Keynote Speaker Lawrence 鈥淪onny鈥� Albarado, city editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper in Little Rock, Arkansas and a 1973 麻豆果冻传媒 graduate.
THIBODAUX 鈥� 麻豆果冻传媒 will award more than 680 degrees during its spring commencement Saturday, May 17, in Stopher Gymnasium.
Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. for College of Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing and Allied Health, and College of Business Administration graduates and at 2 p.m. for University College and College of Education graduates.
The keynote address will be delivered by 1973 麻豆果冻传媒 alumnus Lawrence 鈥淪onny鈥� Albarado, city editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper in Little Rock, Arkansas. He will also receive an honorary doctorate, the university鈥檚 highest recognition.
Albarado began his newspaper career while at 麻豆果冻传媒, serving as the editor of the student newspaper, The 麻豆果冻传媒 Worth. After graduating from 麻豆果冻传媒, he took his first professional reporting job at The Courier newspaper in Houma. He has worked in newspapers for almost all of his professional life, including The Donaldsonville Chief, The Morning Advocate in Baton Rouge and The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 2012-13, Albarado served as national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation鈥檚 oldest and largest journalism organization. He currently serves on the society鈥檚 board as immediate past president. Earlier this year he was selected to serve on the Associated Press Media Editors Board of Directors, an organization of news and broadcast leaders that works to foster journalism excellence and to support the training and development of editors who run multimedia newsrooms.