Gregory Maguire is the beloved author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (the basis of the hit Broadway musical and the 2024 movie blockbuster), a multimillion-copy bestselling writer, and a proud University at Albany alum (Class of 1976). Discusses his new novel is Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (2025), published in March 2025, almost 30 years after the original novel.

Susan Seidelman directed the hit 1985 film, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, starring Rosanna Arquette and the pop superstar Madonna—a truly iconic film of the 1980s, and one that exerted an enormous influence on that decade’s fashion and aesthetics.

Frank Whaley, ubiquitous character actor and UAlbany alum (B.A., Class of 1987) is known for significant supporting roles in IRONWEED, PULP FICTION, THE DOORS, FIELD OF DREAMS, JFK, THE FRESHMAN, and other major films.

Sharon Washington, playwright and actress, received a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical as co-writer of New York, New York. She debuted as a playwright with her solo play Feeding the Dragon (2018), about a girl who grows up inside a public library.