Kerry Sheridan

Reporter/Host

Kerry Sheridan

Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media

Kerry Sheridan is a reporter and co-host of All Things Considered at WUSF Public Media.

Prior to joining WUSF, she covered international news, health, science, space and environmental issues for Agence France-Presse from 2005 to 2019, reporting from the Middle East bureau in Cyprus, followed by stints in Washington and Miami.

Kerry earned her master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2002, and was a recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship for Cultural Reporting.

She got her start in radio news as a freelancer with WFUV in the Bronx in 2002. Since then, her stories have spanned a range of topics, including politics, baseball, rocket launches, art exhibits, coral reef restoration, life-saving medical research, and more.

She is a native of upstate New York, and currently lives with her husband and two children in Sarasota.

You can reach Kerry via email at sheridank@wusf.org, on Twitter @kerrsheridan or by phone at 813-974-8663.

New Florida Law Means Police Can Pull Over Drivers Who Text At Wheel

By Kerry Sheridan • May 17, 2019

Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at podium on high school lawn — Kerry Sheridan/WUSF

Beginning in July, Florida police can pull over drivers they suspect of texting while driving. That’s according to a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday.

'Indian' Mascots Will Be Replaced At Six Hillsborough County Schools

By Kerry Sheridan • May 14, 2019

Six schools in Hillsborough County are removing mascots that depict Native Americans as Braves, Indians, Warriors or Chiefs, and will replace them with something new.

Sarasota County Schools Approve New Dual Enrollment Deal With USF

By Kerry Sheridan • May 10, 2019

Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler at a meeting Tuesday night — Kerry Sheridan/WUSF

The Sarasota County School Board has approved a deal for some University of South Florida college courses to be offered at local high schools.

Plastic Pollution In Gulf Of Mexico Is Target Of 'Nurdle Patrol'

By Kerry Sheridan • May 6, 2019

A woman crouches on a beach searching for plastic pellets called nurdles — Kerry Sheridan / WUSF

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Plastic pellets, known as nurdles, are washing up in the millions along shores in the Gulf of Mexico. A new citizen-science effort is tracking the problem.

Plastic pollution is a growing problem in the world's oceans. A new citizen science initiative, called the Nurdle Patrol, is tracking a danger to marine life that is washing ashore by the millions across the Gulf of Mexico.

They're called nurdles. And what's that exactly?

Study Shows 'Principal Pipeline' Works, Is Cost-Effective

By Kerry Sheridan • May 2, 2019

Man stands in front of school — Hillsborough County Schools

Hillsborough County was part of a recent nationwide effort to improve schools from the top down, through a project known as the "principal pipeline."

Study Finds Surprising Benefit To Listening To Sad Music

By Kerry Sheridan • May 1, 2019

The red and orange sun sets over dark water — Kerry Sheridan / WUSF Public Media

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Researchers at the University of South Florida found that sad music doesn't necessarily make depressed people feel sad. In fact, it may have a surprising benefit.

Sad songs. Why do we love them so much? And might they be bad for us? Especially for people with clinical depression?

Psychology researchers at the University of South Florida studied this question, and uncovered some surprising results.

Forget Textbooks. Teaching Climate Change Takes Creative, Hands-On Approach

By Kerry Sheridan • Apr 24, 2019

A bar graph shows temperatures rising across the Earth since 1880 — www.climate.gov

An NPR poll this week found that most parents want their children to learn about climate change at school, but that many teachers don't discuss it because they think it's beyond their subject matter or expertise.

Kids Learn French By Speaking It All Day at Immersion School in St. Petersburg

By Kerry Sheridan • Apr 8, 2019

Preschool children at a table at the French-American School of Tampa Bay — Kerry Sheridan/WUSF

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A new French immersion school in St. Petersburg teaches children how to speak a foreign language

Elementary schools that immerse children in a foreign language are on the rise across the country. At a new French immersion school in St. Petersburg, which opened in September, American kids as young as three are learning French by speaking it all day.

Global Sidewalk Chalk Artists Create Temporary Masterpieces On Sarasota Streets

By Kerry Sheridan • Apr 4, 2019

The Sarasota Chalk Festival will feature pavement and mural artists from around the world, April 5-7 in downtown Sarasota. — Kerry Sheridan / WUSF Public Media

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Sidewalk chalk artists get to work on 3-D illusions in downtown Sarasota

Chalk artists from around the world are coloring the walls and streets of downtown Sarasota this weekend with vivid imagery, classical style artwork and optical illusions.

Man Who Dropped Daughter Off St. Petersburg Bridge Claims Insanity

By The Associated Press & Kerry Sheridan • Mar 26, 2019

Jurors in the John Jonchuck trial on Monday began debating whether he was insane or not when he threw his daughter off a Tampa Bay area bridge four years ago. — Pinellas County Jail

A murder trial is moving forward for a man who threw his 5-year-old daughter off a Tampa Bay area bridge.

Tampa High School Students Learn History, 'Hamilton' Style

By Kerry Sheridan • Mar 18, 2019

Woman sings on stage while two classmates hold up signs that say "Common Sense." — Kerry Sheridan / WUSF

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Tampa area high school students learn about the Founding Fathers, Hamilton-style

The Broadway musical "Hamilton" won critical acclaim with its modern take on historical figures. As the show makes its way across the United States, students in select cities are getting a chance to learn about the Founding Fathers and perform their own original pieces in the style of Hamilton.

Christopher Columbus Replica Ships Dock In Palmetto

By Kerry Sheridan & Daylina Miller • Mar 8, 2019

Two ships that are replicas of Christopher Columbus’s historic sailing vessels, the Pinta and the Niña, have docked in Palmetto for a week-long stop.

Sandy Hook Dad Teaches Students How To Report Warning Signs

By Kerry Sheridan • Feb 28, 2019

Research shows that four in five school shooters tell someone about their plans ahead of time. One father who lost his son at Sandy Hook Elementary visited a St. Petersburg high school on Thursday to teach students how to recognize and report the warning signs.

Hurricane Re-Entry Tags Mailed To Tampa Evacuation Zone Residents

By Kerry Sheridan • Feb 27, 2019

Hurricane season may be about three months away, but the city of Tampa already has a plan to help residents after a storm.

Five Sheriffs in Florida Join Forces With ICE Agents

By Kerry Sheridan • Feb 26, 2019

Local law enforcement in five parts of Florida have reached agreements to work with federal agents by detaining suspected criminals longer if they are in the country illegally.

Construction On Diverging Diamond Underway In Wesley Chapel

By Kerry Sheridan • Feb 25, 2019

Construction is underway on a new traffic pattern called a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) in north Tampa's Wesley Chapel that aims to ease congestion around I-75 and State Road 56, the Florida Department of Transportation said.

The idea of the $33 million project is to re-design a diamond-shaped bridge that already exists in the fast-growing area, which is near three shopping malls, a hospital and several hotels.