More Than 900 Degrees to be Awarded at LSU’s Summer Commencement on Friday, Aug. 12

LSU Board Chair Rémy Voisin Starns to deliver keynote address

BATON ROUGE – More than 900 students are expected to graduate during LSU’s summer commencement ceremonies on Friday, Aug. 12, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. LSU Board Chair Rémy Voisin Starns will deliver the keynote address.

During the ceremony, “The Star-Spangled Banner” and LSU Alma Mater will be performed by Jamey Wright, candidate for Doctor of Musical Arts. LSU Executive Vice President & Provost Roy Haggerty will provide opening remarks, while Starns will address the graduates. Haggerty will award the university medal to the student who graduated with the highest grade point average in the class. 

Starns is the chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors and the state public defender. As the state public defender, he oversees the entire 64-parish public defense system in Louisiana, representing almost 88 percent of persons accused of crimes statewide. Prior to this role, he was an assistant district attorney in Avoyelles Parish and practiced civil and criminal law in a wide range of matters in both state and federal court. 

Starns has served as a charter member of the Louisiana Public Defender Board as an appointee of the senate president and as a member of the Louisiana Capital Punishment Fiscal Impact Study Commission as an appointee of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference. 

Starns was appointed to the LSU Board of Supervisors by Gov. John Bel Edwards in June 2018. He was born in Baton Rouge and graduated from LSU with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and minors in Latin and classical civilization. He also holds law degrees from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and Tulane Law School. 

Summer commencement will be held indoors in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. If the status of the pandemic changes, or if the state’s event guidelines change, the ceremony could also change. At this time, here is what guests can expect: 

• Masks are not required in any venue. However, masks are highly encouraged.
• There will be no restrictions on the number of attending guests.
• Graduates will be invited to walk across the stage while their names are called.
• Doors will open for each event approximately one hour prior to the start of the ceremony.
• At the culmination of the ceremony, graduates and their guests should plan to meet outside the venue.
• Clear bags will not be required. However, all bags will be subject to a search upon entry.
• For more information on other protocols and procedures, please visit https://lsu.edu/commencement/ceremonies/summer.php.   

A complete list of graduates and honor graduates, who authorized the release of their names, will be available online at LSU’s commencement website. This site can be accessed directly at www.lsu.edu/commencement.