MAGNOLIA — Fall commencement exercises at Southern Arkansas University will take place in four ceremonies scheduled for the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center this weekend.
On Friday, Dec. 10, undergraduates from the College of Business and the College of Education will take part in a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Students receiving a degree from the School of Graduate Studies will participate in a ceremony at 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 11, undergraduate students from the College of Science and Technology will take part in a ceremony at 11 a.m. while the College of Liberal and Performing Arts will grant undergraduate degrees at 1 p.m. Again, all ceremonies will be held in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center.
A total of 197 students will receive degrees during the four ceremonies.
Dr. Tim Schroeder, assistant professor of chemistry, will address graduates in both Friday ceremonies.
A first-generation college student, Schroeder attended Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. Upon graduation from Truman, he moved to DeKalb, Ill., for graduate study in analytical chemistry at Northern Illinois University. During his time at NIU, he received the Kevin B. Cull Memorial Undergraduate Teaching Award.
After completion of his doctoral degree in 1999, Schroeder moved to Magnolia where he was offered a position as the director of institutional research at SAU. In 2003, he joined the faculty when a chemistry teaching position became available.
In his time at SAU, he has taught a large variety of courses, including all aspects of freshman chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, quantitative analytical chemistry, and instrumental analysis. In 2007, he was honored by his students and his peers as the recipient of the Calvin Wetzig Teaching Excellence Award.
In addition to his duties as a teacher, Schroeder is the director of the Natural Resource Research Center. The NRRC is a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to both the development of regional natural resources as well as the protection of the environment during the development process.
Dr. Don Nelson, professor of education, will be the featured speaker for both ceremonies on Saturday.
Nelson has served on the SAU faculty for 22 years and has a broad educational background. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Northwestern State University, a master’s of science from Louisiana Tech University and a doctorate in science education and biology from the University of Arkansas.
Nelson was a recipient of a National Science Foundation Fellowship and completed his post-doctorate work in statistics at the University of Texas. After completion of his doctorate, he became a professor at Louisiana Tech University where he taught statistics, research, and testing and held various administrative positions for 22 years. In August 1988 he came to SAU as a professor of education. During his tenure at SAU he has served in various administrative positions, including dean of the College of Education. He has been the author/co-author of two college textbooks, several journals articles and approximately 42 federal, state and private grants. He has also served as a grant proposal evaluator for the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Justice Department.
