Purchase College Professor In Spotlight As Lighting Director For First Lady's Academy Awards Presentation

PURCHASE, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- David Grill, a professor at Purchase College-SUNY's renowned Conservatory of Theatre Arts, recently served as lighting director for Michelle Obama's Best Picture award sequence during the Academy Awards. This presentation was the climatic moment of the Oscars—and represents an apex of achievement in the field of lighting design.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130228/NE68615)

The invitation to Washington to light the First Lady was "top secret," according to Grill, since her presentation was an Oscar-first and a dramatic surprise to the worldwide audience. Grill designed the lighting for the remote presentation in the Diplomatic Reception Room of The White House. "The First Lady and her staff were wonderful to work with and it was tremendous honor to be part of history in such a historic venue," says Grill.

David Grill is an Emmy Award-winner with extensive experience in lighting design and direction for international events, dance, architecture, television, and corporate theatre. His credits encompass multiple Super Bowl half-time shows, including this year's Beyonce performance, as well as the Pan American Games and the Olympic Winter Games. He is also an assistant professor and co-coordinator of the Design/Technology Program of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College, where he has taught since 1998.

"Dave exemplifies what distinguishes Purchase College: our faculty of top-tier working professionals who bring their firsthand knowledge and unsurpassed expertise to our students," says Greg Taylor, Director of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts, Purchase College. "We are proud that Dave has received this global validation of his talent."

In addition to serving as a Purchase College professor, David Grill is an alumnus, with a BFA in theatre design from the college. "My education at Purchase College has given me a career I truly love," he reflects. "It is a tribute to Purchase that they afford me the opportunity, as a working professional, to bring my knowledge back and impart it to the next generation of students who share my passion for lighting design and the arts."

About Purchase College–SUNY
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspirations for Purchase were to combine on one campus conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Today, Purchase College–SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the College, visit www.purchase.edu.

Press Contact:
Jon Lieb/Anita Bell
Thirty Ink Media
914-741-2260

SOURCE Purchase College-SUNY