During Professor Benjamin Harris’ job interview, he was asked why he would be a good fit for Franciscan University’s mission.
“I’m a direct result of the mission,” he replied. “The person I am today is entirely because of Franciscan University.”
Indeed, Harris’ own parents—retired nursing professor Dr. Kevin MBA ’02 and Dawn (Recznick ’88) Harris—called Steubenville home because of the University, and his extended family includes many members who have attended or worked at Franciscan. Harris himself would date his future wife, Kateri (Schmiesing ’20), following a dance on campus.
But Harris’ college career didn’t start on the hill. He was planning to be an X-ray technician through a community college program. Then, one missed point on a standardized test made him rethink his calling.
He decided to enroll as a communication arts major at Franciscan. He told himself that if he didn’t like it, he could go back to his original plan. Once classes began, however, he found a passion for media. He also honed his technical and artistic abilities through working on University productions, including Franciscan University Presents on EWTN, and serving as an assistant in the Digital Video Lab and Multimedia Classroom.
“As a lab assistant, you work with students in every single concentration—journalism, multimedia, digital broadcasting and production, and film studies,” he says. “It gave me incredibly valuable experience communicating with people, working through issues, and instructing others.”
After completing his undergraduate studies in December 2019, he undertook another creative challenge—writing. He earned his master of fine arts in production-focused creative writing through Full Sail University, graduating as valedictorian in 2021.
Harris then called Dr. David Schaefer, chair of the Communication Arts Department, to see if he needed any instructors. At first, the answer was no, but two weeks later, Harris got a call back. Would he teach a section of the Radio/ Television Scriptwriting course?
“Absolutely,” he said.
Later, he was asked to redesign the Introduction to Mass Media course. The answer?
“Absolutely.”
Now, Harris is an assistant professor and AVID-certified professional video editor and instructor. He also serves as the supervisor of the lab and TV studio where he once worked as a student. He isn’t a stranger to teaching—he’s been a sand sculpting instructor for more than a decade—but he says forming Catholics to work in the media is especially important.
“Everybody consumes media in some way every day, so that is where faith needs to be,” he says. “If the students can make fantastic media that is Christian and has moral values, whether explicitly or implicitly, then we can start to change society.”
Harris’ current research is focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on media production and Hollywood. In some of his courses, Harris helps students use AI as a tool, but only until a certain point and always with guidance.
“We can’t train students to be irrelevant in a field that’s rapidly changing, so I allow students to use AI in select classes and show them how to use it ethically,” he explains.
In addition to his teaching and media work, Harris still occasionally sand sculpts, as well as dabbles in woodcarving and racquetball. Most of all, he loves spending time with Kateri and their three sons.
So, does Franciscan University’s mission have an impact? Just ask Professor Benjamin Harris.
