Dr. Shermak is the faculty adviser to The Cuestonian and full-time journalism and communication faculty at Cuesta College. Dr. Shermak began his career as a newspaper reporter in both Michigan and Indiana. He studied journalism at Indiana University and the University of Missouri before earning his Ph.D. in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. He continues to work as a freelance journalist and conduct research on journalistic routines, as well as sports and science communication.