Meet Your Professor: Michael McKisson

Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Information

Last fall, Professor Michael McKisson moved from the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences’ School of Journalism to the recently launched iSchool where he teaches digital storytelling and, pending approval, a new GenEd class on visual content creation. In addition to teaching and administrative duties, McKisson works as a photojournalist and chief contributor to BicycleTucson, a site he founded that reports on Tucson's bicycle infrastructure and community.

What's the very best thing about your job at the university?

My favorite part of teaching is getting to know students and helping them achieve their goals. It is so meaningful to see former students flourish after they graduate and do amazing things in their careers.

What are you working on that excites you?

Currently I am excited about a study abroad program I will be leading this summer. It is the first time that the School of Information is offering a study abroad program, and it is open to both main campus and online students. I’m teaching a class on social media and a class in digital storytelling.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?

Being a parent. It is terrifying!

Name a value that is important to you.

Curiosity. It shapes my experience both as a journalist and as an educator. Curiosity leads to learning and new experiences. 

Do you have a unique hobby, talent, or collection?

I am working on a weird hobby in which I am attempting to ride my bicycle on every single mile of the City of Tucson. There are 2,800 miles of unique streets in the city, and I have ridden about 75 percent of them. While doing it, I take photos and drone shots, which I will use to turn into a book. I collect antique Cribbage boards, but I don’t even know if students know what Cribbage is. 

Students can be afraid of failing. Do you have advice for those who struggle with it?  

It is important to separate grades from the concept of failing. True failure is when you don’t learn from an experience or don’t do the work in the first place. Ultimately, going to college is about getting out of your comfort zone, learning new things, and expanding your knowledge. If you do those things, you cannot fail. 

What advice would you offer to a first-year Wildcat?

My best piece of practical advice is to go to office hours. Meeting and interacting with your professors is incredibly valuable. You will develop relationships that will help you with the material and connections in the future. More broadly, I encourage students to be curious. Take classes that seem interesting, join clubs to meet people and learn new things. Strike up a conversation with someone who doesn’t have the same experiences as you and learn from them.

Looking for a university where faculty value curiosity, practice exploration, and encourage  learning from every experience? Become a Wildcat. 

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