LSU recognized 1,950 graduates at the university’s 297th commencement exercises on Friday.
The 1,950 degrees awarded is a new record for LSU’s fall graduation. In addition, the university awarded the most degrees to Asian and Hispanic students ever during a fall semester and awarded the second most degrees to African-American students during any fall commencement.
The 1,950 graduates included 1,386 bachelor’s degrees; 477 master’s and professional degrees or certificates; and 87 doctoral degrees. The graduates represented 51 Louisiana parishes, 45 states and 42 foreign countries. Among the graduates were 19 LSU employees who received degrees.
The youngest graduate was 20, while the oldest was 83-year-old veteran Johnnie Jones, who in receiving his Ph.D. became the eldest student to receive a graduate degree in the fall semester and the eldest African American to ever receive a degree from LSU.
There is no main ceremony for December commencement, so each college held separate ceremonies to recognize their own individual students. For a list of graduates, visit LSU’s commencement website, http://www.lsu.edu/commencement. The list includes December 2018 graduates who have authorized the release of their names.
There were 158 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 48 University Medal recipients who graduated with the highest-grade point averages in the class.
The LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College graduated seven students who earned College Honors: The included Emily Nall, an Opelousas, native graduating in biological sciences.
December 2018 Graduates
Acadia Parish
College of Agriculture: Sara Nicole Shaffer, Abbeville.
E. J. Ourso College of Business: Jeff Michael Daigle, Church Point.
College of Humanities & Social Sciences: Derek Blaine Hebert, Iota.
College of Science: Victoria Elaine Onebane, Rayne.
Graduate School
(Master’s): Megan Smith Sarver, Estherwood.
Evangeline Parish
E. J. Ourso College of Business: Gabrielle A. DeVille, Ville Platte; and Elizabeth Marie Ortego, Basile.
St. Landry Parish
Emily Rachel Nall, Opelousas.
College of Agriculture: Katie Desiree David, Eunice.
E. J. Ourso College of Business: Nicole Rose-Mary Cadman, Port Barre; Brian Lane Johnson, St. Landry; and Anna Kate Kidder, Opelousas.
College of Engineering: Peyton James Cortez, Carencro; and Nationa Marie Young, Opelousas.
College of Human Sciences & Education: Alissa Denae’ Marks, Washington.
College of Humanities & Social Sciences: April Alyce Belleau, Krotz Springs; Alexa Gabrielle Guilliot, Arnaudville; Hailey Simone Guillory, Eunice; Jessica Rae Meche, Sunset; and Kelli Renee Speyrer, Opelousas.
College of Music and Dramatic Arts: Zachary Carl Eubanks, Opelousas; and Jacob Garrett LeBlanc, Port Barre.
College of Science: Emily Rachel Nall, Opelousas; Layni Kathryn Trosclair, Eunice.
Graduate School
(Master’s): Dolores Guadalupe Cowie, Plaisance; Jared Paul Joseph, Eunice; Constance Joy Milton, Sunset; Constance Joy Milton, Sunset; and Jancee Layne Rice, Arnaudville.