I have always had a passion for technology.  My 35-year multidisciplinary career has been a mix of Broadcasting, Information Technology, and Education.  This is reflected in my 3 degrees, a BS in Broadcasting, a Master of Information Systems Management, and a Master of Education in Educational Technology.   It is also reflected in my 20 professional certifications and licenses over the years.

My career started in 1990 while I was completing my BS in Broadcasting.  The public internet didn’t exist yet, but the idea was being depicted in science fiction.  Newsrooms were still dominated by typewriters. 

Cell Phones only existed in your car and only worked in metropolitan areas.  Computers could not play video so broadcast automation at that time involved giant computer controlled robotic tape changers like the Sony LMS.

Much of the talk at that time of the future of communications was about convergence: The idea that eventually your TV and computer would become one screen.  Today, we’re seeing that taking place.  My TV has apps on it, my computer can edit video, and my cell phone can stream movies.  My car radio receives digital radio and satellite, has GPS and weather & traffic reports with maps, along with an internet hot spot.  

There are even more things in the pipeline right now.  Drones can provide footage that used to require a helicopter and can even fit in places a helicopter cannot.  The studio where I taught used a NewTek Tricaster computer that created professional looking virtual sets on a green screen.  Best Buy is now selling 8K Smart TVs, ATSC 3.0 will broadcast 4K TV in over-the-air Internet Protocol, 5G mobile data will be up to 20 times faster than 4G, NHK is talking about developing a broadcast standard for 8K, possibly over 5G.  Then there’s virtual reality & augmented reality, motion capture, and CGI being used to bring back deceased actors in movies, the list goes on.  How might these technologies be combined and used in mass communications?  How will they change the industry?  What ethical issues might they raise?  What do we need to teach our students to make them ready for it?

The most rewarding job I’ve had was teaching broadcasting and technology in a high school environment.  My students won numerous awards including a “Student Production Award” at the regional Emmys, 4 honorable mentions in the same awards, and 4 awards at the Ohio University Zanesville “Students in Media” awards.   We had even reached an agreement with OU to teach one of my classes under the College Credit Plus program after they saw our work on YouTube.  After my program was cut by the school, I decided that I wanted to teach in an environment that would take this career field as seriously as I do.  Because of my previous dealings with Ohio University, it seemed like the logical place to start.  

I am hoping to use my current education to obtain a full-time technology position at the university and work on a Ph.D. as a half-time student just as I did with my Master of Education for the past 4 years. 

I see the PhD as a convergence of my career, education, and knowledge up to this point.  I feel that I have a unique perspective having witnessed first-hand the history and evolution of many of today’s communication technologies (The photos above were taken by me at places where I worked). 

 I want to use that perspective along with my background in computer technology, broadcast engineering, and educational technology to research emerging technologies, looking at how they might impact the business of radio, TV, movies, the internet, and education in the future.  I want to use this research to teach students the skills they will need to succeed in media and make sound strategic decisions as their careers progress.