The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is pleased to announce confirmed speakers (please see below) for the 101st Annual Spring Convention and Centennial celebration, which include media professionals and scholastic journalism educators. CSPA is proud to welcome representatives from the Associated Press, the Athletic, Automattic, Balfour Yearbooks, CNN, CalMatters, The Columbia Journalism Review, the Columbia Spectator, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Fortune, Friesens Corp., Getty Images, Google, Jostens, the Knight Foundation, Mansueto Ventures LLC, MassLive Media Group, NBC News, Newspack, The New York Times, People, Pew Research, Pictavo, Pitch Publicity, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Press Pass NYC, Reuters, the Student Press Law Center, URL Media, Varsity Yearbooks, Walsworth Yearbooks, WNYC Radio, Wired, as well as educators and scholastic journalism experts from around the country.
New speakers are being added daily and will be updated on the event registration site.
The event will take place March 19-21, 2025, on the Columbia University campus in New York, and will offer more than 240 sessions. In addition, the convention will feature a free critique room for student publications, and a student “swap shop” for student journalists to meet and exchange ideas.
CSPA also invites advisers in attendance to join two luncheons. (Please note that advance registration for the luncheons is required, as space is limited.) On Thursday, March 20, CSPA will honor the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, and on Friday, March 21, CSPA will recognize Centennial Awards recipients and student essay contest winners. The convention will culminate in the Crown Awards convocation, taking place the afternoon of Friday, March 21.
To register, please visit here. Financial assistance is available for students who qualify for the Greenman Leadership Grant. Learn more here.
Keynote Address: Richard Gingras, Strategic Advisor, Google; former Global VP of Google News, Google
Speakers from Professional Media Organizations
KC Baker, Senior Writer, People
David Berkwitz, Professional Photographer
Jim Brady, Vice President, Journalism, Knight Foundation
Shirley Carswell, Executive Director, Dow Jones News Fund
Sewell Chan, Executive Editor, Columbia Journalism Review
Matt Chayes, Newsday
Neil Chase, CEO, CalMatters
Jen Christiansen, Senior Graphics Editor, Scientific American
Rehema Ellis, Correspondent, NBC News
Erica Miriam Fabri, author
Arlyn Gajilan, Digital News Director, Reuters
Jonathan Gaston-Falk, Staff Attorney, Student Press Law Center
Arlene Getz, Editorial Director, Committee to Protect Journalists
S. Mitra Kalita, CEO and Co-founder, URL Media
Esha Karam, Managing Editor, Columbia Spectator
Pratika Katiyar Student Journalist; Student Member, Student Press Law Center
Scott Klein, Automattic; Newspack
Steven Levy, Editor at Large, Wired
Kathryn Lurie, Editor-in Charge, Social Media, Reuters
Marcus Mabry, Senior Vice President of Digital Editorial and Programming for CNN Digital Worldwide
Josh Macht, President, MassLive Media Group
Lauren Mack, freelance food and travel writer
John Markoff, Reporter, The New York Times (retired)
Colleen McClain, Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer of Mansueto Ventures LLC
John Moore, Getty Images Special Correspondent
Lafontaine Oliver, President and CEO, WNYC Radio
Jacob Palenske, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, VA
Terry Parris, New York Times
Michael Pina, Senior Staff Writer, The Ringer
Dan Revitte, Director of Product Design, CNN
Aimee Rinehart, Program Manager, AI Solutions and Local News, Associated Press
Patrick Rogers, Senior Editor for Crime, People
Zack Rosenblatt, NFL Writer, The Athletic
Lisa Rubin, Legal Correspondent, MSNBC
Carolyn Ryan, Managing Editor, The New York Times
Amy Summers, Principal, Pitch Publicity
Ben Welsh, News Applications Editor, Reuters
Esther Wojcicki Educator, Journalist and Author
Scholastic Journalism Educators
Logan Aimone, University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Ann Akers, Varsity Yearbook
Mika Alvarez, Senate Legislative Correspondent
Louisa Avery, The American School in London
Sara-Beth Badalamente, Huron High School
Lara Bergen, Press Pass NYC
Samantha Berry, CADY
Bonnie Blackman, Jostens Yearbooks
- Jane Blystone, North East School
District Betsy Brittingham, Varsity Yearbook
Rick Brooks, Jostens
Kathryn Campbell, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Heather Cernoch, The Episcopal School of Dallas
Tina Cleavelin, Jostens
Becky Cook, Pictavo
Linda Corlew, Ann Arbor Huron High School
Ellen Cowhey, The Masters School
Jenny Dial Creech, CSPAA Board President; St. Mark’s School of Texas
Meredith Cummings, Lehigh University
David Cutler, Brimmer and May School
Mary Kay Downes, Chantilly High School (retired)
Jessica Durbin, Bishop Kenny High School
Valerie Earhart, Severna Park High School
Mitch Eden, Jostens Yearbooks
Meredith Evans, Northview High School
Steve Ferguson, Balfour Yearbooks
Mark Francioli, Benedictine High School
Yuichiro Hara, Jakarta Intercultural School
Bobby Hawthorne, author
Thomas Hayes, Ben Davis High School
Nelson Helm, Pictavo
John Horvath, Pictavo
Kori James, Fresno Christian School
Jim Jordan, Walsworth Yearbooks
Sarah Kappel, Germantown Friends School
Lori Keekley, Quill & Scroll
Steve Kent, Pictavo
Jarrett Krause, Winchester Thurston School
Katie Kroeze, Lincoln High School
James Laber, Westhill High School
Kel Lemons, Jostens
Sarah Lerner, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Gary Lundgren, National Scholastic Press Association
Michael Malcom-Bjorklund, Burke High School
Brian Martinez, Jostens Yearbooks
Caroline Mattox, Varsity Yearbook
Mimi Melkonian, Brunswick School
Jim Mielty, Varsity Yearbook
Jeff Moffitt, Jostens Yearbooks
RJ Morgan, University of Mississippi
Ericka Muncy, Jupiter High School
Mark Murray, CSPAA Technology Chair; Executive Director, Association of Texas Photography Instructors
David Nathan, St. John's School
Sarah Nichols, Whitney High School
Lori Oglesbee, CADY
Jose Otero, Varsity Yearbook
Katina Patron, author
Ethan Pender, Darlington School
Marci Pieper, Jostens Yearbooks
Satvika Ramanathan, Huron High School
Meg Cohen Ragas, Germantown Friends School
Jon Ringel, Stamford High School
Julia Satterthwaite, Monta Vista High School
Rod Satterthwaite, Palo Alto High School
Ramanathan Satvika, Huron High School
Laura Schaub, Friesens Corp.
Hal Schmidt, Jostens Yearbooks / PS Graphics,inc
Sabrina Schmitz, Walsworth Yearbooks
Erin Schneider, Journalism Resource Network
Helen Smith, New England Scholastic Press Association
John Soliday, University of Miami School of Communications
Margaret Sorrows, Jostens Yearbooks
Randy Stano, University of Miami
Larry Steinmetz, Bullitt East High School
Gail Snyder, South River Senior High School
John Taglareni, Bergenfield High School (retired)
Ling Teo, Salk School of Science
Alana Van der Sluys, Kinnelon High School
Wanda Vanish, CSPAA First Vice President; Altoona Area High School
Sharon Villapiano, Seashore Transportation
Michael von Wahlde, Westhill High School
Chris Waugaman, Virginia State University
Lizabeth Walsh, Jostens
Layne Weaver, Glynn Academy
Amy Weishaus, Pearl River High School (retired)/ECHO This: Empowering Conversations of Hope and Opportunity
Julie Zack, Villa Maria College
Brett Zinger, CSPAA Second Vice President; New Bedford High School
- Kathleen Zwiebel, CSPAA Judging Standards and Practices Chair; Pottsville Area High School (retired)