I am happy to announce the appointment of Ryan Sparrow to the Society for News Design’s Executive Committee as the SND Programs representative. Ryan is the chair of SND’s Best of Digital Design competition, which has continued to grow under his guidance.
As Lecturer at Ball State University, where he has been apart of the highly recognized Journalism Graphics program for almost 15 years, Ryan brings a unique perspective to the executive committee. His insights into the needs of students and young professionals in our fields will help guide the agenda for SND to ensure that we continue to adopt and change,s to meet the needs and drive the industry.
The executive committee is responsible for setting the agendas for the semi-annual board meetings and oversight of any contracts and evaluations of staff members. I am thankful to Ryan for answering the call to assist SND in what is to be a busy year.
Ryan Sparrow is Lecturer of Journalism at Ball State University where he has taught in the acclaimed Journalism Graphics program for almost 15 years. Before landing in academics, Sparrow was an award-winning newspaper designer and photojournalist at newspapers in Indiana, Kentucky and Florida. He still works as a freelance photographer and drone pilot.
While at Ball State, Sparrow has begun several project-learning classes and has garnered national attention for them. The biggest of these classes is the Ball State at the Games program which he co-created with his wife Colleen Steffen. Ball State at the Games immerses students in the chaos that is the Olympic Games. Students report on athletes and coaches as well as stories about the home country and Olympics culture. To date, he has taken over 100 students to the past 4 Olympic Games.
In addition to those countries, Sparrow has led students and adults in study abroad programs and tours to seven different countries including Russia, Cuba, Italy and the Netherlands.
Sparrow lives in Muncie, IN with his wife Colleen and their 11-year-old daughter, Tommy.
Twitter – @rjsparrow
Instagram – @ryanj_sparrow