Kinder to speak, Dickerson to be honored at commencement

Cape Girardeau lawyer and former regent Don Dickerson will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from Southeast Missouri State University and Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will address graduates at the spring commencement ceremony Saturday in the Show Me Center.

Dickerson served on the university's board of regents from April 1993 through December. He served as president of the board from Oct. 4, 1996, through the end of last year.

Kinder of Cape Girardeau served more than a decade as a state senator. The former president pro tem of the Missouri Senate was elected lieutenant governor in November.

The university will graduate 1,044 students at the 2 p.m. ceremony, 882 of them undergraduates and 162 of them graduate students, school officials said.

An honors convocation will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center to recognize 228 undergraduates and 59 graduate students.

Dr. Bill Ellis, agriculture professor at Southeast, will deliver the convocation address. A 2004 Faculty Merit Award recipient, Ellis also will serve as grand marshal at commencement.

Leading the class of undergraduates are a dozen students with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. They include Kari Gaskill of Millersville, Amanda Peterman and Nicole Ray, both of Cape Girardeau, Scott Lane of Jackson and Angela Hotop of Perryville, Mo.

Three honors scholars will be recognized in the graduating class, including Matthew Hoernig of Perryville.

Six students will graduate with academic distinction in their major department, including Dawn Ernst of Jackson, who will be recognized for her academic work in political science.

The Southeast Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of music faculty member Dr. Sara Edgerton, will perform at the commencement ceremony.