Shaw joined the University of Missouri in 2004 as an assistant professor in the photojournalism sequence, teaching photo editing and management and serving as the director of photography for The Missourian, the student-produced daily city newspaper.

During his senior year, Shaw won first place as the state champion high school photographer in the Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association annual competition.

Shaw is a resident of Columbia, Mo, with his wife, Carol, and two children, Russley (son) and Chaney (daughter).

He began as a photojournalist and moved into photo editing, working for newspapers such as The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville and The Sacramento Bee for 12 years.

[6] He continues as an adjunct faculty member in the photojournalism sequence at the Missouri School of Journalism, teaching visual editing for online multimedia.