WCU announces August Graduations | Schools

Over 400 students will receive degrees at William Carey University in one of four graduation ceremonies in August. Dr. Tommy King, president of WCU, will preside at the ceremonies, which are for undergraduate and graduate students of the New Orleans, Hattiesburg, and Tradition campuses.

The ceremony for students on the New Orleans campus is August 3 at 6 p.m. in Leavell Chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The speaker for the ceremony is William “Bill” Ray, president and CEO of the Asbury Foundation of Hattiesburg, Inc. He was formerly president and CEO of Wesley Health Systems.

Mr. Ray was named South Mississippi Top 10 Business Leader in 2005, Administrator of the Year by the National United Hospital Wesleyan Association in 1995, and Healthcare Executive of the Year by the Mississippi Affiliates of American College of Healthcare Executives in 1994. He is a member of the WCU Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors for Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the Pine Belt Area, the Hattiesburg Rotary Club, a life fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an active member of First Baptist Church. Mr. Ray received the Hub Award in 2011 for outstanding contributions to the community, commitment to excellence and dedication to public service.

The ceremony for Hattiesburg students receiving graduate degrees is August 4 at 9:30 a.m. in Smith Auditorium.

The speaker for the 9:30 ceremony is Dr. Mary Graham, president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Since beginning her career in 1987 on the Jackson County Campus of MGCCC, she served as director of admissions/registrar, director of institutional relations and vice president of Community Campus.  Dr. Graham also served as the vice president of the Perkinston Campus for 13 years, where she provided leadership for the Perkinston Campus and the George County Center with more than 300 employees at both locations. 

Dr. Graham was named one of South Mississippi’s Outstanding Community Leaders by The Sun Herald, Perkinston Campus Administrator of the Year, Top 40 Under 40 for the State of Mississippi, Women of Achievement, WINGS Support Award, Founders Award for Leadership Program, Paul Harris Fellow, Leadership Mississippi Class of 2008, Montgomery Institute Educational Fellowship Program Class of 2008, and Honorary Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler Air Force Base.

 The ceremony for Hattiesburg students receiving undergraduate degrees is August 4 at 1 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.

The speaker is Dr. Gordon Sansing, director of church relations for Mississippi Baptist Hospital in Jackson. Dr. Sansing has served in church staff positions at various Baptist churches in Mississippi since 1961. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees for Blue Mountain College and Mississippi College, on the Order of Business Committee for Mississippi Baptist Convention, and on the Board of Trustees for Mississippi Baptist Health System.

Dr. Sansing completed the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, and received his doctor of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

 The ceremony for Tradition campus students receiving both graduate and undergraduate degrees is August 4 at 4 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.

Judge Keith Starrett, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi, will serve as the guest speaker for the Tradition graduation. Judge Starrett was appointed by President George W. Bush and took the federal bench in January 2005. Prior to his appointment, he served as a circuit court judge for the 14th Circuit Court District of Mississippi for 12 years. During his tenure as a circuit court judge, he established and presided over Mississippi’s first felony-level drug court, was appointed to the Mississippi Drug Court Commission, and was a member of the state commission to redraft the Mississippi Criminal Code. Prior to serving as a Mississippi state court judge, he spent 17 years in private practice.

Judge Starrett obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi and was named a Fellow of the Mississippi State Bar Association before receiving the Association’s Judicial Excellence Award in 2003. He was also honored with the Justice Achievement Award by the Mississippi Court Administrators Association, and received the Leadership Award from the Louisiana Association of Drug Court Professionals. Judge Starrett is an instructor at the National Judicial College and has written articles published in The Mississippi Lawyer and The Mississippi Police Journal.

For more graduation information, call the Office of the Registrar at (601) 318-6195.