Public policy student journal staff gathered at the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy on Jan. 16-17, 2016, for the fourth annual National Journal Conference. The conference, hosted by the Virginia Policy Review, is an opportunity for student leaders to share best practices, network and learn from experts in the field.

Students came from universities across the country, including American University, the College of William & Mary, Cornell University, George Washington University and the University of Michigan.

“It was a great experience to interact and share ideas with counterparts from other schools. Our goal with the conference was to help raise the bar on graduate student journals,” said Locher Grove, VPR’s managing director and conference organizer.

The weekend conference kicked off with a keynote speech by the Honorable Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, who spoke about the importance of women taking on leadership roles in their careers. David Marshall of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, gave students a preview of the upcoming Student Simulation Competition.

Day two of the conference featured in-depth sessions with academic and media experts. Hamline University Professor David Schultz provided valuable advice on running a journal effectively. As editor of the Journal of Public Affairs Education for the past eight years, Shultz gave the students 10 lessons that he’s learned during his tenure. Marty Kady, editor in chief of POLITICO Pro, gave similar advice from the journalistic perspective – honing in on issues of accountability and source reviews.

Other speakers included James Pethokoukis, editor of AEIdeas; Jessica Taylor, NPR political reporter; and Benjamin Meier, Professor of Global Health Policy at the University of North Carolina. Philip Cortland, editor in chief of American University’s student journal the Public Purpose, closed the conference with an informative talk on university relations.