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Daemen festival to celebrate academic, creative excellence

by jmaloni

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Thu, Apr 9th 2015 07:00 am

Albright-Knox director will present keynote speech

Daemen College will present its 15th annual academic festival, a campus-wide celebration of academic and creative achievements showcased through presentations, performances and other activities, on April 15.

The annual festival will kick off with a keynote speech, titled "Visual Literacy: Learning and Innovation Beyond the Gutenberg Galaxy," to be given by Dr. Janne Sirén, Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director of Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery. He will speak at 7 p.m. April 14 in the Wick Campus Center.

Sirén, a passionate advocate for the arts and an accomplished art historian, was named director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 2013. At the time of his appointment in Buffalo, he was serving as director of Finland's Helsinki Art Museum, one of the largest cultural institutions in the Nordic region.

This year's academic festival, which brings together students, scholars, artists and community members, will feature a record number of presentations in various academic disciplines that will be highlighted in posters, presentations, exhibits, videos and artistic and theatrical performances.

Among the many topic areas to be featured are health and medical, including electronic cigarettes, post-traumatic stress syndrome and brain injuries, sports and business ethics, and math presentations on the Rubik's Cube and calculus. Also, various art exhibits and performances are planned, including the original play "Cautionary Tales," the ever-popular "Festival Musicale," and an exhibit/performance based on the art club's trip to the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.

Daemen-specific projects will focus on international service learning efforts, the college's Physical Therapy Wound Care Clinic, "green" buildings on campus, and a student satisfaction survey.

The academic festival will include the Daemen Pre-Law Student Association's 13th annual "Moot Court," which will examine a case involving a police officer charged with attempted murder and assault in the shooting of an unarmed young person. In addition, a simulated U.N. security council made of students representing the U.S., England, China, Russia and France will discuss counterterrorism approaches and dealing with violent extremism.

Also as part of the event, the artistic talents of puppeteers from across the country will be showcased in the Geppetto Festival, named after the beloved woodcarver from the children's classic "Pinocchio."

The Geppetto Festival will feature two world premieres on the Daemen stage, an exhibition, a puppetry slam and other activities at the daylong event. A complete list of activities is available at www.geppettoproject.com/festival.

All academic festival events are free and open to the public. More information is available by calling 716-839-8253 or visiting www.daemen.edu/academicfestival.

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