A former newsman and talk show host for stations in the Northeast, Richards created and directs the Penn State Washington D.C. Program, along with the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and U.S. Supreme Court bar. Penn State professor Richards has won teaching awards at the college and national levels, including the Scripps-Howard Foundation National Journalism Teacher of the Year Award in 2007. He is a certified as a sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and often conducts wine education programs for the Smithsonian Institution. You’ve held a whole slew of jobs. Why teach?
It’s the thing I most wanted to do. There’s always new issues that are occupying the attention of the nation, and I like to bring that to students.
Why travel back and forth from where you teach in State College to D.C.?
It helps for me to have my ear to the ground there. I love spending time in Washington because it’s a vibrant city and in the center of government.
The Center for the First Amendment’s purpose is…
To have a direct influence on the courts to get First Amendment rights issues out there and to educate the public.
How does the Washington program benefit interns?
The sheer number of alumni who set up their careers in Washington… for many of them, that’s a direct result of their exposure to the program.
The First Amendment’s your favorite?
It’s first for a reason. It gives us the rights to petition government and it gives us a robust press…. It’s only 45 words, but it packs a lot of power.
So, why wine?
It’s a hobby that went awry.
?– Natalie Plumb
