LSU area December graduates, honor students

LSU recognized 1,729 graduates at the university’s 288th commencement exercises on campus Friday, Dec. 18. LSU’s fall graduating class included the most degrees awarded to African American and Hispanic students during any fall semester.
The 1,729 graduates included 1,285 bachelor’s degrees, 3,337 master’s and professional degrees or certificates and 107 doctoral degrees. The graduates represented 54 Louisiana parishes, 41 states and 48 foreign countries. Fifty-two percent of the class were women, and 48 percent were men. The youngest graduate was 19, while the oldest was 70. Among the graduates were 16 LSU employees who received degrees.
A total of 204 degrees were awarded to African American students, up from the previous high of 180 degrees awarded during fall 2003. A total of 70 degrees were awarded to Hispanic students, up from the previous high of 61 in 2013. Sixty-five degrees were awarded to Asian students, the second most awarded at LSU’s fall commencement. Also of note, 51 veterans received degrees this semester – the highest number of degrees awarded to veterans in the last 15 years.
“LSU is constantly working to improve our student outcomes, and seeing consistent record-breaking numbers of diverse graduates means we are making strides and better serving our growing student body and its changing needs,” LSU President F. King Alexander said.
There is no main ceremony for December commencement, so each college held separate ceremonies to recognize their own individual students.
With each college holding their own ceremonies for fall commencement, some had keynote speakers, including:
— College of Engineering: Aaron Davis, construction management graduating senior from Ferriday.
— College of Agriculture: Lucien “Luke” Laborde Jr., president of College of Agriculture Alumni Association and Friends and former president of Willis of North Carolina
— Manship School of Mass Communication: Richard Gingras, senior director of news and social products for Google
— College of Art & Design: Kristin Sosnowsky, College of Music & Dramatic Arts executive associate dean and interim executive director of the LSU Museum of Art
— College of Science: James Lange, research scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
The LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College graduated six students who earned College Honors, two students who earned Upper Division Honors Distinction and one who earned Thesis Honors. These students participated in a specific honors program and successfully completed and defended an undergraduate thesis.
There were 102 honor graduates recognized during the ceremonies for having high GPAs and received magna cum laude, summa cum laude and cum laude honors. Also included among the honor graduates were nine University Medal recipients who graduated with the highest grade point average in the class. These nine students were also recognized at a special ceremony in the Recital Hall of the School of Music Building on Thursday, Dec. 17.
This semester, 14 graduates were awarded the LSU Distinguished Communicator Award. These students earned this honor by meeting high standards set by faculty in various colleges and by the LSU Communication across the Curriculum program. The students earned high grade-point averages in communication-intensive courses – based on written, spoken, visual and technological communication – and have built digital portfolios, displayed as public websites, that include their communication projects from courses, internships, leadership roles and public service.
Four graduates who took part in ROTC were commissioned as second lieutenants from the LSU Army ROTC program during a ceremony on Dec. 17, in the Dalton J. Woods Auditorium in the Energy, Coast & Environment Building.
Four posthumous degrees were awarded to students who passed away before completing their studies. These included Pete Akuta, bachelor of science in petroleum engineering; Matthew Hollier, baster of music degree; Anton Joe, Ph.D. in physics; and Ishita Maity, master of science degree in physics.
For more information on LSU commencement, visit www.lsu.edu/commencement.
For a list of graduates listed by hometown, please visit sites01.lsu.edu/wp/commencement/category/commencement-lists/. For a list of graduates with honors listed by hometown, visit sites01.lsu.edu/wp/commencement/2015-december-honors-graduates/. These lists includes December 2015 graduates who have authorized the release of their names.
Tri-Parish LSU graduates include the following.
Acadia Parish
E.J. Ourso College of Business — Chad Alan Hoffpauir, Crowley.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Elizabeth Rose Burleigh, Crowley; Susan Louise Miller, Eunice; and Skyler Elizabeth Semar, Rayne.
College of Science — Emily Ann Miller, Crowley.
Graduate School (Doctorate) — Brandon Lee John Borill, Iota.
Evangeline Parish
College of Engineering — Joshua Cade Carraway, Pine Prairie; and Bret Donovan Vidrine, Ville Pl-atte.
College of Science — Hunner Clay Luke, Ville Platte
Graduate School (Master’s) — Jules Brandon Fontenot, Ville Platte.
St. Landry Parish
College of Agriculture — Naomi Renee Patin, Eunice.
E.J. Ourso College of Business — Carla Nicole Gallien, Opelousas; Nicholas G. Gobert, Opelousas; Gabrielle A. Pontiff, Arnaudville; Michael Chet Savant, Eunice; and Caroline E. Veillon, Eunice.
College of Engineering — Dustin Gregory Ravare, Opelousas.
College of Human Sciences and Education — Nicole Marie Baronne, Opelousas; Kathryn Elyse McKissick, Opelousas; and Brooke Ashley Thompson, Opelousas.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Lane Joseph Delafosse, Opelousas; Taylor Elise Meche, Opelousas; and Pamela Kristin Turk, Eunice.
College of Science — Allyn Lee LaCombe, Eunice.
Graduate School (Master’s) — Kylie Nicole Richard, Arnaudville.
December Dean’s List
Acadia Parish
College of Agriculture — Luke Thomas Habetz, Crowley.
College of Art and Design — Gabrielle Paige LeBlanc, Crowley.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences —
Katherine Elise Kirsch, Rayne; and Danica Jean Peoples, Church Point.
College of Music and Dramatic Arts — Gavin Scot Dietz, Crowley; and Isaac Shane Johnston, Rayne.
University College Center for Freshman Year — Abigail Peggy Howie, Crowley; and Laura L. Stevens, Crowley.
Evangeline Parish
College of Art and Design — Emily K. Miller, Mamou.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Anne Christian Ardoin, Ville Platte; and Jordan Lahaye, Ville Platte.
College of Science — Alana E. Guillory, Ville Platte; John Christian Johnson, Basile; and Hunner Clay Luke, Ville Platte.
University College Center for Advising and Counseling — Hannah Elizabeth Deshotel, Basi-le.
University College Center for Freshman Year — Heather M. Bieber, Mamou; Nathan M. Fontenot, Ville Platte; Kelsey Leigh Jenkins, Basile; and Joshua John Lahaye, Ville Platte.
St. Landry Parish
College of Agriculture — Grace Elizabeth Cange, Opelousas; and Donald Jed Satterley, Krotz Springs.
College of Human Sciences & Education — Timothy Cameron Hoffpauir, Eunice; Kathryn E. McKissick, Opelousas; and Brooke Ashley Thompson, Opelousas.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Krissy Jo Dupre, Eunice; Logan Blase Dupre, Sunset; and Emily Christine Pratt, Arnaudville.
College of Science — Jada E. Fontenot, Eunice; Allyn Lee Lacombe, Eunice; and Bryan Anthony LeBean, Jr, Sunset.
E.J. Ourso College of Business — Lauren Nichole Sellers, Sunset.
University College Center for Advising and Counseling —
Alia Elizabeth Stelly, Washington; and Jayun A. Thibodeaux, Opelousas.
University College Center for Freshman Year — Victoria Krystine Andrus, Eunice; April Alyce Belleau, Krotz Springs; Julia Noelle Daigle, Arnaudville; Lindsey Rochelle Lamana, Port Barre; Mallory A Leger, Port Barre; Natalie Claire Simoneaux, Opelousas; James A. Smith, Grand Coteau; Alyse Soileau, Washington; and Rafeh Shaid Swati, Opelousas.
December President’s Honor Roll
St. Landry Parish
College of Human Sciences & Education — Lacey Ellen Darby, Arnaudville; and Lauren Elizabeth Darby, Arnaudville.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Catherine Claire Briley, Washington.
E.J. Ourso College of Business — Mallory Brooke Ham, Melville; Lainey Faith Latiolais, Arnaudville; and Bethany Victoria Smith, Opelousas.
University College Center for Freshman Year — Lindy Blair Fortier, Opelousas; and Miriam Tariq, Opelousas.
Acadia Parish
College of Art and Design — Malarie Ann Zaunbrecher, Rayne
College of Engineering — Morgan Alexis Comeaux, Church Point
College of Humanities and Social Sciences — Winston Michael Faulk, Crowley
University College Center for Freshman Year — Caroline Ann Bergeron, Rayne; Hunter Jon Lambert, Crowley; and Madison Elise Vidal, Rayne.
Evangeline Parish
College of Human Sciences & Education — Alyssa Renee Jackson, Pine Prairie.
University College Center for Advising and Counseling — Anastasia Katherine Aucoin, Ville Platte.
University College Center for Freshman Year — Andee L. Fontenot, Ville Platte; and Ainsley Loyce McDaniel, Ville Platte.