Chancellor Kent Syverud | Syracuse University
Chancellor Kent Syverud | Syracuse University
Roger Durling, an alumnus of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has been announced as the speaker for the 2025 convocation address for bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates. The ceremony is set to take place on May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Durling, who was born and raised in Panama, graduated from VPA's Department of Drama and holds an M.F.A. degree from Columbia University. He has been the executive director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) for 23 years, with additional responsibilities as a film studies teacher at Santa Barbara City College.
He authored the book “Cinema in Flux: A Year of Connecting Through Film,” a compilation of essays written during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work also includes an essay on Julian Schnabel’s “Basquiat,” featured in the latest Criterion Collection Blu-Ray release, as well as editing contributions to the Assouline coffee table book “Roma” by Alfonso Cuarón.
Roger Durling also serves as the vice chair of the board of trustees of The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. Among his acknowledgments, Durling has been named Citizen of the Year in 2004 by Santa Barbara and was honored as a Local Hero in 2023.
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