching? 
The transformation of our producing students every term for the Rockbridge Report is so gratifying. They start the term having never been involved in live television and 12 weeks later, they are confident veterans, ready to take on challenges and innovate.

Q. What do you like most about working at W&L?
There are so many talented and truly interesting colleagues all around the campus — so much expertise, often wrapped in quiet understatement.

Q. What advice do you have for students?
There’s a reason we don’t require students to declare a major until the second term of their sophomore year. My advice is don’t pigeon-hole yourself into a rigid plan. Be flexible with the courses you take and the careers you consider. That’s part of the liberal arts experience.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
Movies! I watch old ones at home and go out to see new ones. That is tied with live music and listening to my still growing collection. Runners-up: visiting historic sites and hiking.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Peoria, Illinois and grew up in nearby Eureka, a college town even smaller than this one.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian, archeologist and lawyer.

Q. Who inspired you to teach? What about them inspired you?
My dad is a retired college professor of English composition. He taught high school as a young man and brought in artifacts like scrimshaw and a pungent whale oil lamp when teaching Moby Dick. I’ll never forget that smell. And he did everything back then: sophomore class advisor, PA announcer, drove the cross country and wrestling buses. He was so respected the students dedicated the yearbook to him his last year before he started teaching college.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
I followed orders at my summer military school and climbed to the topsail yardarm on the foremast to unfurl the sails. I’m not big on heights.

Q. What book are you reading now?
“The Royals.” It’s by former Journalism Department internship coordinator John Muncie and a friend of his. It’s about some retired journalists who get involved in a murder investigation. I just finished Brian Richardson’s profound “A Place You Can’t Escape” (under his pen name Nat Richmond). It is wonderfully poignant.

Q. What music are you listening to these days?
Lord Huron, Haim and Jack White’s Archbishop Harold Holmes, and more new stuff.

Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
Joni Mitchell. She’s an exceptional lyricist. Her work could stand alone as poetry. She’d probably hate to share, but I’d love to know her writing process.

Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
The Virgin Islands — on the lee side, built into rock to withstand hurricanes.

Q. What is your favorite film (movie) of all time?
“Casablanca.” Art was accidentally created in the studio system, with multiple screenwriters and an unknown ending until they shot it. The result was a nearly perfect film. And then everyone moved on to the next movie. They just cranked ‘em out back then.

Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
David Strathairn. It would take a great character actor to make boring look interesting.

Q. What is your secret talent?
Spinning records with actual vinyl on turntables. I used to be a rock and roll radio DJ, nightclub DJ, and I did some weddings and reunions.