Event Synopsis:Purely Academic dramatizes the darker side of academia, including both personal and professional clashes in academic research. It invites an honest discussion about professional ethics and practices today. What “persona” is cultivated by today’s academic regime? What does it mean to be an academic today? Is it possible to be both ethical and successful in the 21st century university? Plot: Charles Mittleman (played by David Price) sets out to pursue a successful academic career. He knows exactly where he wants to be, and he aims to get there as quickly as possible. He gets a PhD and rises rapidly through the academic ranks, trampling anyone and anything that stands in his way—including his well-intentioned mentor, Professor Holywell (Deanna Driscoll). Invincible, he reaches the pinnacle of his career and a bright future awaits, only for his past to return and challenge him. Author: Dr. David Abramson, Ph.D., is a professor of computer science at the University of Queensland in Australia. In addition to a staged reading at UQ, Purely Academic has been performed at Oxford University (2013) and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (2017). The UC San Diego staged readings will be the play’s US premiere.