Position

Special Faculty
Shirley J Saldamarco

Shirley Saldamarco is an entrepreneur, a producer and an educator. She has a background in theatre from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and Producer for national programming at WQED-TV. As President of Interactive Media Productions, the company she founded in 1982, she produces a variety of Broadcast and Non-broadcast programs. As an Independent Producer, projects include documentaries, public affairs and special programs, which have aired on PBS, network and cable television. She proudly displays a number of awards including an Emmy nomination, Matrix Award in Broadcast News and Documentary, Golden Cine, Pennsylvania Cable Arts Network Award, American Psychological Association Award, and several Telly Awards. Shirley has a particular interest in producing quality programming for children and was Creator and Executive Producer for the pilot, “Charlie’s Sharing Adventure,” as well as Dialogue Director for 52 episodes of “Johnson and Friends,” on Fox Network. Shirley provides consulting services and serves on several professional boards, including the Themed Entertainment Association International Board of Directors, Themed Entertainment Association Next Gen Committee, Steeltown Film Factory, LEGO First Competitions, National Civil War Museum Advisory Council and Robot Hall of Fame. In the past she served on the Carnegie Science Center, Robo World Advisory Council and Pittsburgh Jazz Society Board of Directors. As a member of the School of Drama faculty from 1990-2009, Shirley taught classes in Producing for Television and Film, and produced the WQED Television Showcase, and master class Television Workshop, collaborating with Drama Professor, Cindy Limauro. Shirley designed a cross disciplinary course, “So You Want to Make a Movie,” (2005-2006) which she co taught with Associate Professor Sharon Dilworth. She also taught the class “Creative Enterprises” (2005-2007) in the Heinz School Master of Entertainment Industry Management Program. Since 2006 when Shirley joined the ETC faculty, she has taught projects and offered workshops at the Pittsburgh campus, Silicon Valley, Osaka, Japan and Salford, England. From 2006-20012, she was also Director of Creative Services for the Entertainment Technology Center. As ETC Special Faculty, Shirley continues to teach in Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley, conduct workshops and offer Interdisciplinary Courses and her Fundamentals of Producing in the Entertainment Industry class to all Carnegie Mellon Students.