John Slania

John Slania is the Associate Dean and Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago. With nearly a decade of administrative leadership—including roles as Acting Dean, Associate Dean, and Director of the Journalism Program—and a 20-year career as a journalist (Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee Journal), Slania bridges academia and media practice.

Education:

• MSJ, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
• B.S., Communication and English, Loyola University Chicago

His research and teaching focus on Journalism, Social Justice, and Community Engagement, emphasizing Multimedia Journalism and Urban Reporting. He integrates hands-on experience through student-led projects like Mosaic Magazine and Loyola Longform, which explore Chicago’s societal challenges.

Slania spearheaded the development of a four-year journalism curriculum at Senn High School and secured grants from the McCormick Foundation and After School Matters to establish the Rogers Park/Edgewater Neighborhood News Bureau. This initiative fosters collaboration between Loyola and local high schools to produce hyperlocal news.

He teaches Reporting & Writing Across Platforms, Writing for the Web, Sports Journalism, and Writing for Business and Trade Publications, while mentoring students in real-world journalism through Mosaic and Loyola Longform. His career reflects a commitment to merging education, media ethics, and civic impact.