Grambling State News

Prominent Alums, Noted Author to Share Wisdom with Graduates

GRAMBLING, La. – October 27, 2020 – Esteemed Grambling State University alumni will return to address graduates at commencement exercises for Spring and Fall 2020.

The University is hosting six events at Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center for graduates and their families. The ceremonies also will be streamed live on Grambling State’s YouTube channel.

Each graduate will be allowed to have a maximum of six guests in attendance at the ceremony. Because of COVID-19, social distancing will be practiced with seating and masks must be worn.

The slate of prominent commencement speakers includes:

November 12-13

9 a.m. both days — Randall B. Reed

Director of Quality-Sales for the U.S. affiliate of Eli Lilly & Company, Reed received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Grambling State in 1988. He has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for 32 years and has been a long-time advocate within the pharmaceutical industry for recruiting scientists from Grambling State and other HBCUs. While at Grambling State, Randall was initiated into the Delta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and he is now a lifetime member of the fraternity. He supports community programs that improve the lives and provide opportunities for African American youth. He has been honored by the Indiana Black Expo for his long-term role volunteering as a Big Brother within the Big Brother/Big Sister Organization.

November 18-20

Nov. 18: 9 a.m. — The Honorable Yvette Mansfield Alexander

Judge Alexander earned a B.A. in Political Science from Grambling State. In 1979, she earned a J.D. from the Louisiana State University Law Center, where she attended law school on the Earl Warren Legal Scholarship. After law school, Judge Alexander worked as counsel for the Louisiana State Legislature and the Louisiana State Senate. From 1988-1995, she served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Louisiana Department of State, and as an Ex-Officio Member of both the Louisiana State Bond Commission and the Louisiana School Employees Retirement System. She also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Judge Alexander practiced law for over 17 years before being elected to Division D of the Baton Rouge City Court in 1995. She was the first African American woman to be elected to that court and also the first to serve as the court’s chief judge.

Nov. 18: 2 p.m. – Clyde R. Dyson Jr.

Dyson, a Grambling State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, has served as the University’s Executive Advisory Board Chairman since 2009. Currently GM/Unit Sales Manager at Pepsi Beverage Company in Erlanger, Kentucky, he also served Pepsi as the GM/Unit Sales Manager in Alexandria, Louisiana. Before that, he held general manager positions with Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., in the company’s Cincinnati and Portland regions, and then became Vice President of Operations for Toyota in Cincinnati.

Nov. 19: 9 a.m. – The Honorable Tammy D. Lee

Judge Lee earned a B.A. in English from Grambling State in 1989. In 1992, she earned a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center. In 1993, she returned to Monroe and served as the first African American law clerk at the Fourth Judicial District Court for Judge Carl V. Sharp and Judge Benjamin Jones. In 1996, she worked as an Indigent Defender Board Attorney serving at the Monroe City Court. During this time, Judge Lee also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Grambling State. Thereafter, she was selected by Mayor Abe E. Pierce as a City Prosecutor for the City of Monroe and was the first African American woman to do so. In 2001, she became the first female to be sworn in as a judge at the Monroe City Court, where she still serves.

Nov. 20: 9 a.m. — Dr. Calvin Mackie

Dr. Calvin Mackie’s message as a mentor, author, speaker, and entrepreneur continues to transcend race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and time. A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Dr. Mackie completed his degree in Mathematics at Morehouse College in 1990, graduating Magna Cum Laude and a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He was simultaneously awarded a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he subsequently earned his master’s and PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1996. Following graduation, he joined the faculty at Tulane University, where he pursued research related to heat transfer, fluid dynamics, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. In 2017, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Mackie to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). The CPRA was established as the single state entity with authority to articulate a clear statement of priorities and to focus development and implementation efforts to achieve comprehensive coastal protection for Louisiana.

Most recently, Gov. Edwards appointed Mackie to the Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (LA-STEM) Advisory Council. In 2014, Dr. Mackie founded STEM NOLA as a non-profit organization to expose, inspire and engage communities about the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). STEM NOLA has engaged over 50,000 mostly under-served K-12 New Orleans students in hands-on STEM project-based activities. STEM NOLA has expanded its model to other cities launching STEM Baton Rouge and STEM Grambling in Fall 2019.

For more information, visit gram.edu/graduation.

About Grambling State University  

Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university founded in 1901 that combines the academic strengths of a major university with the benefits of a small college. This combination enables students to grow and learn in a serene and positive environment. The 590-acre campus offers 43 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. A member of the University of Louisiana System, Grambling State University has been accredited by 13 accrediting associations and holds accreditations in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. With a longstanding tradition of excellence, Grambling State University continues to emphasize the value and importance of each student, exemplified by our motto: Where Everybody Is Somebody.