This story originally appeared in the GW CCAS Scoop Staff Newsletter.
Meet Jack McGuire
Senior Studio Engineer at SMPA
Hi! My name is Jack, I’m originally from Dayton, Ohio but I lived in Florida for 14 years and Miami for 12 of those years, so I very much identify with the “305.” I'm an audio engineer by trade and spent my entire career working in the music industry before moving to D.C. nearly two years ago. One of the proudest moments of that journey came in 2023, when I won a Latin Grammy for an album I recorded that won Best Latin Jazz Album.
I have a dog named Leroy who’s been by my side for most of my adult life. He’s about to turn 13 and has truly seen it all.
I’ve been at GW since August of 2023 and couldn’t be happier; working with my team at SMPA has been one of the highlights of my career (seriously, the team at SMPA rocks). I’ve been working in higher education since 2017 working at the University of Miami before here. When I saw the role at SMPA it seemed like the perfect fit, so I took the chance to apply, got the job and relocated.
I very much hope to still be here in my current role in 5 years. I’m incredibly passionate about journalism, and helping our students develop the technical skills they need to tell tomorrow’s stories is genuinely a dream come true.
Being SMPA’s Studio engineer is a very rewarding/fun/demanding position. I manage SMPA’s 5th floor which is home to all of our technical facilities including our TV studio, podcast studio, editing labs and our distribution center, where our students check out camera equipment for their production projects. I'm also GW-TV and WRGW’s advisor. The most rewarding part of my job is working directly with students, helping them grow in areas I’m deeply passionate about, like audio and video production. Collaborating with them in the TV studio is always a highlight.
My advice for staff just starting out at GW is to make an effort to connect with colleagues across different departments. It’s easy to stay within your own bubble, but there are many smart and talented people throughout the university. Building those cross-department relationships can lead to great collaboration and insight. Also, always keep in mind that we all share the same goal: to provide students with the best possible learning experience.