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LIU Brooklyn Will "Light It Up Blue" on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2

Campus will help shine a light on global health crisis

Brooklyn, N.Y. – On Monday, April 2, 2012, LIU Brooklyn will light up various buildings on campus the color blue as part of the Light it Up Blue campaign - a unique global initiative to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day and help raise funds and awareness of autism as a growing public health crisis.

Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest science and advocacy organization, founded the international Light It Up Blue campaign. Its purpose is to shine a light of awareness on autism in every community. Iconic landmarks across the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City, the Willis Tower in Chicago, the CNN Tower in Toronto and the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia. Many airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants and retail stores are among more than 1,800 locations in over 16 U.S. cities and 35 countries that will illuminated in bright blue.

In addition to the campus lighting, LIU Brooklyn students and staff have been encouraged to wear blue and help raise money for Autism Speaks. To learn more about the initiative, visit lightitupblue.org.

About Autism

Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders – autism spectrum disorders – caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 110 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum – a 600 percent increase in the past two decades that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Each year, Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism fundraising events are held in more than 70 cities across the country, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Brooklyn Campus is distinguished by...
dynamic curricula reflecting the great urban community it serves. Distinctive programs encompass the arts and media, the natural sciences, business, social policy, urban education, the health professions and pharmacy, and include the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, the D.P.T. in Physical Therapy and the Pharm.D. in Pharmacy. A vibrant urban oasis in downtown Brooklyn, this diverse and thriving campus offers academic excellence, personalized attention, small class size and flexible course schedules. In 2006, a $45-million Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center was opened to serve the Campus and the surrounding community. In 2007, the Cyber Café was launched, providing a high-tech hot spot for students and faculty members to meet and eat.

Posted 03/26/2012

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