SOUTHEAST WILL GIVE DEGREES TO 903 STUDENTS MAY 5

Southeast Missouri State University will graduate 903 students during commencement exercises May 5.

Dr. Edward Perkins, a former U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to the United Nations and representative to the U.N. Security Council and as ambassador to Australia, will deliver the commencement address. Perkins currently is on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma where he serves as executive director of the International Programs Center.

During the 2 p.m. commencement exercises at the Show Me Center, degrees will be conferred on 769 undergraduates and 134 graduate students.

Southeast student Neal E. Boyd of Sikeston, Mo., will perform the alma mater. Boyd recently performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Boyd is scheduled to receive a bachelor of arts degree in speech communication.

Leading the class of undergraduates are 10 students with perfect 4.0 grade point averages They include Lisa Brown of Perryville, Mo., Melissa Maurer of Cape Girardeau, Lance Reinagel of Kelso, Mo., and Timothy Stroder of Jackson, Mo.

Five honors scholars will be recognized in the graduating class, including Kerry Farris of Cape Girardeau and Lawrence Rice of Dexter, Mo.

To be recognized as honors scholars, students must complete 24 hours of honors course work and maintain at least a 3.25 grade point average. Honors scholars also must complete a senior research project, school officials said.

Two students will graduate with academic distinction in their major departments. Mary Farmer of Dexter will be recognized for academic distinction in the department of psychology and Sam Teeters of Marble Hill, Mo., will be recognized for academic distinction in the geosciences department.