Teaching & Educational Administration
July 1993-present
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York

Dean of Student Affairs (Jan. 2008-present)
Promoted to newly created position of Dean of Student Affairs. Supervise all aspects of student affairs - deans in charge of Admissions and Financial Aid; Student Services/Acitivities; Career Services report to this position. Report to, and work directly with, Dean Nicholas Lemann. Work closely with the Dean of Academic Affairs, Bill Grueskin, on academic, faculty and curriculum issues.

Dean of Students (July 2005 to Dec. 2007)
In charge of student issues - working closely with 380+ students (from 30+ countries and 30+ states), faculty and other deans.

Professor of Professional Practice - July 2007 to present (formerly associate professor; assistant professor & lecturer)

Former director of digital media program/curriculum (2000-2009)

Former director, Part-time Program, 2006-2007 and 1997-2001 (program grew from 32 students to 90+)

Courses: Spring 2010 & Fall 2009 -- Social-media Skills for Journalists (brand-new course, teaching, for the first time at Columbia how social media can be used strategically by journalists); Fall 2007 -- New Media Newsroom; Master's Project Spring 2007 -- Master's Project; Fall 2006 -- Issues in Online News; Master's Project; Spring 2006 -- Covering the Religions of India; Master's Project

• Previous semesters--New Media Workshop, New Media Issues; Advanced Reporting & Writing; TV for Print Semesters; Enterprise Reporting; Nightly News Workshop; Master's Project; Tools of the Modern Journalist; Newsmagazine Workshop for Columbia's School of International & Public Affairs

Run the Hearst New Media Programs endowment at Columbia - bringing journalists and new media pioneers to interact with students. Among the speakers brought to campus: Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist; Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia; Bill Grueskin, managing editor, WSJ.com; Len Apcar, editor of NYTimes.com; Rex Smith, editor of Albany Times-Union; Neal Scarborough, editor-in-chief of ESPN.com, Andrea Panciera, editor of Projo.com and many more

Founding administrator, Online Journalism Awards, 2000-2002 (world's largest new media contest)
  - part of small team Online News Association that conceived, built and executed contest when it was based at Columbia

Former Faculty Adviser to campus chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, 1994-2005 (won "national adviser of year" among 200 chapters, 1998; chapter won "national chapter of the year" in 1997; served on national SPJ's strategic planning committee in 1998-99)

In March 2006, led effort of create Council of Deans of Students across campus. Group of 20+ deans is now an influential part of the university's structure and meets eight times a year and maintains critical electronic communications throughout the year

Member of executive committee of Southern Asian Institute at Columbia University (2008-present); served on task force for Institute at School of International & Public Affairs - 2001-2002

Fall 2009
Columbia Business School
Adjunct instructor
Co-taught, with Jeremy Kagan and Doug Herman, a Master Class for second-year MBA students on "Creating, Distributing and Marketing Digital Content"

May 1998-present
Various newsrooms and organizations in the U.S. & abroad
Teach "Smarter Surfing: Better Use of Your Web Time" workshops for journalists and other professionals
    More than 19,000 professionals have attended in eight countries.
Teach "Figuring Out Blogs, Wikis and Whatever's Next" workshops for journalists and other professionals
Several other new media and technology workshops

November 2000-2003
Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida
Visiting Professor of New Media
Web Tips columnist for Poynter.org (e-mailed to 10,000+ media professionals each week; more than 150 columns since Aug. 2001)
Taught classes for:
College Reporting & Writing Fellowship (July 2003)
Beat Reporting (March 2003)
College Reporting & Writing Fellowship (June 2002)
Writing Online News (Nov. 2001)
Anchors as Newsroom Leaders (Aug 2001)
Producing Newscasts (Aug 2001)
College Reporting & Writing Fellowship (June 2001)
Power Reporting (April 2001)
Newspaper Writing and Editing(Feb. 2001)
Writing Online News (Nov. 2000)

April 2001-2005
American Press Institute, Reston, Virginia
Visiting Faculty
Taught classes for:
Opinion editors (March 2005)
Weekly and Community Newspapers seminar (Jan 2003)
News Editors & Copy Chiefs seminar (July 2002)
Journalism Educators seminar (June 2002)
Editorial Page Editors seminar (May 2002)
Lifestyle Editors seminar (May 2002)
Weekly and Community Newspapers seminar (Jan 2002)
Journalism Educators seminar (June 2001)
Sports Editors seminar (April 2001)

September 2000
Emerson College, Boston
Visiting Faculty, Dept. of Journalism
Taught faculty training workshops in new media

July 2000 & July 2001
Center for Independent Journalism, Prague, Budapest & Bratislava
Visiting Faculty
Taught classes in new media trends for journalists and trainers. See workshop info

April-Sept 1995
NYT-Video News International, Philadelphia
Trainer
Taught international print and radio journalists to report, shoot & produce television stories

April 1994 & 1995
Videomaker Magazine Expo
Trainer-lecturer
Ran workshops in broadcast writing and reporting

Journalism
Jan 2009-present
DNAinfo.com
Member of founding team and contributing editor
Worked with Ameritrade founder (and Chicago Cubs owner) Joe Ricketts, to launch DNAinfo.com, a new news site covering Manhattan Currently serve as the site's contributing editor and technology reporter (see samples).

Jan. 2007-Jan. 2009
WNBC-TV & WNBC.com
Tech reporter, covering Internet trends and gadgets; and demystifing technology.
Apprearing twice a week in NYC area ("Sree Advice" Thursdays at 6:40 am and Mondays at 5:40 pm)
Answering viewer e-mail about technology
Hosted 30-minute special, "Tech4NY: Holiday Gifts" - Dec. 2007
Co-host of WNBC's Blogger Summit, Jan. 2007
Occasional contributor to NBC News

Dec. 2000-Jan. 2007
WABC-7 & 7online.com
More than six years of on-air reporting, with more than 500 appearances.
"TechGuru" on "Eyewitness News This Morning"
6:20 a.m. every Thursday -- technology reports
7:45 a.m. every Saturday -- "Sree's Top Three"
Hosted and co-produced half-hour documentary on technology, "Computers 101" - April 2002

May 1996-present
The New York Times
Freelance writer, business and arts sections
Wrote more than 40 articles and reviews for Business, Arts and Circuits sections and occasional "Taking in the Sites" columns. Most recent piece: Review of "Gangs of Iraq" documentary on Frontline/PBS in April 2007 (samples)

Aug 2001-present
Poynter.org
Weekly Web Tips column -- useful Web sites for journalists and others who deal with the media (samples)

2004-2005
Popular Science
Member of "Geek Chorus" - writing occasional articles and answering questions from readers

June 1999-2006
Asian America on PBS
Freelance guest host/moderator
Serve as occasional television host of news show airing nationwide on public television; averaging 10 shows a year (samples)

Nov. 2004-July 2005
American Desi on DISH Network
Freelance guest host/moderator
Serves as occasional television host of news talk shows aimed at South Asians in the U.S. 
Conducted 99 sit-down interviews, 30 minutes each (samples).

May 2000-2003
Online Journalism Awards
Founding administrator of largest international Web journalism prize program; run by Columbia and Online News Association. Led small team that conceived, built and executed contest.

January 2000-Feb 2001
Inequality.org
Freelance managing editor of news site covering the divide in income, wealth and health. Assigned and edited stories and ran Web site for this small nonprofit

May-Sept 1997
The New York Times Electronic Media Company
Consultant
Developed editorial content and supervised small research and reporting staff for New York Today, a new site for The New York Times on the Web

Jan. 1995-May 1996
The Nightly Business Report on PBS, New York
Freelance producer
Produced field packages; reported off-camera for the most-watched evening business news program on U.S. television

August 1992-May 1998
Business Today
New York correspondent
Covered Wall Street, management consulting and business schools for leading India-based business magazine (former senior copy editor and writer in New Delhi)

1987-1994
Various freelance and staff positions in Fiji, India and New York, including:
Staff: The Sunday Observer & New Generation (New Delhi - 1991-92), Business Today (New Delhi - 1992)
Freelance contracts: The World This Week/NDTV (New York York correspondent, 1994-1997) and The Economic Times (New York, 1992-94)
Internship: Fiji Sun (Suva, 1986-87)

Published In
The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Popular Science, Time Digital/On Magazine, Business Today, Rolling Stone, Columbia Journalism Review, The Earth Times, Bloomberg Business News, Newsday, Forbes.com, The Economic Times, Sesame Street Parents, International Herald Tribune, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Arizona Republic, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday Observer, Fiji Sun, 7online.com, Beliefnet.com, Poynter.org (samples)

Long-form Projects
Oct-December 2007
"Tech 4 New York: Holiday Gifts" on WNBC-TV
On-air host and narrator for half-hour show on technology products (aired Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007)

Feb-April 2002
"Computers 101" on WABC-TV
On-air host, narrator and co-producer for half-hour documentary on technology (aired Sunday, April 14, 2002)

Sept. 1996-Dec. 1997
The Encyclopedia of Television News (Oryx Press, 1998)
Contributing writer
Wrote biographical entries on Charles Kuralt, Tom Bettag and Steve Kroft

Education
M.S. in Journalism, Columbia University, New York (graduated 1993)
courses included: TV and radio reporting; business reporting.

B.A. (honors) in History, St. Stephen's College, New Delhi (graduated 1991)
courses included: Indian, American and Chinese history
Secretary, Informal Discussion Group - group that brought newsmakers to campus

Short-term courses:

Freedom Forum Technology Workshop for Educators, San Francisco
1998 Fellow: Attended week-long training course on technology for journalism professors

Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida
1995 Fellow, Journalism Educators Workshop
Attended week-long training course in teaching techniques and strategies for journalism professors

Computers
Windows and Mac publishing software; HTML programming and other Internet skills; nonlinear video and audio editing; project management software

Affiliations

• South Asian Journalists Association 1994-present
  Co-founder, past president & administrator of SAJA Journalism Awards
  Blogger and editor for SAJAforum, SAJA's news blog
  Editor, SAJA Stylebook for Covering South Asia and South Asian America
  As chief fundraiser for the group, helped raise more than $600,000 for various activities.
  
• Society of Professional Journalists & The Deadline Club
  Faculty adviser for SPJ Columbia chapter, 1994-2005 (named National Adviser of the Year, 1998)
  Member of National Strategic Planning Committee, 1998-99
  
• Asian American Journalists Association
  Elected national board member (2001-2003)
  Member, Media Watch Committee (1998-present)
  Member, High School Outreach Committee (2001-2005)
  Contributor to "All-American: How to Cover Asian America" - AAJA stylebook (1999-2000)
  
• Online News Association
  Founding member, 1998
  Member of awards committee that developed Online Journalism Awards
  
• New York Financial Writers' Association (1993-2001)
  Former executive board nominating committee (1999)
  Former student committee chair (1994-95)
  

Honors

• Named one of Newsweek's 20 influential South Asians in the U.S., March 2004
• Named one of India Abroad's 50 most influential Indians in the U.S., July 2007
• Named one of AdAge's 25 media people to follow on Twitter and one of 22 professors named to the "Top 100 Twitterers in Academia" by OnlineSchools.org, July 2009
  
• Lawrence Young Breakthrough Award for diversity leadership, National Association of Minority Media Executives, Washington, DC, March 2007
• Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. Award for Community Leaders. LEAP is a non-profit organization that teaches leadership skills in corporate and nonprofit America. July 2009
  
• Honoree at 2005 Asian American celebration in City Hall by Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields, Feb. 28, 2005
• SASA 2005 Award for outstanding achievement in journalism at South Asian Students Alliance convention, Los Angeles, Jan. 16, 2005
• "Top 5 Under 35 Award" from Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey, May 2004
• Named one of India Today magazine's "40 leaders under 40" in the U.S., 2000
• National Faculty Adviser of the Year, Society of Professional Journalists, 1998 -
  selected from among 200 journalism schools around the United States
• Creating a Voice Award, Indian American Political Awareness Committee, 1998
• First Columbia Asian Alumni Heritage Award, 2001
• Indian American Kerala Center Award (for Journalism), Long Island, 2000
• Honoree at New York Police Department event with NYPD Police Commissioner for work in diversity training taskforce, May 2001
• Nominated for World Technology Award presented at World Technology Summit, London, 2001
• Subject of a 30-minute profile on "N-R-Eyes" documentary series about South Asians shown worldwide on Zee News Network, 2000
• Named an ATT India Horizons "Cyber Professor of the Month," 1996
• SPJ Scripps National Leadership Retreat Fellow, Greeencastle, Indiana, 1997
• William Wood Fellowship, Columbia University, 1993-94
• Philip Greer Scholarship, New York Financial Writers' Association, 1993
• John Patterson Workshop Prize, Columbia Journalism School, 1993

Keynote Speeches
Reverse chronological order

• Keynote opening speech for Columbia India Business Conference, April 10, 2009
• Keynote speech to Lotos Club, one of NYC's oldest clubs (Mark Twain was an early member), "India & the U.S.: The Next 60 Years." April, 22, 2008.
• Keynote speech about technology for Coucil for the Advancement and Support of Education conference, New Orleans March 28, 2008
• Keynote speech for Asian American Awareness Month at Wellesley College, March 6, 2008
  Topic: "South Asian America: How media, entertainment and politics are changing everything"
• Keynote speaker for GE New Media Summit at SNL Studios, Oct. 16, 2007
• Keynote speaker International Golf Network's golf writer's conference, June 2, 2007
• Keynote speach at Teaching Asia conference at William Paterson University, April 10, 2007
  Topic: "A Changing India in a Changing World: Implications for American Education"
• 2006 Journalism Program Lecture Series on Broadcast and the Media, University of Masschusetts Amherst, Dec. 5, 2006.
  Topic: Journalism 2.0: How technology is changing the media, journalists and consumers
• Keynote speaker for the New York City Scholastic Press Association and the New York City High School Journalism Program at Baruch College, Dec. 1, 2006.
  Topic: Journalism 2.0: How Technology is Changing the Media and What That Means for You As a Journalist
  
• Commencement speaker, Walt Whitman Middle School, Brooklyn, June 20, 2005
• Keynote speech about technology trends for Thomas Edison High School annual tech competition, June 4, 2005
• Keynote speech for Knowledge Workers Education Alliance (professors, technologist and librarians from around the tri-state area), April 15, 2005
  Topic: "The New Media: Pedagogical Implications"
• Keynote speech about technology trends for NYC Public Schools' "Groundhog Job Shadow Day" at Cisco Academy, April 8, 2005
• Keynote speech on ethnic press, immigrant families and domestic violence for "We Are All Brooklyn" conference, Feb. 25, 2005
• Keynote speech for annual dinner-dance of the Asian American Coalition of Staten Island, March 14, 2003. Topic: "An Asian American Identity."
• Keynote speech for Ethnic Press Conference at LaGuardia Community College hosted by Independent Press Assn and Jewish Community Relations Council, June 2002. Topic: "In the Shadow of the 7 Train: Lessons from Covering 9/11 and Beyond."
• Keynote speech for Independent Press Association of New York conference at LaGuardia Community College, Queensm Nov. 2002 Topic: "The Importance of the Independent and Ethnic Press."
• Keynote for Minnesota Public Radio's Integrated Media Fellowship, April 2002 at MPR HQ in Minneapolis. Topic: "Lessons from the Online Journalism Awards."
• Keynote for Emerging Ethnic Media Conference hosted by Jewish Community Relations Council and Columbia University, Oct. 2001. Topic: "The Ethnic Press After Sept. 11."
• Keynote for luncheon session at 17th Computers & Writing conference, Ball State University, May 2001. Topic: "Content is Still King - Lessons from the Online Journalism Awards."
• Keynote for an evening Celebrating South Asian Heritage at NY City Hall, Sept. 2000. Topic: "South Asiana in the U.S."
• Keynote for Columbia University Asian Alumni Reception, April 2001.Topic: "Asian Americans and the Press."
• Keynote for annual dinner of the Assn of Asian American Engineers of NY & NJ, Dec. 2000
• Keynote for opening of New York Conference of Asian Studies photo exhibition. Topic: "An Indian Abroad" College of St. Rose, Albany, Nov. 2000
• Other major talks include
  Annual lecture on South Asian media for departing diplomats and military personnel at State Dept's Foreign Service Training Institute, Virginia, 1999-present
  Annual workshop for annual conference of American Society of Journalists & Authors, NYC - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  
  See list of other talks

Journalism Evaluation Work

• Administrator/judge of SAJA Journalism Awards, 1997-present
• Judging leader for online general excellence category, National Magazine Awards, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; judge 2000, 2004, 2005
• Judge for Shorty Awards, honoring the best people and organizations on Twitter
• Founding Administrator of Online Journalism Awards, 2000-2002
• Member, Newspaper Next Task Force, American Press Institute, 2005-2006 
• Judge for online category, Scripps Howard National Journalism Awards, 2005 & 2006
• Judge for Society of Environmental Journalists online awards, 2006
  
• Judge for $20,000 international investigative reporting prize administered by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Washington, 2001, 2003, 2004
• Judge for online categories of Idaho Press Club, 2004
• Judge for online categories of the annual contest of the Arizona Press Club, 2003
• Judge for online categories for New England AP News Executives Association, 2003
• Judge for Quest for Excellence high school news contest, Daily News/Columbia Scholastic Press Assn, June 2001
• Judge for Web design contest for Assn for Education in Journalism and Mass Comm, April 2001
• Member of site visit team evaluating Emerson College Dept. of Journalism, March 2001
• Screener for Global Business Books Awards, 1997
• Judge for Pacific Northwest Journalism Contest, Society of Professional Journalists, Jan 1995

Board of Directors/Advisers

US BOARDS:

• South Asian Journalists Association (1994-present - co-founder;
  elected member of the executive board; first president, 2001-2002)
• Center for Public Integrity (Sept. 2006-present)
• Overseas Press Club (July 2006-2007)
  
• Consumer WebWatch Advisory Board (2001-2006)
• Asian American Journalists Association, national board (2001-2003)
• Harlem Center for Education (2001-2005)
• Asian Language Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center, NYC Board of Education (2001-2005)
• Ron Patel Scholarship Fund (2000-2005)
• Corante (2000-2005)
• Featurewell (2000-2005)
• Tribeca Internet Initiatives (1996-2001)
• South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (2001-2002)

NON-US BOARDS:

• Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (2000-present)
• Center for Independent Journalism, Budapest (2002-2005)

Community Service

• Teaching scores of pro bono technology classes for nonprofit institutions around the country, 1997-present
• Emcee/presenter, various annual events, including India Abroad Person of the Year gala; Excelsior Awards and scholarship dinner, Network of Indian Professionals; Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund; Coalition for Asian American Children and Families; 1994-present
  Emcee of annual fundraising dinners, Karuna Charities, 1996-present
• Member of Honorary Leadership Team of South Asia Against AIDS Foundation annual benefit, July 2001
• Member of honorary host reception committee of Nat'l Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, June 2000
• Informal adviser on media and technology for several small NYC, South Asian and Asian American nonprofits, 1994-present 
  

Interests
Comic strips, gadgets, baseball & NFL football (watching), golf (playing and watching), '60s rock & pop

Spring 2011 | Narrative version

 on a textbook about the history and future of consumer technology