Media invited to attend honorary degree ceremony, press availability with global humanitarian "Amma"

Members of the media are invited to cover the honorary degree conferral ceremony for Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known worldwide as "Amma." She is the chancellor of India's Amrita University and a distinguished and internationally beloved humanitarian and spiritual leader.

Amma will receive a SUNY Doctor of Humane Letters degree during a program to be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, May 25) in Slee Hall on the University at Buffalo North Campus.

The 90-minute visually colorful ceremony will include original music composed for the event, an Indian classical dance performance, a video presentation of Amma's international work, and music performed on UB's C.B. Fisk organ, one of the premiere organs on the East Coast.

A "press availability" will immediately follow the ceremony at about 3:30 p.m., during which Amma will discuss her life's work and take questions from the media. The press availability will take place in the Green Room in Slee Hall.

Members of the media who wish to cover the degree conferral and/or the press availability must register with the UB Media Relations by 1 p.m. today (Monday, May 24) by contacting Christine Vidal at 645-4607 or vidal@buffalo.edu. Media covering Amma's visit to UB will be asked to sign in prior to the conferral ceremony, and may be asked for identification.

In addition to Amma, speakers at the conferral ceremony will include UB President John B. Simpson, UB Provost Satish K. Tripathi and Professor Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education.

Additional background: The phonetic pronunciation of Amma's full name is Mata (MAH-tah) Amritanandamayi (Ahm-RIH-tah-NAHN-da-MY-ee) Devi (DEH-vee).

Amrita University is pronounced Ahm-RIT-tah.

Go to http://www.amma.org for more biographical information about Amma.