Keynote Speaker

John Sanchez, Associate Professor
Journalism/News Media Ethics
College of Communications, Penn State

Professor John Sanchez formerly served as the academic director of the American Indian Leadership Program and taught courses on American Indian leadership and politics at American University in Washington, D.C.; under his leadership, President Clinton's panel on race initiatives recognized this program as one of the top five programs in the country. Professor Sanchez also works in Washington, D.C., as a consultant to Indian Country in education, diversity, and mass communications initiatives. Currently an associate professor at Penn State, Dr. Sanchez teaches in the College of Communications' Department of Journalism, where he specializes in news media ethics. His research interests lie primarily at the intersection of contemporary American Indian cultures and the American news media. Professor Sanchez publishes his research in American Indian, teacher education, and communication studies journals and is currently working on a new book titled American Indian Identity in the 21st Century: The New Faces of an Ancient People.