WTAE-TV award-winning meteorologist Brian Hutton visited the University on Feb. 16, sharing insight and advice with students.

Hutton serves as a weekend meteorologist at WTAE, a news station in Pittsburgh.

His visit was part of the Shields School of Business’ Executives-in-Residence Program. Each semester, administrators and faculty members in the SSOB invite “EIRs” to visit with students during class meetings.

Hutton visited with students in Professor of Communications Pat Farabaugh’s COMM 435 Multiplatform Storytelling course. He answered students’ questions and shared insight on his career as a broadcast meteorologist.

Hutton also mentored students in one-on-one sessions during his visit to SFU.

Students learned about the day-to-day responsibilities of an on-air TV meteorologist. The group also discussed ethical decision-making in journalism, the influence of social media on local news, and other topics related to this career path.

“Becoming a successful content creator takes time,” said Hutton, who grew up in Johnstown. He outlined for students the many attributes that make a good storyteller: accuracy, familiarity with your audience, the importance of various storytelling elements and much more.

Following Hutton’s guest lecture in Farabaugh’s course, the Communications Club joined Hutton for lunch.

“Brian is very well-spoken and it was interesting to hear the differences between the cities he has worked in,” said junior Communications major Lexie Laverty.

Before joining the weather team at WTAE, Hutton worked as a broadcast meteorologist in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Meridian, Mississippi.

During his time in Meridian, he was recognized as the Best Weather Anchor in Mississippi.