Personal Information

Contact and Personal information

Michael Higdon
I'm from neh-VA-duh
Born in Las Vegas on December 23, 1985
Schooled in Reno
Work in Carson City

Contact me at:
702-927-3084
Click to e-mail: mike@mikehigdon.com

Experience

Employment History and Experience

Sierra Nevada Media Group (Swift Communications) | Carson City, Nev. | Present
Graphic Designer
Design advertisements for various print publications under Sierra Nevada Media Group, such as special publications, magazines and special projects. Work closely with other designers, sales representatives and customers. Set up, take and edit photographs of customers' products for advertising campaigns. Innovate with a specially selected "Innovation Station" team of six employees tasked with innovating processes and products.

Freelance | Reno, Nev. | Present
Photographer, Designer
Work for University of Nevada, Reno, Las Vegas Sun, Playboy.com and private interests writing, photographing and designing for print and online.

The Poynter Institute | St. Petersburg, Fla. | Sept. 2008 - Sept. 2009
Poynter Fellow
Attended Poynter College for Young Journalists to learn new media methods with Poynter faculty. Awarded at SND Vegas.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | Reno, Nev. | Feb. 2009–May 2009
Grant Assistant
Used Adobe Flash to develop a journalism game based on Lunar colonization while providing feedback to faculty members of an experimental interdisciplinary minor in Game Theory.

The Nevada Sagebrush | Reno, Nev. | Aug. 2005 - Nov. 2008
Arts & Entertainment Editor, Design Editor, Public Editor
Invent new forms of journalism to enrich the university community using social-networked news. In charge of public projects, such as hold public forums about university budget or political issues. Redesigned the weekly college newspaper in 2007. Responsible for the visual appeal and consistency of the paper. Managed the features section in 2005-2006.

The Indianapolis Star | Indianapolis, Ind. | June 2008-Aug. 2008
Pulliam Fellow - Visuals
Designed weekly magazine (Indy.com), metro, A1 and graphics. Helped Indy.com staff understand the importance of social-networked news. Beta tested and brainstormed with Innovation & Development department about social-networked news.

The Courier-Journal | Louisville, Ky. | May 2007-Aug. 2007
Designer
Rotated between news, sports, features. Budgeted and designed full sections and covers. Worked closely with editors to make a daily, three-edition deadline.

Nevada Small Business Development Center | Reno, Nev. | July 2006-July 2007
Graphic Designer, Photographer
Designed advertisements, promotional post cards and flyers. Took photos in different parts of Nevada to be used for Web site and other collateral.

The Maynard Institute | Reno, Nev. | May 2006-June 2006
Reporter, Photographer, Paginator
Worked with various professional editors to create stories, photos and lay out pages for class of professional copy editors.

Education

Education

University of Nevada, Reno class of 2009
Bachelor of General Studies in the Public and Journalism
Minors in Journalism and Political Science
Conferred by the dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism
My general studies degree mixes the study of political participation with a public-motivated theory of journalism. The degree is made up of independent studies on journalism's role in the community and political science.

Research

Research Projects and Academics Papers

Research on citizen journalism using the Ning social-networking platform
Click for paper on public journalism and social-networked news
Click for policy analysis of Nevada System of Higher Education budget crisis
Click for interest group strategy for University of Nevada, Reno budget crisis

Skills

Professional Skills and Qualifications

Software
up to InDesign CS3
up to Photoshop CS3
up to Illustrator CS3
up to Dreamweaver CS3
CCi Europe: Layout Champ
DTI: AdSpeed
Macintosh OS/Apple
Windows OS/Microsoft
Some Finalcut Express/Pro

Languages
Some PHP
Intermediate CSS
HTML

Hardware
Nikon still cameras: D40 up to D3
Canon still cameras
Portable lighting: speedlights, umbrellas, stands, backdrops, wireless triggers
Canon pro-sumer video recorders
Point-and-shoot cameras
Any computer peripherals

Books

Books I've Written

Click to view "Journal of Mental Patient: The Story of a Mind and Its Man"

Memberships

Professional Memberships

Society for News Design
Student Society for News Design
Society for Professional Journalists