“Good Morning America” movie critic Joel Siegel to speak at Savannah College of Art and Design graduation

Savannah, Ga. (May 13) — Six-time Emmy Award winner and “Good Morning America” movie critic Joel Siegel will receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree when he addresses more than 1,100 graduates at the 25th commencement ceremony of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Saturday, May 28, 9 a.m., in the Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave.

   Siegel’s sense of humor and insight into the world of films and filmmaking provide viewers with reviews that are both informative and entertaining.

   Siegel has been a member of the “Good Morning America” family since 1981, where his annual Oscar reports and profiles have become a tradition. He is also the entertainment critic for WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News in New York City.

   His special, “Joel Siegel’s Road to the Academy Awards,” has been broadcast for more than 15 years and is syndicated in more than 150 markets worldwide.
He has interviewed virtually every Oscar winner over the last two decades.

   An engaging speaker and masterful storyteller, Siegel has extensive knowledge of films (he watches an average of 200 movies a year), Hollywood and theater, offering audiences an insider’s account of what the entertainment business is really all about.

   At age 57 Siegel became a father for the first time and also learned that he had cancer. During this emotional time, he was very open about his illness, publicly discussing his fight against cancer and what it meant to him as a new father.

   In his book, “Lessons for Dylan” (PublicAffairs, 2003), Siegel shares all the things he wants his son to know. He recounts the many chapters of his life, from the inspirational (his path from an immigrant neighborhood to national television; his work in the c ivil rights movement), to the difficult (the death of his first wife; his experiences with cancer) and the lighthearted (rubbing elbows with Hollywood stars; a glossary of Yiddish words, including 29 definitions for “schmuck”).

   Siegel graduated cum laude from UCLA. Before his career in television, he worked as a radio newscaster, book reviewer for the Los Angeles Times, and freelance writer for Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated. He was also an advertising copywriter/producer, during which time he invented ice cream flavors for Baskin-Robbins.

   He is president and co-founder (with actor Gene Wilder) of Gilda’s Club, a New York based-organization in honor of Wilder’s late wife, comic Gilda Radner that offers emotional and social support for cancer patients and their families.

   Siegel received a Tony nomination (the only drama critic ever to receive
one) for writing the book for “The First,” a Broadway musical, about legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson. Other awards in clude the Public Service Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’
rith for “distinguished news reporting and commitment to freedom of the press” and the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association Award for “general excellence in individual reporting.”

About the College
   The Savannah College of Art and Design exists to prepare talented students for careers in the visual and performing arts, design, the building arts, and the history of art and architecture. The college emphasizes learning through individual attention in a positively oriented environment. The college has locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, and in Lacoste, France. Some programs are offered online through SCAD e-Learning.

   The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone number 404.679.4501) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The college offers bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts and master of fine arts degrees, and certificates. Programs of study include advertising design, animation, architectural history, architecture, art history, broadcast design and motion graphics, fashion, fibers, film and television, furniture design, graphic design, historic preservation, illustration, industrial design, interactive design and game development, interior design, media and performing arts, metals and jewelry, painting, photography, sequential art, sound design, and visual effects. The five-year professional M.Arch. degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
Minors are offered in each of the major programs as well as in accessory design, creative writing, cultural landscape, dance, decorative arts, drawing, electronic design, exhibition design, interaction design, marine design, museum studies, music performance, new media art, printmaking, sculpture, technical direction, and urban design and development.

For more information about the college, its programs of study and cultural events sponsored by the college, call 800.869.7223 or 912.525.5100 or visit the college Web site at www.scad.edu.  E-mail may be sent to info@scad.edu.