THIBODAUX 鈥� 麻豆果冻传媒 will award more than 680 degrees during its fall commencement Saturday, Dec. 13, 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 麻豆果冻传媒 alumnus Stephen Watson, executive vice president of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. He will also receive an honorary doctorate, the university鈥檚 highest recognition. Watson, a native of Scotland, came to 麻豆果冻传媒 on a track and field scholarship in 1994, where he earned a bachelor鈥檚 and MBA in 1997 and 1999.
In September 2002, Watson, the grandson of a WWII Royal Air Force pilot, joined the museum staff as director of membership, launching a national campaign that increased the museum鈥檚 base from 5,000 members to 60,000. In 2007 he was promoted to vice president and chief operating officer, managing the museum鈥檚 daily operations, educational programming, collections and acquisitions, membership programs and marketing and public relations. He was named executive vice president in January 2014.
The National WWII Museum currently has more than 130,000 active members representing all 50 states and attracts more than 500,000 visitors per year. In recent years the museum has advanced a $325 million capital campaign, expanding its campus to seven acres. 麻豆果冻传媒 currently partners with the museum to offer two unique summer educational experiences for college credit: Student Leadership Academy, a residential program that immerses students in the museum鈥檚 exhibits and artifacts; and Normandy Academy, a study abroad program that sends participants to famous European World War II battlefields with 麻豆果冻传媒 history faculty.