THE DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM + MEDIA WELCOMES A NEW FACULTY MEMBER AND BIDS A WARM FAREWELL TO TWO BELOVED INSTRUCTORS

A familiar face on campus, having served as adjunct instructor for the past several years, Professor Luis Gonzalez-Perez will be joining the Journalism + Media faculty as a full-time visiting instructor starting in the Fall 2022 semester.

Professor Gonzalez-Perez is a seasoned media executive and educator with over 35 years of experience in Radio, TV, newspaper and new media content creation. For the past 12 years, he has worked as an Adjunct Professor at Miami Dade College and FIU’s Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media. He also provides coaching and consulting services to several media outlets including Voice of America, Associated Press, and the Telemundo Station Group. He has spent the past 20 years leading the technological evolution of newsrooms while managing its direct impact on journalism. His work has earned him Emmys, Golden Mikes, and the RTDNA Communicator Award. Professor Gonzalez-Perez was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he obtained his B.A in Communications from the University of the Sacred Heart. He holds a M.S. in Broadcasting from Boston University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

In his new role, Professor Gonzalez-Perez will teach courses within the digital and broadcast media majors.

As the department welcomes Professor Gonzalez-Perez, it must also bid farewell to two long-standing and esteemed faculty members. Professors Lorna Veraldi and Michael Sheerin wrapped up their decades-long careers with the FIU Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at the end of the spring and summer semesters, respectively.

Lorna Veraldi, J.D. served as associate professor for the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media for over 30 years. Before joining FIU in 1988, she was a news writer, producer and reporter spanning over 10 years in radio and television. Admitted to the New York Bar in 1982 and a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, Professor Veraldi represented media clients both as corporate counsel and in private law practice.

Dr. Karla Kennedy, CARTA Program Director for Online Learning, shared fond memories of her time working with Dr. Veraldi. “Working with Lorna was a great experience! She was an exceptional colleague and person. I will always truly value our friendship and treasure the times we spent working together on special projects and curriculum. Lorna is a true professional and someone that I could depend on to provide advice and guidance. She always had time for students and colleagues. I will miss seeing her in that corner office and wish her the best of luck in her retirement. I hope that she goes out and has tons of fun, she deserves every minute of it! Happy trails my friend!”

Michael Scott Sheerin, M.S., served as faculty member at FIU since 2002. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional in the broadcast and new media industry, Professor Sheerin developed interactive TV prototypes for Disney and worked as a designer, animator, art director, creative director, commercial director and producer for such clients as ABC, U.S. Armed Forces, DirecTV, J. Walter Thompson and Nickelodeon. Throughout his career, his work as a teacher was recognized with several professional awards.

“Professor Sheerin was a pillar of the Department of Journaiism+Media for many years,” said. Dr. Susan Jacobson, Interim Chair. “His expertise in video and studio production, podcasting, immersive and other forms of emerging media benefitted so many students. He always challenged his students to achieve their creative visions, and as a result, many of our award-winning alumni working in media production were Michael’s students.”