Category: Speakers

Former Chief Middle East Correspondent, The Associated Press

Terry Anderson, 68, is a retired journalist – a former foreign correspondent in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He served as Chief Middle East Correspondent for the Associated Press, as well as working as a newspaper editor, tv & radio reporter and documentary producer. He is a former Marine and Vietnam veteran. Anderson has spent more than ten years as a journalism professor at University of Florida, Syracuse University, Ohio University and the Columbia School of Journalism, among others. He is author of the bestselling book, “Den of Lions,” recounting the seven years he was held hostage in Lebanon, and has been a frequent speaker on journalism, the Middle East and public affairs. He holds numerous awards in journalism, as well as for volunteer and charitable work. He is honorary chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists, which monitors attacks on the press and works to defend journalists around the world. He is also co-chair and founder of the Vietnam Children’s Fund, which has built 50 schools in Vietnam over the past 20 years. Anderson is an enthusiastic diver (cave dive certified and experienced), and a horse lover who has raised and trained young and troubled horses. He currently lives in Orange, Virginia. Anderson holds a double B.A. in journalism and political science from Iowa State University.

Author & White House Correspondent, American Urban Radio Networks

April Ryan, a 30-year journalism veteran, has been the White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) since January of 1997, covering three Presidents. Ryan is also the author of the best-selling book, “The Presidency In Black and White: My Up Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America” and “At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White.”

Prior to working for AURN, Ryan worked for several radio stations in Baltimore, including WXYV-FM, where she was news director. Over the past 18 years, Ryan has conducted one-on-one interviews with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Senator John Kerry and a host of others. Ryan has been credited by a White House historian as having the most radio interviews with then President Bill Clinton during his White House years.

Ryan is a CNN news analyst and has appeared as a roundtable panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and on CBS’s Face the Nation. The Baltimore native is a second generation Morgan State University graduate (following in her mother’s footsteps).

Author, Blogger for The Huffington Post, Radio Host, & Speaker

S. L. Young released his “It’s a Crazy World… Learn From It” series in 2012 and 2013, which contain easily understandable inspirational quotes to deal with a sometimes crazy world. Mr. Young’s book about ‘workplace bullying’ brings greater attention to an ugly topic that isn’t discussed enough, along with thoughtful solutions to address various types of workplace harassment. Mr. Young’s book about his ‘unlikely educational journey’ details his ability to overcome numerous challenges from being directed to leave high school in 10th grade and graduating in the bottom 8% of his high school class. Notwithstanding these challenges, he would later become a college professor. Other books by Mr. Young are about his battle to deal with depression and recovery from a near-suicide, ethics, and soft skills development: belief, communication, negotiation, time management, & more. Also, in December 2012, Mr. Young created a non-profit organization to provide educational services to individuals in at-risk communities (e.g., students and inmates). Furthermore, he’s a radio host in the Washington, DC metro area who addresses life and business topics from a solution-oriented perspective to help individuals live happier, healthier, and fulfilled lives.

Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, George Mason University

Dr. Jennifer Keohane teaches courses in rhetorical criticism, business communication, and public speaking at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her expertise lies in social movement rhetoric, labor organizing, and gender. Her current research explores how advocates for the labor movement use gendered narratives to organize workers. Dr. Keohane is also invested in using rhetorical research for civic engagement, and at UW-Madison, she served as the vice president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association, the labor union of graduate students on campus. In this role, she worked with university administrators to ensure compliance with campus labor regulations. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Rhetoric Society of America.

Raquel DeSouza graduated in May from George Mason University with a BA in Communication, concentration in Journalism and minors in American Government and Global Affairs. She’s a local to the NoVA area and loved her four years at the Mason Nation. She was involved in Student Media with GMU’s Fourth Estate newspaper and had internships in Virginia and DC, including Northern Virginia Magazine. Raquel is looking forward to working in a creative field that harnesses her writing skills.

Dr. Jennifer Keohane teaches courses in rhetorical criticism, business communication, and public speaking at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her expertise lies in social movement rhetoric, labor organizing, and gender. Her current research explores how advocates for the labor movement use gendered narratives to organize workers. Dr. Keohane is also invested in using rhetorical research for civic engagement, and at UW-Madison, she served as the vice president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association, the labor union of graduate students on campus. In this role, she worked with university administrators to ensure compliance with campus labor regulations. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Rhetoric Society of America.

Lisa M. Gring-Pemble is an Associate Professor in the School of Integrative Studies at George Mason University. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Olaf College, she received her M.A. and Ph.D. in communication from the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on political communication and social policy. She is author of Grim Fairy Tales: The Rhetorical Construction of American Welfare Policy and a co-editor of Readings on Political Communication. Her work has appeared in The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Political Communication, and Communication Quarterly.

Gring-Pemble delights in teaching undergraduates and is a George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award recipient. Recently, she served as Director and Principal Investigator for a State Department grant that brought 120 high-achieving, underserved, Afro-Latino and indigenous undergraduates from Central and South America to the United States to study U.S. History and Government and to develop long-term solutions to pressing challenges faced in their home communities.