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Sean McGann was on his way up. A former blue-collar worker, he had embarked on a remarkable journey, transforming himself into a high-level business consultant and entrepreneur with a lucrative future. Success could mean material gains: getting promoted, buying things, having things. “But it was not feeding my soul,” says the recently retired iSchool teaching professor. “I realized that was not what I was about.”

He took time off, examined his life, decided to take a risk and a pay cut and try his hand at college teaching, bringing his business and technical acumen into the classroom. “In teaching, I had discovered what was a calling and not just a job,” says McGann. 

Soon, he was measuring success not by how much money he made, but how many students he helped. The numbers piled up as he led students in building critical skills, searching for career opportunities and, importantly, finding themselves and their professional direction.

“Professor McGann’s teaching left a lasting impact on me because he always led with both clarity and heart. Through his presence and the way he listened, I came to understand that leadership is not only about decisions or outcomes, but about caring for people and showing up for them with intention,” says Cathy Chang, a recent graduate of the iSchool Master of Science in Information Management program that McGann helped reshape.  

McGann’s path to academia was arduous, marked by hard work, grit and dogged perseverance.  Unable to complete college because of a lack of funds, he joined the Navy and trained in electronics. Working in building and electrical trades for years while supporting a young family, he pursued college classes in off hours. “I had to hold on to the idea that someday this was all going to pay off.”

He eventually earned a B.S. in electronic engineering, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in information systems and organizational behavior from Case Western Research University in 2004. 

His first step into the white-collar business world was a managerial role at a large consulting firm. He also helped start an internet solutions startup before the 2000 dot-com bubble burst signaled its demise. That’s when he took a one-year role as a visiting professor at Ohio University’s Management Information Systems department – a role he describes as “an epiphany.” 

McGann came to the iSchool in 2015, lured with a dual-package offer for him and his wife, iSchool Associate Professor Hala Annabi, an expert in information science and his project partner. He calls her “my best friend, wife and colleague.” 

Asked how the couple avoid bringing their work home, McGann chuckles. “We don’t. We try and try, but it’s tough.”

McGann’s first job at the iSchool was to help revitalize the MSIM program. He listened intently to students and alumni, and, with their feedback, set about building a consistent MSIM curriculum, syllabus and core faculty. To increase flexibility for students, he offered customizable specializations, night classes for working mid-career students, accelerated tracks for early-career students, and part-time options. McGann and Annabi, who took over as MSIM chair in 2019, also helped design a successful online option to increase accessibility for a diverse student body. 

McGann also took on the task of re-energizing the iSchool iAffiliates program, now known as iEngage, which connects the school with external leaders in information science and technology. As director, he built a program to create meaningful engagement for iSchool partners, expanding their role from “donors” to “partners” who visit campus to meet faculty, scout students for recruitment, give guest lectures, sponsor Capstone projects, and direct where their investments go.

iSchool colleagues applaud McGann’s dynamic skills. “Sean is a master leader and alliance-builder who transforms organizations for the better. He also transforms those around him by demonstrating what leadership, accountability, hard work, and strategic vision look like in action,” says Jacob O. Wobbrock, professor of human-computer interaction at the iSchool.

After stepping down as MISM chair, McGann returned his focus to the classroom, where, along with managerial and entrepreneurial wisdom, he shared his blue-collar story of hard work and strong ethics. Sam Glaser, who had heard of McGann's leadership prowess at Ohio University, saw it for himself when he took McGann’s popular advanced leadership seminar at the iSchool. “I now understand how his legacy echoes beyond his classrooms,” he says. 

McGann will be teaching one last advanced leadership seminar in spring as professor emeritus. But his new focus is helping marginalized communities. Inspired by the iSchool’s Indigenous knowledge program, he is connecting with tribal communities in both youth and adult learning programs. He will also spend time in prisons helping inmates earn degrees to better their lives. 

The former businessman admits he was not a person focused squarely on social good before coming to the iSchool. “But I internalized the equity and inclusion lens of the school. And that’s why I want to work with these marginalized communities. It is something I need to do. I have a responsibility to serve.”