David Sheridan holds bachelor's degrees in music education and history from Florida State University, where he first showed interest in issues of assessment and accreditation while serving on the College of Music's Board of Advisors as an upper-division undergraduate student.  In 1996, he moved west and pursued a Ph.D. in European history at the University of Southern California, where his research focus centered around 20th-century British musical culture, gender, and homefront morale and work.  He began teaching in the history department at California State University, Long Beach in 2006 and has served on several departmental and college committees related to assessment and curriculum. Since 2022, he has served in roles supporting institutional assessment and program review through Long Beach's Office of Program & Institutional Effectiveness (OPIE).