BOARD OF REGENTS William F. Scott, Chairman Nederland David Montagne, Vice Chairman Beaumont Charlie Amato San Antonio Duke Austin Houston Garry D. Crain The Hills Veronica Muzquiz Edwards, D.B.A. San Antonio Don Flores El Paso Nicki Harle Baird Alan L. Tinsley Madisonville Amanda Lee, Student Regent Huntsville Brian McCall, Ph.D., Chancellor UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President Brenda Nichols, Ph.D. Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeremy C. Alltop, M.S.A., F.H.F.M.A. Vice President for Finance and Operations Arne Almquist, Ph.D. Vice President of Information Management and Decision Support John Bello-Ogunu, Sr., Ph.D. Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and Intercultural Affairs Vicki McNeil, Ed.D. Vice President for Student Engagement Juan Zabala, M.B.A. Vice President for University Advancement Daniel Brown, Ph.D. Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Jerry Lin, Ph.D. Associate Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs Katrina Brent, Ed.D. Assistant Provost for Enrollment Management Marco Born, M.S. Athletics Director Norman Bellard Assistant to the President for Community Relations ACADEMIC DEANS Lynn Maurer, Ph.D. Dean of Arts and Sciences Arne Almquist, Ph.D. Dean of the Mary and John Gray Library Brian Craig, Ph.D. Dean of Engineering Dan W. French, Ph.D. Dean of Business Jerry Lin, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate Studies Derina Holtzhausen, Ph.D. Dean of Fine Arts and Communication Robert Spina, Ph.D., FACSM Dean of Education and Human Development DR. KENNETH R. EVANS I wish to personally congratulate each and every one of you and extend to you a warm congratulations from the entire faculty, admin- istration and staff on this day of your gradua- tion from Lamar University. This is the day you have worked long and hard to achieve, and we celebrate you with admiration and pride. Although this day is about personal achieve- ment, undoubtedly, you’ve had a few support- ers helping you get to this place of success. PRESIDENT Therefore, today we also recognize those who have encouraged you to continue to pursue your goals and inspired you to attain more than you thought possible. Be sure to thank those family, friends and faculty members who helped you along the way. You have earned more than a degree while attending Lamar University. During these years, you have gained friendships, created memories, identified your passions and honed skills. And, it goes without saying, as the class of 2020, you have experienced numerous hardships and overcome great disappointment. I now challenge you to build on all you have realized, wear your resiliency like a badge of honor and make a positive impact in your vocation, your community and our society. You make us proud today. Go out as Lamar University alumni and make MESSAGE FROM THE MESSAGE us proud tomorrow. You are always a Cardinal, and you are always welcome back to Lamar University. With Cardinal Pride, Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President CEREMONY PROGRAM Musical Prelude Lamar University Brass Ensemble Andrew McMahan, D.M.A. Director of Bands The National Anthem* Serdar Ilban, D.M.A. The Star Spangled Banner Associate Professor of Voice Francis Scott Key FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 Afternoon Ceremony | 3:00 pm Presiding Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. Introductions and Remarks President SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 Morning Ceremony | 10:00 am Presiding Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. Introductions and Remarks President Student Address Jared Richards Mechanical Engineering & LAMAR UNIVERSITY Physics Major Jiaxuan (Amanda) Xu Mechanical Engineering COMMENCEMENT 2020 Afternoon Ceremony | 2:00 pm Presiding/Introductions Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President Commencement Address William F. Scott All ceremonies Chairman Texas State University System Conferring of Degrees Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President Lamar University Serdar Ilban, D.M.A. Alma Mater* G. Rhodes Smartt *Audience please stand. UNIVERSITY ALMA MATER Lamar to thee we’re singing As our guiding star. Voices raised on high. To us you’ll always be We will forever love thee Our glorious Lamar. Laud thee to the sky. We will ever need thee The Lamar University Alma Mater is sung at the end of each commencement ceremony. Gilbert Rhodes Smartt, Lamar Professor from 1945 to 1951 wrote the words and composed the music to the alma mater in 1951 in celebration of Lamar’s elevation to senior college status. VETERANS AND MILITARY MEMBERS Lamar University is proud to recognize graduating Veterans with a red, white and blue triple cord. On behalf of the entire Lamar University community, President Kenneth R. Evans and the LU Administrative Officers, we extend our deepest gratitude and congratulations to these distinguished graduates. GUIDELINES FOR GUESTS Commencement is a significant and solemn event, the recognition of years of study. To maintain the dignity of the ceremony, guests and participants are requested to refrain from unnecessary noises (air horns, etc.) and movement during the ceremony. Only the official photographer is allowed on the arena floor. WILLIAM F. SCOTT William F. (“Bill”) Scott is the CEO, Chairman and co-owner with his three sons of Trans- Global Solutions Inc. (TGS), as well as, Chairman and General Partner of TGS Development, LP, and TGS Cedar Port Partners, LP, owner of the 10,000 plus acre Cedar Port Industrial Park near Baytown, Texas. Bill has for more than 30 years focused his time on identifying, developing, owning and operating marine terminal facilities serving companies including Valero Refining, Shell Oil, Mitsubishi, ExxonMobil, Lyondell Citgo Refining, ConocoPhillips/ PDVSA, and Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. Bill is a 1970 graduate of Lamar University and is involved in numerous statewide and local civic and charitable activities including: • Chairman of the Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents • Chairman of the TSUS Planning and Construction Committee • Board member of the Lamar University Foundation • Past President of the Three Rivers Council Boy Scouts of America • President of the Gay D. and William F. Scott Family Foundation Bill and his wife of 40 years, Gay Duckworth Scott, have 3 sons, Will, James, and Richard, as well as 4 granddaughters and 1 grandson. COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER JARED RICHARDS Jared Richards is from Nederland, Texas and is graduating from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Jared has been married for 19 years and is the father of two boys, aged 16 years and 12 years. He was an Infantry Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Following his end of active military service, Jared labored for three years as an apprentice electrician, one year as a process operator, and ten years as a commercial (deep sea) diver. Jared enrolled at Lamar University in the Spring of 2017, completing both degree programs in four years. Jared led a design team working on a NASA Texas Space Grant Consortium project, winning first place in the Multidisciplinary Category of the 2020 College of Engineering Senior Design Symposium. He has been employed at Lamar University as a Teaching Assistant for three years, tutoring, grading, and conducting recitations in physics. He has also been employed as a Research Assistant and is STUDENT ADDRESS currently working with an experimental nuclear physics collaboration at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. Outside of academia, Jared enjoys practicing woodcraft and field- craft in the Piney Woods of East Texas with his family; and he enjoys playing board games, card games, and video games with his family when at home. Jared and his wife have enjoyed home-schooling both of their children up through the eighth grade. JIAXUAN XU Jiaxuan Xu (Amanda) is a second year Master student in Mechanical Engineering Science at the Lamar University. While an undergraduate, she worked asthe secretary assistant for the department of Mechanical Engineering, where she assisted the senior secretary with all the activities related to the department such as answering phones, greeting students, and scheduling appointments. She then worked as the research assistant during her last two years of undergraduate. She led her groupto win first place in the 2017 Lamar University Undergraduate Research Exposition. After graduation, she continued studying Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software and earned a certificate at Houston Community College. As a Master student, she worked as the graduate assistant for the department of Mechanical Engineering. She helped professors grade undergraduate homework such as dynamics, engineering analysis, design of mechanisms, and answered students’ questions that related to engineering. She also taught teachers from high schools using Fusion 360 to generate 3D STUDENT ADDRESS modeling and 3D printing for the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) summer program. She earneda graduate scholarship at Lamar University.She currently works as a graduate assistant helping collect data and grading assignments within the Integrative Mentoring Partnerships and Care Teams (IMPaCT) program. COLLEGE DEANS DR. C. JERRY LIN, DEAN To the Class of 2020: Congratulations on earning your graduate degree. You have joined the elite group of our society. Only a select few have accomplished what you just have. We are proud of you! Graduation is a starting point, one that marks your professional contribution to the greater good of an interconnected global community. With the knowledge and skills you have acquired through your graduate studies, you are well positioned to make an impact – be it advancing technologies, developing solutions, COLLEGE OF pursuing entrepreneurship, educating the next generation, exploring the unknown or creating performance art. Choose the specialty you do best and make a positive difference – wherever you are in the world. Keep in mind that there will be challenges ahead as you continue to build your career. It is part of the process to prevail and excel in any profession.