On the occasion of the first annual Parsons Festival, PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN presents the 2011 MFA Design and Technology Thesis Show, comprised of symposia, screenings and exhibition by this year’s degree program candidates. Between May 7 and May 23 in the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, thesis candidates present their work through a series of talks, panel discussions, installations and screenings for public review. 
All events are free and open to the public. For an updated list of events please visit mfadt.parsons.edu.
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GALLERY ON VIEW
Saturday, May 7th to Monday, May 23th
GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION
Sunday May 8th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

SYMPOSIUM
Saturday, May 14th to Sunday, May 15th
SYMPOSIUM PARTY
Saturday, May 14th from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
SYMPOSIUM SCREENINGS
Saturday, May 14th from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Keynote speaker Manuel Lima, Senior UX Design Lead at Microsoft Bing, founder of VisualComplexity.com and an alumnus of the MFA Design and Technology program, will discuss his own journey as an interaction and dataviz designer on May 14 beginning at 10 a.m. in the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Auditorium.
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An exhibition of interactive installations, mobile and web-based platforms, games, product designs, and time-based media will be on view in Kellen Gallery through May 23 and explore the uses of analog and digital media. Alongside the exhibition, students and design practitioners will lead a series of panel discussions and presentations covering topics such as dynamic narratives, learning systems, public interventions, and more.
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The MFA in Design and Technology program explores the social and cultural dimensions of technological change. Today's designer faces two fundamental challenges: the expanding influence of design within society, and the growing role of technology within design. As a terminal degree, the MFA in Design and Technology (MFADT) provides a lively and dynamic environment for students to use design research, process, applied theory, and writing to address these challenges. Students push their experimentation beyond the visual: design is used as a mechanism for developing strategies, knowledge organization, business structures, and social consciousness. For more information, please visit http://www.newschool.edu/parsons.