Oscar and Emmy-Winning Documentary Producer to Keynote Transformations

04/12/2018 

Susan MacLaury ’68 — social worker, college professor and Academy Award and Emmy-winning executive film producer — will share words of advice and encouragement as keynote speaker at “Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference” on Friday, April 13.

She’ll also let current SUNY Cortland students know that it’s OK to be unsure about their next step.

MacLaury will present “Creativity: Lessons Learned Over Three Careers,” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Old Main Brown Auditorium, talking about her background in social work, academia and as the executive director of Shine Global, Inc., a non-profit media company that specializes in documentaries about at-risk children.

When MacLaury graduated from SUNY Cortland with a degree in psychology, she wasn’t sure what the future had in store.

“You may feel lost but it doesn’t mean you’re not moving forward,” MacLaury said. “I think most of us are kind of lost coming out of college and trying to figure out what the next steps are.”

MacLaury was working office jobs in New York City when New York state legalized abortion in 1970. The ensuing push for women’s rights inspired her to return to school. She earned a master’s degree in human sexuality from New York University in 1973, a Ph.D. in health education from NYU in 1982 and a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College in 1986.

“That spurred an enormously exciting and powerful movement in women’s health,” she said. “I was really mesmerized by that. I had never taken a health class as an undergraduate or in high school. I was fascinated with the anatomy and physiology of it, but also with the spirit that women could really take control of their own destiny.”

For years, MacLaury worked with young people, educating them about health, sexuality and the dangers of substance abuse. She also trained teachers how to handle these topics with their students.

During her time at NYU, MacLaury had the opportunity to teach as an adjunct lecturer. That experience led her to lecture at a number of colleges and universities in the New York City area and ultimately Kean (N.J.) University, where she served as an associate professor of health education at from 1994 to 2014.

“I loved it. I felt like my safe space was in the classroom,” she said. “I loved the students and I learned a lot from them. That’s one of the things I really want to talk about.”

MacLaury had a life-changing moment during a January 2005 lunch with Lisa Meadowcroft, who was then executive director of the African Medical and Research Foundation’s (AMREF) U.S. branch. Meadowcroft told her the story of suffering children in war-torn northern Uganda and MacLaury couldn’t get the idea out of her head.

When MacLaury shared their plight with her husband, Albie Hecht, she started brainstorming ways they could help. Hecht, who has decades of experience in film and television, including developing and producing shows such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer” as president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, had an idea of his own: a documentary.

From there, MacLaury embarked on her third successful career.

Through Shine Global, MacLaury was an executive producer for the 2007 film “War/Dance,” which told the story of the Ugandan refugee children and was nominated for a best documentary feature Oscar. It also won Emmys for best documentary and outstanding cinematography. The film was recognized at many festivals, winning best documentary directing at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Hecht and MacLaury have produced or executive produced nine other films, including “Inocente,” which tells the story of a 15-year-old homeless and undocumented immigrant girl. The film won best documentary short at the 2013 Academy Awards. 

Shine Global aims to harness the power of documentary film as a force for positive change, offering programs for educators and community groups that wish to hold screenings. The documentaries produced by MacLaury and Hecht have also had audiences in Washington, D.C. “War/Dance” was shown to the U.S. Department of State and members of Congress in 2007.

“We do believe in the power of film to transform lives,” MacLaury said. “It can definitely spur viewers to act, especially when the viewers are kids.”

MacLaury’s message to students at Transformations is about being open to new experiences. She didn’t have an interest in teaching until a college professor recommended her for an adjunct role. She didn’t know she could be an executive producer until she found a project she was passionate about.

“You have to show up and you owe it to yourself to be as authentic a person as you can be,” she said. “And take chances. If there is something tickling you and there’s something you’ve just opened the door to a little bit and you want to believe that this may be true of you, try it. Take that chance. Really, life has so many interesting experiences and people to meet who are all teachers to us.”

Transformations features a wide array of scholarship and research done by SUNY Cortland students. Concurrent sessions and poster sessions follow MacLaury’s lecture from 1:45 to 5:30 p.m. throughout Old Main. Classes will be in session as normally scheduled.

Students from the schools of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Professional Studies will present on topics ranging from the impact of predatory bacteria on a variety of oysters to weight management in collegiate wrestlers.

A full schedule of events is available online.

Support for Transformations has been provided by the President’s Office and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Office. The Student Alumni Association will provide volunteers.