Staff Profile

Head shot of a smiling Tom McGorrian, a lecturer at BNU, looking directly into the camera

Dr Tom McGorrian

Biography

Before joining Buckinghamshire New University in 2022, I was a Senior Lecturer in Television Production at Middlesex University. 

Prior to entering academia, I came from a background in Broadcast and Business TV production. I started my career with BBC Documentary Features as a Researcher before moving into roles as an Assistant Producer and Director. Subsequently, my key posts of responsibility include Producer / Director (EMEA) for Unisys Ltd, the global IT Solutions company, where I led and delivered award-winning programme content across Europe; and as a Business TV Producer/Director for Halifax plc.

My main areas of interest and expertise are factual programmes – both documentary and current affairs. Production Credits include the Royal Television Society award-winning series Close-up North; (BBC1); The Boarding House (BBC2 '10x10'); Bridge Builders (BBC2); Mirror Image (BBC2); Into the Music (ITV); and Not on a Sunday (Channel Four). As well as teaching, I am actively involved in developing media practice and in creating links with partners from the broadcast and business industries, whilst building students' employability skills. Previous partner links include Saracens TV, All3 Media, and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre. I have also formerly run specialist media industry short courses such as Research for Factual Media Production for creative media organizations including ScreenSkills.

My research and knowledge exchange activities includes developing documentary and moving image content with a factual narrative for broadcast and other platforms, particularly directed towards charity and business sectors. Academically, my main subject area for current research relates to my Doctorate in Professional Practice, which uses video ethnography in developing documentary practices for filming in sensitive contexts.

My career highlight was receiving the US 'Telly Award' for my corporate social responsibility film, Project Raja – An Embassy for Elephants.

 

View my Research Repository here