Biography

Martha Steffens, B.A., the chair in business and financial journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, teaches business and financial journalism, economics for journalists, and entrepreneurial journalism. Before joining the Missouri School of Journalism faculty in 2002, Steffens had a 30-year career in the news industry and trained hundreds of journalists around the world in independent media, financial reporting, and other topics. She was a top news executive for more than a decade, was named a Distinguished Alumni of Indiana University, and has held leadership positions on international boards (SABEW and the International Press Institute).

In her role as affiliate faculty for the Novak Leadership Institute, Steffens teaches the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, which prepares first-year students for leadership at Mizzou and beyond. She believes using David Novak’s concept of taking people with you helps students recognize their own strengths as well as the strengths of others. 

In her own words: “I enjoy interacting with Mizzou’s best and brightest students. These future leaders have new ideas and most of all, they care about one another. This course makes students understand the strength of a diversity of ideas, as well as helping students build good habits to reinforce success.”

Missouri School of Journalism Bio