About Andrew Matranga

Teaching Associate Professor, University of Denver

Brand Journalist, StickerGiant

I’m a brand journalist and journalism professor. I created the first journalism course in America that studies cannabis coverage and how the media is trying to tell the story of America’s New Normal.

I produce small business stories, including Stickers on the Mic, a podcast about business, growth and marketing.

My teaching focuses on digital journalism and editorial design. Because of my university calling card, I’ve been a featured speaker about cannabis normalization, social media and popular culture. Some past work includes projects that have won Guinness World Records, Cannes Lions, National Magazine Ellie Awards and Webby Awards.

There is seriously a lot going on. To figure that out, head to @AndrewMatranga on Twitter to follow #CannabisJournalism, #StudyingStarWars, #OutdoorJournalism and more.

I promise: I keep it current, and (at a minimum) I keep it interesting.

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Deep Cuts

I grew up in Chicago, taking in White Sox games at Old Comiskey Park and cheering on Michael Jordan’s Bulls during their majestic championship runs that spanned the middle part of the 1990s.

I’m loyal to Giordano’s deep dish pizza, Johnnie’s beefs, and Pete’s Red Hots. I root for my alma maters, the Syracuse Orange and the CU Buffs, and I am a proud Pioneer at the University of Denver, where I teach and take classes.

Most of my days are spent with the Marketing Team at StickerGiant in Longmont to help create branded editorial that drives conversions and creates happy customers. We’ve completed some great projects in the past few years, with more to come. I look forward to our weekly team meeting, and I invite anyone who is interesting marketing, business growth and organizational culture to join our meetings. (Seriously.)

I also teach digital journalism and advise student media at the University of Denver. My core area of teaching research focuses on my courses Cannabis Journalism: Reporting on America’s New Normal and Studying Star Wars: Lessons From a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

My nights and weekends are focused on building a lifetime of memories and experiences with my wonderful wife, my two awesome sons and my amazing daughter. We’ve tagged both American coastlines, hiked many of the iconic mountain ranges and canyons in the National Parks of the Lower 48, and traveled to points around the country in search of lasting, adventure-filled experiences. I am a proud Star Wars geek, and we love building Legos and taking bike rides

Back in the day, I spent my summers as a camp counselor and administrator in Wisconsin, where I taught kids about teamwork in the great outdoors. I credit my time as a camp counselor with teaching me the diplomacy, leadership and goal-setting skills that I still employ today in my every endeavor.

I graduated with a degree in Television, Radio and Film from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. I earned my MA in Journalism at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where I wrote my thesis The Folk Devil Goes Digital: Taping and Trading Live Music in the Digital Age. I am currently a doctoral student in the The Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver where I study educational leadership, higher education, and teaching and learning sciences.