More than 3,900 Texas Tech students, including 165 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, received diplomas at the university's commencement ceremonies Saturday (May 18) at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock.

During the event outstanding students carried banners representing their respective colleges. Brittany Thompson, an animal science major from Allen, represented CASNR. Administrators selected the banner bearers based on all-around achievement.

University officials noted that the highest ranking May graduates for CASNR included Thompson, as well as Skylar Sowder, an agricultural and applied economics major from Sudan and Kassie Davison, an agricultural education and communications major from Valley View.

Graduation recipients from the individual departments and majors included:

• Agricultural & Applied Economics - 26
• Agricultural & Applied Economics/General Business - 1
• Agricultural Communications - 14
• Animal Science - 48
• Environmental Conservation of Natural Resources - 3
• Environmental Crop & Soil Sciences - 6
• Food Science - 4
• Horticulture - 12
• Interdisciplinary Agriculture - 15
• Landscape Architecture - 18
• Natural Resources Management - 10
• Wildlife & Fisheries Management - 8

Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) was the commencement speaker. He represents Texas's 19th congressional district, having served in that post since a special election in 2003. The district includes a large swath of West Texas, including Lubbock and Abilene. From 1992 to 1998, Neugebauer was a Lubbock city councilman. He graduated from Texas Tech in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in accounting.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Michael Galyean, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or michael.galyean@ttu.edu

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