Tech reporter Joanna Stern '06 is Founders Day keynoter

Joanna Stern ’06, senior personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal, will deliver the keynote address at Founders Day on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.

The event will premiere on the College’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Stern will talk about her path to become the Journal’s technology reporter and the role of technology in today’s society.

Stern is an award-winning journalist who has spent the better part of two decades covering gadgets and apps, and helping people make smarter tech decisions. Her stories, columns and videos often take an unorthodox approach to making personal tech informative and useful.

In her video series, “In the Elevator With …,” she did short interviews with CEOs of tech companies with products ranging from food delivery to flying cars to vacuum cleaners. Her recent video, “E-ternal: A Tech Quest to ‘Live’ Forever,” explores technologies that are preserving the memories of loved ones for future generations.

She is a CNBC contributor and often appears on national television and radio programs. Before joining the Journal in 2013, she was the technology editor at ABC News and before that a reviewer and editor at The Verge.

Among other honors, she received the 2016 Loeb Award in video for her out-of-the-box but always informative short films.

As a Union student, Stern was a political science major and editor-in-chief of Concordiensis, the student newspaper.

Founders Day, which this year commemorates the 226th anniversary of the granting of the Union College charter from the state Board of Regents, will also feature remarks by President David R. Harris and the presentation of the Gideon Hawley Teacher Recognition Award. It is named for the 1809 graduate of Union College who was New York State’s first superintendent of public education. It is awarded to secondary school teachers who have had a continuing influence on the academic life of Union students. The ceremony will also include a performance by the Union College Choir.

Wear your Union gear
In celebration of Founders Day we invite you to show your school spirit by wearing your Union gear. Post a picture of yourself on Facebook and Instagram and tag #unioncollege and #unioncollegealumni for a chance to win Union-themed giveaways!

Download a Zoom background
In addition to wearing your Union gear, you can show your school spirit in class and meetings by downloading one of the special Zoom backgrounds to celebrate the day.