The University of South Alabama is preparing to award nearly 1,930 degrees at its fall commencement ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. at the USA Mitchell Center in Mobile.
The ceremony will confer 1,079 bachelor’s degrees, 734 master’s degrees, 109 doctoral degrees and four educational specialist degrees. Combined, the graduating class will push the university’s total number of degrees awarded throughout its history past 80,000, reaching 80,350. Fall commencement traditionally honors students who completed their degree requirements during the preceding summer and fall terms.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Steve Furr, a family medicine physician based in Jackson, Alabama, and a longtime member of the university’s Board of Trustees. Furr is a USA alumnus who earned his bachelor’s degree in biology in 1976 before returning to complete his medical degree in 1981. He has served on the Board of Trustees since 2006 and currently holds the role of chairman pro tempore.
Furr’s ties to the university run deep. He served as the founding chair of the USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital Development Council and was part of the leadership council for the university’s 50th anniversary fundraising campaign. Along with his wife, Lisa, he has supported a wide range of university initiatives over the years, including the College of Medicine, Jaguar athletics, the Moulton Tower project and the Mitchell Cancer Institute. Their most recent gift went toward an endowment supporting priority needs at the Children’s & Women’s Hospital, and the hospital’s lobby was named in the couple’s honor in recognition of their giving.
Furr was recognized last spring with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the USA National Alumni Association. He also helped establish a new Board of Trustees scholarship that will provide funding to the top academic performer in each incoming freshman class.
For families and community members unable to attend in person, the university has again partnered with the Mobile County school system to livestream the ceremony through its website. A recorded version of the event is expected to remain available online following the broadcast, giving graduates and their supporters across South Alabama a chance to watch even if they can’t make it to the Mitchell Center in person.
The December ceremony is one of two commencement events USA holds each academic year, alongside a spring ceremony, and remains one of the larger annual gatherings on the Mobile campus.