UAlbany World Within Reach Speaker Series Offers a Glimpse 'Inside the Obama Campaign'

The 2013 World Within Reach Speaker Series event will be held Saturday, September 28 in SEFCU Arena, in conjunction with inauguration of UAlbany President Robert J. Jones.

ALBANY, N.Y. (September 19, 2013) -- The University at Albany Student Association will host David Axelrod, David Plouffe and Jon Favreau for a look "Inside the Obama Campaign" on September 28th at 8 p.m. in the SEFCU Arena. The lecture will be held in conjunction with "Celebrate and Advance," a weeklong series of events culminating in the inauguration of Robert J. Jones as the 19th president of UAlbany.

It is the 7th installment of the annual student-run World Within Reach Speaker Series. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Past speakers include Colin Powell (Fall 2009); Karl Rove vs. Howard Dean (Spring 2010); Barbara Walters (Fall 2010); President William Jefferson Clinton (Spring 2011); Earvin 'Magic' Johnson (Fall 2011); and Russell Simmons (Fall 2012).

"We’re happy to be hosting three individuals who are all leaders in the political world," said Francis Agyemang, President of the Student Association. "This event stays true to the original purpose of the Speaker Series: providing students with a forum of engaging speakers who can share their real-world knowledge and experience."

David Axelrod served as senior advisor to President Barack Obama and senior strategist to Obama's historic campaign for the presidency in 2008 and his 2012 reelection campaign. Today he serves as the Director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

David Plouffe is widely referred to as the "architect" of President Obama’s two presidential campaign victories. President Obama credited Plouffe, his campaign manager, in his acceptance speech in 2008, calling him "the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the... best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America."

Jon Favreau served as the director of Speechwriting for President Obama from 2009 through early 2013, a role he also played for the President during the 2008 presidential campaign. Favreau began writing with President Obama in 2005, when he started his first term as a U.S. Senator. He is the cofounder of Fenway Strategies and a columnist for The Daily Beast.

The lecture will be an hour-long forum followed by a thirty minute Q&A with the audience, where unfiltered questions can be asked. The Student Association’s World Within Reach Speaker Series is co-sponsored by University Auxiliary Services (UAS) and the University at Albany Alumni Association. The goal of the Speaker Series is to provide engaging discussions led by renowned guest speakers from across the globe. Speakers are leaders in the arts and sciences, business and government, and creates a dynamic forum for UAlbany students, faculty, staff and community.

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