OSU to recognize pair with honorary degrees; Pybus to speak at commencement
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Oklahoma State University will award honorary doctorates to Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus and former OSU Regent L. E. “Dean” Stringer during its undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Dec. 13 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. Pybus, the deputy commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, is the commencement speaker.
“Vice Admiral Pybus grew up in Stillwater and now helps oversee the security of our country, both here and abroad, from his command post in Florida,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “We are pleased to recognize his decorated career as a Navy SEAL and dedicated naval leader with one of our university’s highest honors, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, for distinction in the military and public service. I know our students will be inspired by his success and message.”
Pybus is the highest ranking, senior SEAL in the Navy. Before assuming his post in Florida, Pybus led units in Panama, Germany and Bahrain and served as commodore of special warfare units based in San Diego. The career Naval Special Warfare SEAL officer served in multiple joint special operation assignments including SEAL underwater demolition, special boat and delivery vehicle tours in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. He is married to OSU alumna Sylvia Patricia Serrate Pacheco of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and they have four children.
“While serving as a regent, Dean Stringer advocated for increased funding for the OSU library and pushed for the creation of a distinguished teaching award to honor top faculty as well as a campaign to raise scholarship funds for students,” said Hargis. “He is a cherished alumnus who has tirelessly devoted his life to serve OSU and we will proudly honor him with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.”
In addition to serving eight years on the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, Stringer has dedicated much of his life to serving OSU. He has served as president of the OSU Alumni Association, trustee and governor of the OSU Foundation, and director of the OSU Friends of the Library. He has been recognized and honored by the OSU College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Political Science, and was inducted into the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame. In 1994, the OSU Student Government Association declared March 23 as “L.E. Dean Stringer Day.” Stringer graduated from OSU in 1958 and earned a law degree from Harvard in 1961. He held a number of leadership positions at Crowe & Dunlevy law firm.
OSU will hold two undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 13. The 10:30 a.m. ceremony will recognize students from the College of Education, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and the College of Arts and Sciences. The 1:30 p.m. ceremony will recognize students from the College of Human Sciences, the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, and the Spears School of Business.
The OSU Graduate College Commencement ceremony, for doctoral and master’s degree recipients, will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The OSU Pipe Band will lead the Saturday processionals into Gallagher-Iba Arena where candidates will be seated by college. For additional details about OSU commencement, go to http://commencement.okstate.edu/.