Chris Bashinelli Will Be Keynote Speaker at SUNY Fredonia's Bicentennial Convocation

SUNY Fredonia will host its Bicentennial Convocation on Friday. The event at King Concert Hall begins at 2:00 PM and will feature a traditional processional of students, faculty and staff, along with delegates from other universities. The keynote speaker will be Chris Bashinelli of "National Geographic Explorer," a SUNY graduate who is a globally recognized speaker on human connection. Fredonia Bicentennial Committee co-chair Naomi Baldwin says the TV host known as "Bash" has been known to credit SUNY for changing his life...

Naomi Baldwin: perfect keynote speaker

Bash's worldview was shaped on his childhood "stoop," where his friends shared more than 13 nationalities. After a decade-long acting career, including a role on the hit HBO TV series "The Sopranos," Bash traded the red carpet for the road, launching "Bridge the Gap," a global documentary series featured on PBS and National Geographic Channel. His adventures have taken him from living with nomads in Mongolia, to harvesting tea in China, to Sumo wrestling the heaviest Japanese human in recorded history.

Friday's Bicentennial Convocation is free, but registration is required and can be made here.