UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A longtime Penn State faculty member who earned awards for his teaching and impact, served as an expert on media ethics, and created the popular Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow, has died. John Sanchez, an associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, passed away on March 12. He was 72.
Sanchez, who earned the Dr. James Robinson Award from the University in 2023, became a member of the Penn State faculty in 1997. Sanchez also was a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Bellisario College Alumni Society and was named a distinguished professor in the Schreyer Honors College. Upon his retirement in 2024, he was granted emeritus status; of all his academic accomplishments and awards, he was most proud of this honor.
“John Sanchez’s compassion and passion made him a great colleague and wonderful teacher,” said Denise Bortree, interim dean of the Bellisario College. “His made an important impact on campus and in the community, and he will be sorely missed.”
The Dr. James Robinson Award, sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, was established in 1988 and renamed in 1998 to honor the late James Robinson, a distinguished alumnus and former Alumni Council member. It recognizes a full-time faculty or staff member with at least two years of active service who promotes opportunity through and/or contributes to enhancing the educational environment of the University by improving cross-cultural understanding.
Nominators said Sanchez was a transformative teacher and leader at Penn State through his outreach and education efforts.
“For many years, Sanchez has demonstrated leadership in the elimination of discrimination through encouragement of understanding between persons of different races, sexes, age, groups, ethnicity or religious heritage; and he has demonstrated commitment to meeting the special needs of students, faculty or staff who are members of truly underrepresented groups,” a nominator said.
Sanchez brought an understanding and appreciation of cultural and ethnic differences to his classroom, nominators said. He educated the next generation of journalists and public communicators about critical elements of inclusion, respect and diversity.
LISTEN: John Sanchez discusses being an ‘urban Indian’
Students said Sanchez was an educator who encouraged them to think deeply and with empathy for others — they leave not just educated, but better informed.
Sanchez, a member of the Apache Nation, also is widely known for the Penn State Powwow, which he founded. The two-day event celebrates its 20th year in 2026. Sanchez raised funds and organized the two-day event that brings about 250 American Indian dancers from across the continent to State College. Thousands of visitors attend each year to participate in the event and learn about American Indian culture, crafts, dance, food and traditions.
Sanchez taught news media ethics, including an honors section, and a course about American Indians and the media.
“John was an important figure not only in the Bellisario College but in the Penn State community at large,” said John Affleck, head of the Department of Journalism. “Personally, I also found him to be a warm and welcoming person. We miss him.”
American Indian identity in the 21st Century, specifically at the intersection of American Indian cultures and the American news media, was Sanchez's area of interest and research. He published widely, including articles in Communication Quarterly, Communications Studies, The Howard Journal of Communications, Journal of American Indian Culture and Research, and Teacher Education Quarterly, among others. Sanchez also wrote "American Indians and the Mass Media," the first book of its kind, which was published by Oklahoma Press.
Sanchez was named one of the leading scholars in the field of intercultural studies by The Communication Institute for Online Scholarship. He also was a Freedom Forum Teaching Fellow and an AEJMC/ASJMC Freedom Forum Journalism Leadership in Diversity Fellow. He served on the executive boards of the CIC American Indian Studies Consortium and the American Native Press Archives and as a consultant to the board of directors of the American Indian Policy and Media Initiative.
During his tenure at American University in Washington, D.C., Sanchez served as the academic director of Washington Internships for Native Students, an American Indian leadership program, and taught American Indian leadership and politics as well as broadcast journalism. Under his leadership, President Bill Clinton’s panel on race initiatives recognized that program as one of the five top programs in the country. He continued to work in Washington, D.C., as a consultant to Indian Country in education, diversity and mass communications initiatives.