Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University graduates will hear from Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi’s National Guard, during spring commencement exercises May 2 and 3 at Humphrey Coliseum.
Boyles will deliver the graduation address during Thursday’s 3:30 p.m. ceremony and Friday’s 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. ceremonies. More than 2,700 students will receive degrees.
MSU alumnus George H. Bishop and Kenneth D. Johnson also will be honored during commencement, with each receiving honorary Doctor of Public Service degrees in recognition of their lifetime achievements and longtime major support of university programs.
The May 2 graduation program includes the College of Business and its Adkerson School of Accountancy and the College of Education.
The May 3 morning program includes the College of Architecture, Art and Design and its School of Architecture; College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The afternoon program includes the Bagley College of Engineering and its Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its School of Human Sciences, College of Forest Resources, as well as University Studies.
Boyles has 37 years of commissioned service with the Mississippi National Guard and was named Adjutant General of Mississippi in 2016. The Jackson native is a 1982 MSU biological engineering graduate who received a 2005 Master’s of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He served as the Executive Officer of the 168th Engineer Group during Hurricane Katrina recovery and rebuilding efforts and was in Afghanistan with the 168th Engineer Brigade in 2009. In 2015-16, Boyles served in Kosovo as Chief of Staff of KFOR Forces, a NATO Division deployed as part of Operation Joint Guardian. The major general has a civilian occupation as president of Boyles Moak and Stone, Inc., a regional independent insurance agency. He has served multiple terms on the MSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors, including a term as national president in 1997. He also is a member of College of Business’ Risk Management and Insurance Advisory Board and was inducted into MSU’s Risk Management and Insurance Hall of Fame in 2007.
Bishop will be honored during the Friday morning ceremony. A native of Raleigh in Smith County, Bishop is a 1958 MSU petroleum geology graduate who in 1981 founded GeoSouthern Energy in The Woodlands, Texas. The company grew to become one of the largest privately-held producers of oil and gas in the country, and its utilization of revolutionary technologies significantly contributed to an exploration and production renaissance that helped point the U.S. toward energy independence. In addition to exemplary and distinguished career achievements, Bishop has supported MSU’s Promise Program and other scholarships.
Johnson, who will be honored during the Friday afternoon ceremony, is a veteran with more than three decades of service. The Leake County native and Ridgeland resident was a 19-year-old engineering student at then Mississippi State College when he first joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corp. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1944 after completing pilot training. A Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight and the Legion of Merit are among Johnson’s many commendations. Upon retiring from the U.S. Air Force at the rank of colonel, Johnson returned to Mississippi State for an intensive forestry program, and he has maintained a strong relationship with MSU’s College of Forest Resources. Through the creation of the Colonel K.D. Johnson Forest near his hometown of Lena, he became one of the first contributors to MSU’s Bulldog Forest. This asset is used as a field-based learning resource for forestry students and will generate income from timber harvesting for the CFR. At age 95, Johnson continues to serve as a mentor for student veterans and active-duty service members. He hosts an annual luncheon to honor CFR faculty, staff and scholarship recipients, and he at attends every home football game.
MSU-Meridian will hold commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. on May 2 at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian, where more than 120 students will receive degrees. The featured speaker is MSU’s 16th president, Malcolm Portera.
Starkville Campus ceremonies may be viewed remotely with several viewing options available. Livestreams will be available at http://mymedia.msstate.edu/viewer.php?live=grad and https://livestream.com/mstv/live. MSTV also will provide live broadcasts of each Starkville campus ceremony.
More information about commencement is available through the Office of the Registrar at www.registrar.msstate.edu/students/graduation/.