48th Commencement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2007

Cheryl Dobson
(417) 625-9340

 

 

JOPLIN, MO (SNS) - Mi

Dr. Julio Leon (left) and Robert W. Plaster

ssouri Southern State University will conduct its 48th Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m., and 12 noon Saturday, May 12 at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The 9:30 ceremony will include graduates from the School of Business Administration, School of Technology and students receiving Associates Degrees.

The noon ceremony will feature students from Cooperative Graduate Programs, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Bachelor of General Studies recipients.

The first five students receiving the Master of Arts in Teaching degree as a part of the Cooperative Graduate Program between Missouri Southern and Missouri State University will receive their degrees. Missouri State University president Dr. Michael Nietzel will take part in the ceremony.

The speaker for the 48th commencement will be Dr. Julio León, president of Missouri Southern State University. This year, Dr. León is marking his 25th year as president of MSSU, one of the longest University presidencies in the nation. 2007 also marks his 38th year of service to Missouri Southern.

The graduation will feature the conferring of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Robert W. Plaster. Plaster, a former Joplin Junior College student, has become one of Missouri’s most successful entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Plaster is the founder and longtime CEO of Empire Gas and is chairman of Evergreen Investments, LLC, a multi-million dollar development corporation.

Because of his generosity, Missouri Southern State University is the home to the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center and Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration.

Plaster is also a major contributor to the success of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). SIFE teams on university campuses, including Missouri Southern, are challenged to develop community outreach projects that address five educational topics: market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business ethics.

Following the ceremony, a reception will be held in Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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