Region 4 director Patti Newberry, MU-SPJ president Amanda Schumaker and MU Journalism Program Director Richard Campbell participated in Bill Keller’s public lecture on campus. (Photo by Samantha Kermode)

Bill Keller, the Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times who served as executive editor from 2003-2011, spent part of his Oct. 29-31 trip to campus reporting for a column. Among his interviewees: Profs of Miami grad and veep hopeful Paul Ryan. No telling what he’ll write up for his next column — due to appear Monday, a day before the Big Election — but it’s sure to be political. Students and faculty are both eager to see the fruits of his Oxford reporting.

When he wasn’t off working for The Times, Keller was working for the Miami Journalism Program. He gave a public talk on Monday, fielding questions about Judy Miller, WMDs, Jayson Blair, NSA, Wikileaks and more. On Tuesday and Wednesday, he talked to three classes. In between the visits and the interviews, he dined on shrimp (dinner at the Miami president’s house), noshed pizza (lunch with JRN students) and drank coffee (Starbucks was among his interview venues).

He also posed for LOTS of photos, including a series of grip-n-grins at the presidents’ dinner.

Good sport. Good guest. Gracious, generous — with thoughtful, reflective responses to every question we put to him.

Next big names on campus: First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday; traveler writer Rick Steves, Nov. 12.

[A Post-Script: Keller's column, with the headline "Republican id," focused on the conservative bent of Miami students with an extended interview with Rich Hart, an econ prof and mentor to Ryan. ]

The Central Ohio chapter of SPJ and the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at Ohio State University are teaming up to present “Social Media Summit” Nov. 13-14 at OSU. For $50, participants will learn from what Kip director Doug Haddix calls “the rock stars of social media.”

Social media gurus from Twitter, LinkedIn, ABC News, The New York Times, Gannett, Digital First Media, the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, Investigative News Network and other news orgs will lead sessions over the two days. Want more? Visit http://kipcamp2012.eventbrite.com/ for all the details. Can’t spare two days? Go for one at $30.

Here’s something worth noting: In February, the Ohio University SPJ and RTDNA chapters will hold their first “Sunshine Summit” to bring together student journalists and professionals from Ohio and beyond to discuss press freedom issues confronting student journalists.

At the conference, the two student groups will work to draft a policy to propose to the Ohio Board of Regents and the University System of Ohio, which will aim to standardize open meeting and open record policies in Ohio. The conference will include a series of panels, guest speakers and breakout sessions that will educate journalists throughout Ohio about current laws, university policies and how to protect their rights as student journalists. (I am told SPJ National President Hagit Limor might make an appearance!)

The summit is Feb. 26, 2011, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Walter Hall Rotunda on the campus of Ohio University. For more information, e-mail Taylor Mirfendereski.

Dick Hendrickson, a member of the Cleveland chapter and adviser of the John Carroll University chapter, left SPJ’s national convention in Atlanta with two honors.

Region 4 director Jeremy W. Steele awarded Hendrickson the Virginia Frizzi Regional Director’s Award for his work for the region. The honor is named for Ginny Frizzi, a longtime former regional director who created the award to recognize a member whose contributions bettered Region 4. The award was reinstituted in 2007 by then-RD Kevin Smith.

Hendrickson helped lead the charge when the Ohio chapters reorganized their statewide awards program last year. With his leadership and the help of his Ohio SPJ peers, the contest was deemed a success despite numerous obstacles.

He also was honored by SPJ with the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Professional Member Award. Read SPJ’s press release here.

Two Region 4 chapters have received grants to help put on 2008 Ethics Week programming, during the week of April 21-27.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania SPJ, $450
Program Name: “News Media in Indiana, Pa.: Of Whom, By Whom, Form Whom?”
Description: The program will be a journalism symposium at which local news-media representatives will join a panel to address the title question, discuss issues related to it and answer questions from a moderator and from students and citizens from the campus and surrounding community. The chapter’s objectives are to illuminate the work of professional journalists in the community, to shed light on the pressures they face on the job and to invite citizen appreciation for and constructive criticism of their performance.

Central Ohio Pro, $550
Program Name: “Grey Matter: Working in a freebie culture”
Description: We life in a freebie culture, from free doughnuts to game tickets. Are all gifts to be refused? Is there a grey area? The Central Ohio Act Independently Ethics Program will: Give analysis of real life examples; Provide ethical insight from both journalists and public relations professionals; Encourage group discussion with the panel.

Read about more programs across the country here.

The board of the Queen City Professional Chapter has voted to change its name to
the Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter, a name board members said better represents the group.

Cincinnati picked up the nickname, “Queen City,” by the 1820s, according to the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. Residents proud of the city’s development dubbed it the “Queen of the West.”

The name change requires approval of the executive committee of SPJ’s board of directors, which grants chapter charters. The executive committee next meets in January.

Get more info on the chapter from its December newsletter.