Shirley Saldamarco

For over three decades, Shirley Saldamarco has been an entrepreneur, a producer and an educator. Her background and interest in theatre was formed during her years as a student in the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, where she later joined the faculty.
As a member of the School of Drama faculty from 1990-2009, she produced the WQED Television Showcase, a project involving Drama master students in playwriting, directing, production, set, lighting and costume design, and senior actors. Each year the final production would air on WQED. Collaborating with Drama Professor, Cindy Limauro, she produced the yearly master class, Television Workshop. She also taught the class "Creative Enterprises" in the Heinz School Master of Entertainment Industry Management Program.
Since joining the ETC faculty in 2006, she has taught projects and offered workshops at the Pittsburgh campus, Silicon Valley, Osaka, Japan and Salford, England, and was instructor for several Independent Study classes. From 2006-2012, she was also Director of Creative Services at the ETC.
Shirley has designed several courses, including Producing for Television and Film, “So You Want to Make a Movie,” a year-long cross disciplinary course for graduate and undergraduate students, co- taught with Associate Professor Sharon Dilworth, “Themed Entertainment Design Studio”, co-taught with John Dessler and “Guest Experience in Theme Park Design”.
As President and CEO of Interactive Media Productions, the company she founded in 1982, she produces a variety of Broadcast and Non-broadcast programs. Projects include documentaries, public affairs and special programs, which have aired on PBS, network and cable television, as well as live events. Shirley has a particular interest in producing quality programming for children and was Creator and Executive Producer for the pilot, "Charlie's Sharing Adventure," and Dialogue Director for 52 episodes of "Johnson and Friends," aired on Fox Network. 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 provides professional consulting services and has served on several professional boards, including the Steering Committee for the Themed Experience and Attraction Academic Society, 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 Director of the CMU Robot Hall of Fame. She has also served on the Carnegie Science Center, Robo World Advisory Council and Pittsburgh Jazz Society Board of Directors.