The Honorable Bo Watson, District 11 State Senator and Speaker Pro Tempore, will address Chattanooga State Community College graduates at Commencement on May 5 at 10 a.m. at the Memorial Auditorium.

State Senator Bo Watson is serving in the second year of a four-year term in the Tennessee Legislature. He is a strong supporter of local education and Chattanooga State in particular.

During commencement, Chattanooga State will award 503 AA/AS/AST degrees, 689 AAS degrees, 175 embedded certificates and 398 technical certificates for a total of 1,765 degrees and certificates in the college division. There are 88 summa cum laude (4.0 GPA), 88 magna cum laude (3.75-3.99 GPA) and 144 cum laude (3.50-3.74) graduates in the Class of 2012.

The divisions awarding the most associate degrees include Nursing and Allied Health, Business and Information Technologies, and Engineering Technology. The areas of study awarding the largest number of technical certificates are emergency medical technician basic EMT, dental assisting, emergency medical technician paramedic, process technology and advance process technology.

Middle College High School at Chattanooga State has a total of 58 graduates with 21 of the graduates simultaneously receiving an associate degree, which represents a 35 per cent increase over last year. Grace Ellen Hopkins and Ruth Bell Hopkins are co-valedictorians. Carl Thomas Ashby is salutatorian.

The Tennessee Technology Center (TTC), which has traditionally participated in the spring Commencement exercises, will hold its graduation ceremony in August this year.

Several Chattanooga State faculty and staff members will retire this year. The list includes Wanda Faulkner, graduation analyst 2, Admissions/Records, 18 years of service; Rachel Hargett, executive secretary, Student Affairs, 19 ¼ years of service; Ed Kelly, director, Plant Operations, 25 years of service; Vicky Leather, dean, Library Services, 31 years of service; Sarah McDowell, coordinator, Writing Center, Humanities/Fine Arts, 18 years of service; Barbara Morgan, administrative assistant 1, President’s Office, 44 years of service; Marsha Schoonover, associate professor, Math and Sciences, 28 years of service; and Janice Washington, secretary 1, Tennessee Technology Center, 12 years of service.

Additional recognition will be given to faculty and staff Excellence Awards winners Lori A. Robinson, assistant professor and clinical coordinator for Sonography programs in the Division of Nursing and Allied Health for teaching-technology; Michael Matthews, senior instructor for massage therapy at the Tennessee Technology Center’s Eastgate Town Center for teaching; Robert Prytula, associate professor and program director for Fire Science Technology for advising; Suzanne Myatt, Tennessee Technology Center student services coordinator for professional staff; and Lisa W. Philips, administrative secretary, Institutional Effectiveness & Research for support staff.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited community college, governed by the policies and guidelines as set forth by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Chattanooga State’s mission is to transform the lives of individuals and to develop the capacities of the business and industrial communities through technical and postsecondary education. Founded in 1965, the college serves a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee and offers more than 50 educational programs. You can become our friend on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ChattState, or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ChattStateCC.