Michael Scott Sheerin has been teaching at the SJMC since 1994. Starting off as adjunct professor in the TV Production track, he fell in love with the profession. He was brought on board full time at the school as a visiting professor in 2002, expanding his teaching capabilities into the Advertising and PR tracks. In July of 2004, he was named assistant dean of technology and external initiatives. The title was changed to assistant dean of technology the next year, as Sheerin focused on updating the school and curriculum to meet the ideals of a converged industry.

Using his professional knowledge, gained from almost two decades of work in television production and interactive television (as both an art director and creative director), Sheerin advanced many aspects of technology at the school, including the transformation of the TV studio from analog to digital. With the help of a staff that he helped grow and placed under the leadership of Rod Stumhofer and Brian Friedman, the current complex is equipped with HD capabilities, including non-linear editing bays (with support for both Avid and Final Cut Pro). He also repurposed many of the labs, adding new computers, up-to-date software programs and high-end graphic stations for both Mac and PC users. Understanding the school’s need for a more robust infrastructure, he oversaw the construction of a new server room and helped make the entire SJMC area a wi-fi hot spot. Additionally, he was the lead designer in the creation of the current SJMC website (your on it!) that won a national award from the AEJMC for best web design in 2007. Sheerin stepped down from the assistant dean position in 2007 to get back to his teaching and research, but he still oversees the SJMC website (though he refuses to be called webmaster!) and is very active in keeping new technology initiatives at the forefront of the school’s mission.

On the teaching and research side, assistant professor Sheerin has been an advocate of incorporating online pedagogical methods into his courses. One of the first SJMC faculty to offer hybrid courses with extensive web tools (his course designs have been used by UTS for many years as “best practice” examples), he continues to bring real world experiences into the classroom. He is proud of the fact that his students are streaming, pod casting and blogging and winnings awards for their work. Streaming student work made it to Nike’s Joga Bonita website during the 2004 World Cup and PSAid’s website, where one spot was the leading internet vote-getter and a finalist in a 2006 national competition. Sheerin’s research includes many aspects of new technologies and television. He has written chapters and articles on the history of television, post-production, and digital imaging. He has also presented papers on online education, convergence, and post-production issues at national academic and technology conferences. He was SJMC’s “Professor of the Year” in 2006 and was awarded merit recognition from FIU’s Academy for the Art of Teaching for his “Excellence in Teaching” in 2002.