Gerald W. “Jerry” Schlief, Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus and president and CEO of Auterra Energy LLC, will offer the commencement addresses during the university’s three graduation ceremonies Saturday.
Schlief received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and served as an innovative leader in the independent oil and gas industry in Houston. He has served on the SFASU Foundation Board of Trustees since 2008 and currently serves as chair.
Schlief and his wife, Candy, were inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Society in 2006 for their generous giving to the university, including funds to support the Gerald W. Schlief School of Accountancy in perpetuity, as well as the Gerald and Candace Schlief Tennis Complex, and the Gerald and Candy Schlief Lobby in the McGee Business Building.
Graduates and their guests must present tickets to enter Johnson Coliseum for commencement. Tickets are free and will help university officials ensure the venue is not overcrowded. Each graduation candidate will be allotted one ticket for themselves and a maximum of 10 guest tickets.
Candidates from the Rusche College of Business, the Department of Education Studies, and May and August 2020 graduates will participate in a 9 a.m. ceremony.
Candidates from the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership, the School of Human Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, and the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will participate in a noon ceremony.
Candidates from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics will participate in a 3 p.m. ceremony.
Degrees to be awarded include 903 bachelor’s, 157 master’s and four doctoral degrees. Approximately 334 students will graduate with honors, including 105 cum laude, 96 magna cum laude and 132 summa cum laude. Thirty-one students will graduate with the university scholar designation.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on the SFA Facebook page, facebook.com/sfasu. For more information, visit sfasu.edu/commencement.
