Before coming to UVU, he taught management and communications at Northwest Missouri State University, Boise State, Athabasca University, and the University of Alberta. John began his career as a newspaper reporter/photographer, reporting the court and police beats and covering emergency services. For eight years he was a public administrator in the Alberta government, working in policy analysis, public information, and legislative affairs. He has a BA and an MA from Brigham Young University and a PhD from the University of Alberta. His principal areas of research are mass media coverage of disaster public policy, community emergency preparedness, and applied learning among adult learners.