Keenum: Graduating Bulldogs prepared for next chapter of life thanks to Ļć½¶Ö±²„education, values
![Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum congratulates a new Bulldog graduate during commencement activities Thursday [May 14] at Humphrey Coliseum.](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/styles/msstatedrupal_large/public/2026-05/Graduation_Ceremony_20260514_E8M6279_FULL.jpg?itok=Op4lSRgC)
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.āWith a world-class degree in hand and a personal foundation built on Bulldog values, approximately 4,000 new Mississippi State graduates are ready to change the world.
The Class of 2026 was honored at commencement ceremonies in Starkville and Meridian this weekāevents Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark E. Keenum said were the beginnings of āan exciting new chapterā in their lives.
āWith your degree from this wonderful institution, youāll have people tripping over themselves to open doors to opportunities for you,ā the universityās 19th president said. āIntegrity, strong work ethic and respect for othersāthatās who we are, and thatās what weāre known for. Embrace and live your life with these values.ā
This weekās ceremonies spotlighted graduates in majors housed in MSUās 10 colleges and the Division of Student Affairs. A Starkville hooding for doctoral recipients and MSU-Meridianās graduation at the Riley Center were held earlier this week. Also honored were 167 Stephen D. Lee Scholars, who graduated with 4.0 GPAs.
Keenum also conferred honorary Doctor of Public Service degrees toĀ William āBillā Berry, retired ConocoPhillips executive vice president for worldwide exploration and production, and Archie Tucker, retired area director for the federal governmentās Agricultural Research Service.
![From left, retired ConocoPhillips executive William āBillā Berry receives an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree Friday [May 15] from Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum.](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/styles/msstatedrupal_large/public/2026-05/Berry_processed-829D78D2-A56C-4BCE-BDCB-DC85839BDC2A_HALF.jpg?itok=-zSRqAuK)
Berry earned bachelorās and masterās degrees in petroleum engineering from Ļć½¶Ö±²„in 1974 and 1976, respectively. He began his career with Phillips Petroleum in 1976, working his way across the globe in various engineering and management roles in London, England; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; and Stavanger, Norway. In 1992, the Gulfport native moved to China, where he was responsible for the companyās upstream and downstream activities. The Chinese government recognized him as one of 31 outstanding foreign experts in 1996. He supported education throughout his career and held roles with the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Bagley College of Engineering Deanās Advisory Council and the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Foundation Board, as well as positions with the Beijing International School and Teach for America, among other organizations.
āHe and his wife are two of Ļć½¶Ö±²„ās greatest friends,ā Keenum said of the couple who helped establish the William and Sherry Berry Chair in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. āThey have contributed widely and generously in support of our students and faculty, and their many gifts have expanded access to engineering education and supported students pursuing technical degrees.ā
Tuckerās 50-year career with the U.S. Department of Agricultureās ARS began when he was a 16-year-old high school student and concluded in 2025, when he retired as the Southeast area director while based in Stoneville. He provided leadership for various research projects in nine Southern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during his tenure. The 1979 Mississippi Valley State University graduate received numerous honors and recognitions throughout his career, including the 2024 A.L. Vandergriff Cotton Pioneer Award from the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, the 2022 Presidential Rank Awardāthe highest award a federal civilian employee can receiveāand multiple Secretary Honor Awards in recognition and appreciation of exceptional performance and outstanding contributions to the success of the USDA. In 2015, Tucker received the USDAās most prestigious award, the Abraham Lincoln Award, for exceptional achievement and outstanding contributions to American agriculture. Four years later, he received the Delta Council Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to aquaculture.
āĻć½¶Ö±²„ and the Agricultural Research Service have an outstanding research relationship. Our partnership is nationally known as the Mississippi Model and is regarded as one of USDAās most efficient and productive research partnerships,ā Keenum said. āLike so many success stories, the success between Ļć½¶Ö±²„and ARS is possible because of the people. I canāt say enough about how much Archie means to Ļć½¶Ö±²„ and to me personally. His impact has stretched from the farms in the Delta all the way around the world.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .
