Wendell Cochran is the founding senior editor of the Investigative Reporting Workshop. He joined the American University School of Communication in 1992. Cochran has spent more than 40 years practicing and teaching journalism. Along the way he has covered everything from local government to Congress to presidential campaigns. He has bylines from nearly 40 of the 50 states. He worked as a business reporter, special projects editor, and project director for leading news organizations including the Kansas City Star, Des Moines Register and Gannett News Service. He is a former member of the board of directors of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. He spent most of his career as a business reporter and editor, specializing in topics such as agricultural policy, international trade, and banking and finance. His stories have won or shared four national reporting awards, including the Amos Tuck Award for Economic Understanding, the John Hancock Award for Business Reporting (twice) and the National Headliners Award.