Asbury Welcomes Award-Winning Screenwriter to Teach Media Writing Courses this Fall

May 14, 2024

Seasoned film professional Andrea Gyertson ’95 Nasfell will teach both undergraduate and graduate-level courses beginning fall 2024 at Asbury University. Her expertise will extend to the Media Communication and English programs through teaching undergraduate courses (MC212: Writing for Media and ENG 371: Intermediate Creative Writing/Fiction) and graduate courses (DSG550: Master Storytelling).

“I’ve been teaching Feature Film Screenwriting in Asbury’s online graduate program for nine years, and I have really enjoyed that, but I’m looking forward to working in-person with students and developing relationships so I can more effectively encourage them toward their goals,” said Nasfell.

For more than 20 years, Nasfell wrote and continues to write film and television screenplays, including “Moms’ Night Out” (2014), “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone” (2017), “Every Other Holiday” (2018), and other projects in theaters and on streaming platforms. She also wrote the television movies, “Silver Bells” (2013) and “Christmas Angel,” the most-watched movie on UPtv in 2012.

Nasfell received numerous awards in her career so far. Her films “Christmas with a Capital C” (2011) and “What If…” (2010) received nominations for Epiphany Prizes in TV and film. Movieguide selected “What If…” as one of 2010’s “Ten Best Films for Family Audiences,” and “Christmas with a Capital C” won the Faith & Freedom Award.

“Andrea is an Asbury media graduate and has always been involved in improving our programs,” said Dean of the School of Communication Arts Dr. Jim Owens ’79.

Nasfell received a B.A. in Broadcast Communication from Asbury University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

“When I attended Asbury, there were not many classes in writing for narrative media, so I’m thrilled with all the opportunities students now have to explore storytelling and refine their skills,” said Nasfell. “I’m excited to be a part of it and to bring my years of experience to the classroom, helping students use their individual voices to create stories that will succeed at a professional level.”

The Asbury University Media, Journalism, and Digital Storytelling department offers majors in Media Communication and Multimedia Journalism. Online majors include Digital Content Creation and Instructional Design & Media. Graduate programs include the M.A. in Digital Storytelling; the M.A. in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership; the MFA in Film & Television Production, and the MFA in Screenwriting.