Dr. Glen D. Johnson Jr., Oklahoma chancellor of higher education, will be the speaker Dec. 15 [SATURDAY] for East Central University's fall Commencement.
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Kerr Activities Center for 217 candidates for bachelor's degrees and 72 candidates for master's degrees.
Previously, students who completed degree requirements during the fall semester were included in the spring ceremony in May.
Johnson, the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, leads a system of 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, one higher education center and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state system.
He was president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University for 10 years before being named chancellor in January 2007.
As chancellor, Johnson provides leadership on matters relating to standards for Oklahoma higher education, courses and programs of study, budget allocations for institutions, fees and tuition, and strategic planning. He is responsible for an annual higher education budget in excess of $1.4 billion as well as the state endowment fund, with a market value over $200 million.
He is responsible for OneNet, the state's telecommunications network for government and education, as well as the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program, which has guaranteed more than 1 million student loans exceeding $2.5 billion in insured debt.
Johnson directs 20 statewide scholarship programs as well as such programs as the State Regents' Summer Academies in Math and Science program and the statewide GEAR UP efforts.
During Johnson's presidency of SOSU, enrollment increased to maximum capacity and the university experienced renovation and expansion in an aggressive five-year plan of campus infrastructure and student-centered learning and living environments.
He was director of public policy and a professor of law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law after serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1982 to 1996. He was elected speaker of the house in 1990, the youngest sitting speaker in the United States at the time.
Johnson has been recognized both statewide and nationally as a strong, untiring advocate for funding for both secondary and higher education in Oklahoma. His accomplishments in the House benefited not only his own District 24 (Hughes, Okfuskee and Okmulgee counties) but also, as speaker of the house and chair of important legislative committees, the entire state of Oklahoma.
He was instrumental in the passage of HB 1017, Oklahoma's landmark education reform legislation, and was chair of the Appropriations and Budget Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. He authored SB 180 in 1988 that created the Endowed Chairs Program and spearheaded the opportunity to use $14 million from the proceeds of the Higher Education Bond Issue for OneNet. In 1992 he was principal author of HB 2428, the $350 million Higher Education Bond Issue.
Johnson is an honors graduate of the University of Oklahoma, with an undergraduate degree in political science and a juris doctorate from the OU College of Law. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at OU and received the Letzeiser Award as one of OU's outstanding seniors.
He was a founding member of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 1986. He is also chairman of the Oklahoma Heritage Association's Board of Directors and was named to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in November 2006.
Candidates for bachelor's degrees are listed by hometowns:
ADA - Elliott Alberson, Marjo Anderson, Brenda Ayala, Marvin Barbee, Pamela Blalock, Jacob Box, Victoria Bramlett, Clayton Brinlee, Dayna Brown, Natasha Brumley, Daniel Cabo, Tony Carman, Melissa Clark, Darrell Cooley, Katie Creed, Amy Crone, Sharon Cunningham, Callie Durington, John Ebrite, Landon Estes, David Farmer, Derek Fillmore, Corey Gillum, Adrian Gold, Sherry Gold, Nicolas Gwin, Jon Haney, Matthew Harp, Dell Harris, Krista Hatter, Chad Henry, Holly Hill-Garner, Cassie Holloway, Jake Jackson, Kerry James, Myndy James, Jared Johnson, Keith Jones, Daniel Jonka, Taylor Lackey, Wesley Lanier, Megan Logan, Janessa Long, Felton Madume, Steven Marshall, Markia Matthews, Rose Mayhew‑Hardin, Amy McCain, Ashlee McCoy, Joseph McDougle, Stephen Mims, Whitney Musgrove, Aarica Nix, Renee Norton, Jessica Partridge, Erica Patrick, Kenneth Phillips, Christopher Piercy, Johnny Potter, Hisham Rafi, Chanette Reed, James Rhynes, Kaycee Roberts, Rock Rodebush, James Sherbert, Shea Spears, Samantha Spencer, Aaron Stubbs, Cindy Taylor, Ashlee Thompson, Julia Thompson, Amanda Van Buskirk, Crystal Wade, Hugh Warren, Jeremy Wood, Jonathan Woods and April Woodward.
ALLEN - Caleb Baber and Richard Wetherill.
ARDMORE - Linda Alexander, Marcuchio Downing, Brandon Goforth, Sonya Johns, Randi Mann and Lesley Pryor.
ASHER - Jennifer Linn.
ATWOOD - Hunter Nickell.
BROKEN BOW - RaShounda Ramsey.
BURNEYVILLE - Lauren Bugbee.
CADDO - Loretta Hardy, Ashley Pruitt and Heather Wingfield.
CHECOTAH - Renee Engel.
CLAREMORE - Brad Staggs.
CLAYTON - Andrew Cossey.
COALGATE - Brett Burns and Amanda Caldwell.
COMANCHE - Dustin Hamm.
DAVIS - Trey Coe, Lincoln Sadler and Gary Vineyard.
DUNCAN - Destiny Jenkins and Jenna Tanaka.
DURANT - Brenda Keep.
DUSTIN - Melissa Selvidge.
EARLSBORO - Dwayne Miller.
ELMORE CITY - Connie Pierce.
EUFAULA - Joseph Reiter.
FLETCHER - Justin Brown.
HARTSHORNE - Christina Baker.
HEALDTON - James DeJarnett, Amy Johnson and Kaci Stephenson.
HENRYETTA - Rusty Johnson.
HOLDENVILLE - Clay Barrett, James Sanford and Stephanie Stribling.
IDABEL - Melissa Ginn.
INDIANOLA - LaDawnya Martin.
KIOWA - Chance Chapman.
KONAWA - Daniel Cloud and Rachel Sitton.
LAMONT - Ashley McCann.
LONE GROVE - Debra Keck.
MACOMB - Melissa Jones.
MARIETTA - Thomas Creecy and Matthew Scivally.
MAUD - Sarah Harper and Breann Peters.
MAYSVILLE - Ashley Wright.
McALESTER - Robin Armstrong, Ryan Bernard, Keith Curran, Megan Ford, Kristy Mick, Tonya Overton, Lori Peters, Amber Shields and Stephanie Tillman.
MOUNDS - Jennifer Bethel.
NOBLE - Shawndra Flatt.
NORMAN - Rina Phillips.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Lydia Berryhill.
OKMULGEE - Dana Lee and Jason Streater.
PAOLI - Casey McGough.
PAULS VALLEY - Rosie Digby, Jess Patton, Errett Williams and Kelsey Williamson.
PURCELL - Heather Koepp.
QUINTON - Lisa Ogden.
RATLIFF CITY - Elmer Cavner and James Smith.
RINGLING - Robert McGehee and Jimmy Snodgrass.
ROFF - Jason Wellington.
SASAKWA - Karen Smith.
SEMINOLE - Justin Childers, Derek Claborn, Mark Holly, Dustin Joplin, Amber Shaw and Amy Simpson.
SHAWNEE - LouAnn Benfield, Chad Brooking, Michelle Cook, Sonya Herrod, Josh Liles, Debbie Spoon and Kristen Widener.
STONEWALL - Elaine Rhynes and Carrie Welch.
STRATFORD - Ronald Barnett, Debra Blackwood, Cheri Jones and Stacy Kipps.
STUART - Ginger Eeds and Katrina Macchirella.
SULPHUR - James Blocker, Tara Blocker, Joshua Howsley, Trista Lawrence, Angela Lee, Jessica Mueller and Mark Walters.
TECUMSEH - Casey Carter, Kylie Lawson, Damon Nix, Jeffery Price and Jessica Young.
TISHOMINGO - Jimmie Henthorn, Candice Oliver and Janet Thomas.
WANETTE - Susan Smith.
WELEETKA - Keith Hare and Eric Peterson.
WETUMKA - Donna Summy.
WEWOKA - Michelle Abel, Joshua Caudill, Yolanda Gilbert, Victoria Knox, Tisha Morris and Melanie Yerby.
WILBURTON - Janet Mosqueda and Doris Williamson.
WILSON - Clayton Wharton.
WRIGHT CITY - Ahkella Carter.
WYNNEWOOD - Katie Johnson.
YUKON - Jennifer Jones.
McINTIRE, IOWA - Curtis Lilly.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Stacey Gonzales.
DeSOTO, TEXAS - Justin Turner.
DENTON, TEXAS - Camille Shepherd.
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS - Christina Gourd.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - Mike Glover.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Daria Segenchuk.
Candidates for master's degrees are listed by hometowns:
ADA - Jody Alford, Ty Anderson, Kathy Attebery, Amanda Bristow, Sharon Byrd, Lucy Cooley, Michael Effinger, Jeremiah Fulton, Shawna Harrison, Mary Hartley, Ruth Hathcoat, Janice Hogue, Christon Hutchins, Christie Jennings, Hollie Ligon, Nancy Myers, Julia Oxley, Tami Purcell, Russell Rushing, Gary Smith, Christopher Thompson, Jennifer Townsend and Holli Witherington,
ANTLERS - Regina Hise.
ARDMORE - Sharon Ford, Steve Hyden, Sean McCarthy and Daryl Steele.
ASHER - David Rolette.
BOWLEGS - Ginger Bryan.
BROKEN BOW - Brandy Hickerson.
COALGATE - Kimberly Miller.
COMANCHE - Tiffany Jones.
DAVIS - Jeffrey Jennings.
DURANT - Lori Bennett, Loni Bisson and Kelly Cook.
EUFAULA - Heather Combs, Lori Curtis and Nancy Park.
GERONIMO - Paula Mallow.
HARTSHORNE - Brenda Martin and Joe Sirmans.
HAYWOOD - Sherry Andrews.
INDIAHOMA - Carrie Thomason.
KENEFIC - Connie Lambert.
KEOTA - Patricia Drummonds.
LAWTON - Teresa Roberts.
LINDSAY - Karla Miller.
McALESTER - Linda Biasi, Vanessa Clark, Kristy Cusher, Shelly Kirkes, Millie Meza and Brandy Watkins.
McCURTAIN - Robbie Sloan.
MEEKER - April Summers.
NOBLE - Michele Benson.
NORMAN - James Gilstrap and Jannis Hill.
OKEMAH - Lana Baucom.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Misty Miklaucic.
POCOLA - Shelia Amos.
PONCA CITY - Darin Smith.
POTEAU - Heather Culwell and Crystal Walker.
RED OAK - Brenda Deatherage.
SEMINOLE - Jason Taylor.
SHAWNEE - Celeste Dibler.
SPIRO - Nicholas Carter.
WEWOKA - Kelly Harrison and Jeri Stafford.
WILSON - Paula McKendrick.
RENNER, S.D. - Kyle Wilson.
GAINESVILLE, TEXAS - Rod Tipps.
GRAHAM, TEXAS - William Floyd.
LANCASTER, TEXAS - Cody Fagan.
WHITESBORO, TEXAS - Mechelle Johnson.
# # #