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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 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. Tuesday, May 25, in Slee Hall on the mgm casino 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 mgm casino's C.B. Fisk organ, one of the premiere teaching 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 mgm casino Media Relations by 1 p.m. on Monday, May 24, by contacting Christine Vidal at 645-4607 or vidal@buffalo.edu. Media covering Amma's visit to mgm casino 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 mgm casino President John B. Simpson, mgm casino 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-REE-tah-NAHN-da-MY-ee) Devi (DEH-vee).

Amrita University is pronounced Ahm-REE-tah.

Go to for more biographical information about Amma.