Nova Southeastern University to Welcome Author, Musician James McBride as Keynote Speaker at Convocation Ceremony

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – To celebrate the new academic year, NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will host the 2014 Undergraduate Convocation ceremony at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) featuring a keynote talk by bestselling author and musician James McBride.

Bestselling author and musician – James McBride

As part of NSU’s orientation for incoming students, Convocation will also include a welcome by NSU President George Hanbury II, Ph.D., and an introduction to the 2014–2015 academic theme, “Identity,” which will influence undergraduate course topics, presentations, and events throughout the year.

Undergraduate Convocation

Friday, Aug. 22
10 – 11 a.m.
Arena at the Don Taft University Center

McBride is the author of several bestselling and award-winning books, including The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, Song Yet Sung, The Good Lord Bird, and Miracle at St. Anna, which became a film directed by Spike Lee. McBride also co-wrote the film Red Hook Summer with Lee, probing issues of race, neighborhood gentrification, and the effects of drugs and gang violence on the African-American community.

A graduate of Oberlin College and the Columbia School of Journalism, McBride has written for The Boston Globe, People magazine, and The Washington Post. Also an award-winning composer and saxophonist, McBride has written music and lyrics for Anita Baker, Grover Washington, Jr., Gary Burton, and the PBS character “Barney.” Through his public speaking engagements, McBride explores issues of identity, race, and heritage.

First-Year Reading Program

Hosted by NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, the First-Year Reading Program is an opportunity for new NSU undergraduate students to read the Convocation speaker’s selected book and meet in small, faculty-led discussion groups to explore the text’s message and themes. This year’s participants will receive a copy of McBride’s The Color of Water and may also have a chance to speak with the author.

The Color of Water retraces the footsteps of Ruth McBride Jordan, the author’s mother, and recreates Ruth’s story through her searing and spirited voice. Interspersed throughout Ruth’s story, James shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his experiences with drugs and violence, and his eventual self-realization and professional success.

Convocation is open to new NSU undergraduate students and their families. For more information, contact the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Office of the Dean at (954) 262-8236

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About the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences: Set among Nova Southeastern University’s 18 academic centers is the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. Choose from 36 undergraduate majors, 53 undergraduate minors, 3 certificate programs, and 2 graduate degree programs. Customize delivery formats with day, night, or online classes. The academic experience at the college is profound and inspiring. Our smaller class sizes offer you personalized contact with professors, chances for active participation, and individualized support-all to help you achieve academic success. Our outstanding faculty is composed of accomplished scholars committed to academic excellence. Unlike those at many large universities, classes at the college are taught by the faculty members themselves, not teaching assistants. The average class size is 22 students, which means more personal attention from faculty, as well as a greater opportunity to connect with other bright students.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with 26,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!

Media Contact:
Felecia Henderson, Ed.D. | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5315 (office) | 954-383-4695 (cell)
fhenders@nova.edu