| SAJA Speakers BureauLast updated: April 7, 2005 ..... # of speakers: 39 ..... # of cities: 13
Event organizers / guest bookersLooking for a journalist to speak at your next gathering, to be on a panel, or to appear on your show? Below is a list of South Asian Journalists Association members who have agreed to be contacted for such appearances. They are experts in a wide range of topics: South Asian in the U.S., immigration, film, law, history, etc.
Use the anchored rail to the right. It'll drop you down to the city that you click.
Their specialties are listed below. You can search for keywords by holding down the CTRL and then the F keys.
Be sure to tell 'em the SAJA Speaker Bureau sent you!
NOTE: Many do not charge civic groups, schools and nonprofits to speak, but if you can pay, they will not complain! Negotiate directly regarding fees, travel expenses, etc, please.
If you do not find a speaker who suits your needs, write to saja@columbia.edu to see who else we can find for you. You can also write to that address to send a general request to ALL the volunteers below. You can also call 212-854-5979.
Non-journalist speakersIf you are a journalist looking for South Asian sources articles, be sure to consult the SAJA Sources List, featuring dozens of experts in various fields. The list below is of journalists only.
SAJA members: Write to saja@columbia.edu in the format below to be listed here. We are trying to cover as much of the US & Canada as possible.
Anchored ListAtlanta | Cleveland | Connecticut | Dallas | Hawaii | Houston | Minneapolis
Madison, WI | New Jersey | New York City | Philadelphia | San Francisco
Washington, DC | More en route
ATLANTA
Roy Wadia | rwadia@msn.com | rwadia@mindspring.com
Atlanta: 404 289 7007; Vancouver: 604 904 4797
Bombay: 91 22 493 2308; 493 3406; 493 8228
Topics: Multiplatform Convergence; International Television Production (Editorial/Logistical/Reporting); Media Ethics (Editorial choices; conflict coverage; conflicts of interest; religion reportage; coverage of gay issues); Global Politics & "Top Stories"
International Media Consultant; Freelance Reporter/Journalist (TV/Web/Print/Radio)
(Currently based in Atlanta, Vancouver and Bombay)
Former Director of Integration (TV/Web Convergence),
CNN International - CNN.com,
Former Executive/Supervising Producer, CNN International
CLEVELAND
Navin Jain | nuvs@nuvs.com | 216-371-0841
Topics: Internet; e-commerce; publishing online & in print; arranged marriages
MBA candidate, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Publisher of five Web sites at http://www.nuvs.com/
Publisher, Jain Digest
Notes: Available to speak in northern Ohio/northwest Pennsylvania/western New York/southern Ontario regions
CONNECTICUT
Sundeep Muppidi | Muppidi@mail.hartford.edu
Topics: international communication (South Asia); development communication, video and new media technologies; South Asian political economy
Assistant Professor, School of Communication,
University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT
DALLAS
Mike Ghouse | MikeGhouse@aol.com | 972-862-2844
Topics: Hindi music; Bollywood; unity among South Asians; South Asian cultural bonds; real estate trends;
success strategies; radio broadcasting
Editor-publisher, Asian News Magazine (6th year)
Broadcaster, Asian News Radio (KDMM, AM 1150)
Motivational speaker
Notes: M.B.A., University of Dallas; M.Com., Bangalore University
His mission is to promote goodwill and harmony amongst the "Subcontinentians"
Happy to speak, emcee or help organize any event, mainstream of ethnic.
HAWAII
Himanee Gupta | himanee@hawaii.edu
Topics: South Asian diaspora; Hindu nationalism; identity construction/community formation among American born Indians; media representation of South Asians and other non-white Americans
Ph.D. candidate, Dept of Political Science, University of Hawaii/Manoa
Copy editor (1997-present), The Honolulu Advertiser
Former reporter (1988-1996), The Seattle Times
HOUSTON
Seema Kachru | semakachru@aol.com
http://members.tripod.com/~Skachru
Topics: Indian culture and politics; Kashmir culture and conflict; technology; the Internet; South Asian diaspora; immigrant women's issues
Associate Editor, Multimedia Publishing Corp.
Freelancer writer (former correspondent, Press Trust of India)
Rajan Sedalia | rajan@artjar.com | www.artjar.com
Featured on PBS, Rajan discusses the secrets of creavitity. His
presentations feature interactive expeditions tapping your creavity juices.
Cartoonist - NY Arts Magazine, HAL-PC Magazine. Inventor & Designer
Notes: Rajan's recent lectures include The American Creativity Conference, Kellogg, Brown & Root,
Rice University School of Architecture, University of Houston School of Architecture,
and The University of Houston-Clear Lake Graduate School of Futures Studies.
Rachel Varghese | sath66@aol.com
Topics: bicultural issues of the South Asian community; assimilation; organizational behavior and communication skills; community empowerment; youth programs; grassroots organizing; entertainment
Freelance writer & licensed social worker
MADISON, WI
Amitabh Pal | amitpal@progressive.org | 608-257-4626
Topics: Print journalism, including editing and newswriting; international issues, especially the global economy and Latin America & the Caribbean; various aspects of South Asia
Editor, Progressive Media Project, a Madison, Wis.-based op-ed service that reaches out to 500 newspapers
MINNEAPOLIS
S.P. Udayakumar | spkumar@tc.umn.edu
http://www.umn.edu/irp
Topics: communalism in India; Indo-Pakistan relations; nuclear issues; conflict resolution; poverty
Freelance writer
Co-director of program, Institute on Race and Poverty,
University of Minnesota
NEW JERSEY
Anju Bhargava | aiwaemail@aol.com
Topics: South Asian diaspora; women's issues; immigrants; community organizing and building; leadership development; diversity and integration; business administration; Indian arts and culture; interfaith dialogue; Vedic philosophy; parenting
Freelance writer and & management consultant and former banker
Community Building Fellow, US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development
Notes: She lives in New Jersey, but can travel to NYC.
Anjum Niaz | Anjumniaz2@cs.com
Topics: American Politics; US-Pakistan issues; India-Pakistan relations; US media & how it portrays Pakistan; US social, economic & life style issues as seen from the eyes of a Third World woman journalist and an evermoving & everchanging immigrants interface with life in the US
Columnist for Pakistan's daily DAWN Sunday Magazine and Op-Ed page
Former managing editor, The Earth Times
NEW YORK CITY
Arun Aguiar | indusarts@hotmail.com
Topics: Nonprofit management; community organizing: arts and culture; festivals; business administration; music; dance; books; modern art; journalism; humor
Columnist, News India-Times
Former staff writer, Business India and Inside-Outside magazines
Notes: Happy to speak (and sing) for his supper
Anjalika Bardalai | anjalikabardalai@eiu.com
Topics: macroeconomic issues; trade, licensing or regulations issues; and microfinance issues (finanacial institutions, policy, etc) in the major Asian markets.
Asia Editor for the Economist Intelligence Unit
Amitabh Dubey | ad238@columbia.edu
Topics: international relations; international security; graduate school
Ph.D. candidate, Department of Political Science, Columbia University
Former feature writer, Business Standard & reporter, Business India Television.
Jonathan Foreman | jforeman@nypost.com
http://www.jonathanforeman.com
Topics: The media, U.S. policits, India and Pakistan relationship -- rivalry, war and terrorism, Kashmir, the India-USA political relationship, etc, South Asian communities in New York, film and filmmakers of the Indian diaspora.
Op-Ed Columnist, Editorial Board Member The New York Post
Former senior film critic
Reported extensively from India
Karim Hajee | khajee@yahoo.com
Topics: New York City politics; TV reporting and production; terrorism; police & investigations; American justice system; major league sports
Writer, WABC News
Pradnya Joshi | joshi@newsday.com | 516-843-2436
Topics: journalism; Asian American issues (model minority myth, stereotypes, South Asians vs. rest of Asian America); telecommunications; South Asian community on Long Island
Business writer, Newsday
Former business writer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President of the New York chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association
Notes: Willing to speak in New York City or Long Island; may be able to travel to other parts of the country; could be available during work hours if schedule permits; honoraria not required but would ask for coverage of travel expenses if speaking outside the NY area.
S. Mitra Kalita | mitra@desiwriter.com
http://www.desiwriter.com
Topics: journalism, job hunting, internships, networking, business reporting, freelancing, Asian-American issues, desi America, coverage of communities and minorities, H-1B visa issues, immigrant workers, small businesses, minority entrepreneurship, how South Asians/immigrants are
changing New York City and region's economic landscape, post-Sept. 11 backlash against immigrants and immigration
Reporter, Washington Post
President, South Asian Journalists Association
Author, "Suburban Sahibs"
NOTES: author of book about immigrants in suburbia, told through Indians in Central New Jersey; reported extensive series on India's economy after liberalization
Monica Mehta | mehtamonica@yahoo.com
http://www.saja.org/monicamehta.html
Topics: Entertainment, minorities in entertainment, South Asian Americans, immigrant and bicultural issues, teen issues
Reporter, Entertainment Weekly magazine
Nina Mehta | ninamehta@aol.com
http://www.saja.org/ninamehta.html
Topics: book reviewing, publishing, writing; modern incarnations of arranged marriage; dating; experiences of mixed race/religion Americans
Freelance writer and book critic
Naeem Mohaiemen | nmohaiemen@mac.com
http://www.shobak.org
Topics: Bangladeshi-Americans; Bangladesh; Muslim Immigrants; South
Asian left; internet-based activism; media convergence; broadband video
on demand
Founder, Shobak.Org (Outsider Asian Voices)
Co-founder, Volume.com (AOL-Time Warner's website for African-American teenagers)
Freelance journalist for Bangladeshi newspapers.
Raju Narisetti | Raju.Narisetti@wsj.com
http://www.saja.org/narisetti.html
Topics: journalism, particularly business journalism
Deputy National News Editor, The Wall Street Journal
Notes: Lives in Brooklyn
Arthur Pais | artpais@aol.com
http://www.saja.org/pais.html
Topics: Indian-Americans; cinema; the media; writing; food
Deputy Editor, Rediff.com
Kishan Putta | kishanputta@alum.dartmouth.org
Topics: South Asians in the media; South Asian political participation; affirmative action
Freelance writer
Travel writer, "Let's Go: India & Nepal 1999"
Indira Somani | isomani@aol.com
Topics: television journalism; reporting and production; how ethnic communities can work with mainstream news outlets
Freelance TV producer
Sreenath Sreenivasan | ss221@columbia.edu | 212-854-5979
http://www.sree.net
Topics: journalism, South Asians in the US; South Asian media; technology; the Internet; media convergence; South Asian diaspora; "Smarter Surfing: Better Use of Your Web Time"
Associate professor, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
WABC-TV "Tech Guru"
Prakash M. Swamy | pmswamy@aol.com | 718-507-8945
Topics: Indian politics; the love-hate relationship between politicians and journalists; new media in regional languages; freedom of the press; journalism ethics; TV boom in India
NY Correspondent: The Hindu Business Line, Sun TV, Ananda Vikatan and India West.
Formerly with The Hindu, India Today and Junior Vikatan in Madras for 20 years.
Experience in print, TV and new media.
Jyoti Thottam | jyotithottam@yahoo.com
http://www.saja.org/thottam.html
Topics: South Asians in New York; immigrant communities in New York; New York City politics; travels in Indian villages; contemporary South Asian fiction
Business reporter, Time magazine
Tunku Varadarajan | saja@columbia.edu (write to him at this address; MUST include his name in subject line)
http://www.saja.org/tunku.html
Topics: The media; Indian culture and politics; Indian diaspora; cricket; Britain, ethnic conflicts
Deputy editorial features editor, The Wall Street Journal
Chief television and media critic
PHILADELPHIA
Gaiutra Bahadur | bahadug@phillynews.com
Topics: the South Asian diaspora in the Caribbean; media coverage of
immigrants and immigration; newsroom diversity
Staff Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Notes: Lives in Philadelphia
Porus Cooper | poruscooper@hotmail.com
Topics: the unique (and not so unique) challenges of being an ethnic/immigrant journalist in a newsroom leadership position (and what it takes to survive -- and occasionally thrive); how reporters and editors at a mainstream newspaper view/cover ethnic communities and what community spokespeople should know to get the coverage they want.
Assistant New Jersey editor, Philadelphia Inquirer
Mukul Pandya | Mukul.Pandya@wharton.upenn.edu | MPandya@aol.com
http://www.saja.org/pandya.html
Topics: business journalism; the Internet; South Asian immigrant business
Editor, Knowledge@Wharton, The Wharton School of Business
(former managing editor, Business News New Jersey)
Notes: Lives in New Jersey and works in Philly
SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA
Ali Hasan Cemendtaur | cemendtaur@caddworld.com | 408-265-2795
Topics: current affairs, Pakistan, South Asia in general, colonialism and
its legacies, futurism, environment.
Writer--coverage of local events; short-stories, novels
Pallavi Sharma | pallavi@stirmag.com
http://www.stirmag.com
Topics: Asian Pacific Americans; cultural issues; Webzines; publishing startups; South Asian women's issues
Editor in chief, STIR Magazine
Lisa Tsering | lisa_tsering@hotmail.com
http://www.lisatsering.com
Topics: Bollywood movies, Indian pop music, Indian pop culture, cinema.
Entertainment writer, India-West newspaper and regular contributor, Times of India Sunday Review
Notes: I am a regular contributor to Upfront, a radio program on NPR
affiliate KALW-FM (San Francisco), and have appeared on CNN and as a
source for the San Jose Mercury News, LA Weekly and other outlets. Will
travel if expenses are covered.
Hari Sreenivasan | hari@ompower.com
http://www.ompower.com
Topics: broadcasting, the media machine, the Internet bubble, technology trends and usability, crossing cultures, "Generation 1.5." Video samples available upon request.
TV reporter and anchor
C. J. Wallia, Ph.D. | cjwallia@indiastar.com | 510-848-8200
P. O. Box 5582
Berkeley, CA 94705
http://www.indiastar.com
Topics: Indian authors in English; history of the Raj; history of the Sikhs; Indian immigrants to the U.S.; Web publishing
Publisher/Editor, IndiaStar Review of Books
WASHINGTON, DC
Shankar Vedantam | vedantam@aol.com
http://www.saja.org/vedantam.html
Topics: science journalism; medical writing; general reporting; foreign reporting in India
National desk Staff Writer, The Washington Post
Previously worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Knight-Ridder Washington
Bureau, New York Newsday and The Times of India
Notes: Lives and works in Washington, D.C.
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