Special to The Leader

MAGNOLIA, AR — Southern Arkansas University honored 698 graduates at the Spring Commencement ceremonies held on May 5, 2017.

Students earning degrees from this area include:

Praveen Kommalapati was a Computer and Information Science major from Orange, TX. Kommalapati graduated with a Master of Science degree from the College of Science & Engineering.

Anitha Suram was a Computer and Information Science major from Orange, TX. Suram graduated with a Master of Science degree from the College of Science & Engineering.

The commencement speaker for the two undergraduate ceremonies was The Honorable Leanne Johnson, a 1983 honor graduate from SAU. The graduate commencement speaker was Magnolia Public School District faculty member Larry Dunn, 2007 and 2010 SAU graduate and recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumnus award in 2016.

Established in 1909, SAU has built on its dedication to student achievement and caring atmosphere, both on campus and online, with more than 80 degrees in four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies. As career and professional trends change, SAU initiates new degree programs to fit those needs. The latest additions include an exciting new cybersecurity computer science program, a unique Welding Engineering Technology SAU System program, and a new track in the MBA program for Social Entrepreneurship.