More than 1,400 Texas Tech students, including 46 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, received diplomas at the university's commencement ceremonies on Saturday (Aug. 12) at United Supermarkets Arena (1701 Indiana Ave.) in Lubbock.

"It is with great joy and satisfaction that we celebrate another class of Red Raiders who are realizing the culmination of a dream," Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said.

During the event outstanding students carried banners representing their respective colleges. Macy Fangman, an agricultural communications major from Canyon, represented CASNR. Administrators selected the banner bearers based on all-around achievement. The highest-ranking summer graduate from CASNR was Cari Hendryx, a plant and soil science major from Krugerville.

Graduation recipients from the individual departments and majors included:
• Agribusiness, 3
• Agricultural & Applied Economics, 14
• Agricultural & Applied Economics/General Business, 1
• Agricultural Communications, 2
• Animal Science, 10
• Interdisciplinary Agriculture, 6
• Natural Resources Management, 7
• Plant and Soil Science, 3

Cellist Jeffrey Lastrapes, an active soloist, chamber musician and teacher having performed and taught in Europe, South America, Asia, and in every region of the United States, served as the summer commencement speaker for CASNR's Saturday afternoon ceremony. He holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, where he studied with Orlando Cole and Harvey Shapiro respectively, and has recorded for New World Records and Centaur Records.

Lastrapes, currently an associate professor of cello and chair of strings at Texas Tech, is cofounder of Caerus Ensemble. He is on the faculty of the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts, and has been on the faculty of the Interlochen Center for the Arts since 1996.

CONTACT: Steven Fraze, Interim Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or steven.fraze@ttu.edu

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