Released September 21, 2005

HATTIESBURG – Dr. Hank Bounds, Mississippi State Superintendent of Education, will serve as fall 2005 commencement speaker at The University of Southern Mississippi on Dec. 17. Graduation ceremonies will be held at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum on the university’s Hattiesburg campus.

Bounds, a graduate of Southern Miss and a native of Hattiesburg, served as the Pascagoula School District superintendent from 2001 to 2005. Other positions he has held within the public school system include principal of Pascagoula High School from 1999 to 2001, attendance center principal of Lumberton Public Schools from 1996 to 1999, principal of Forrest County Agricultural High School from 1994 to1996. Bounds was a teacher at Moss Point High School in 1993, a graduate assistant at Southern Miss in 1992 and teacher at Petal High School from 1991 to 1992.

“We’re thrilled to have a Southern Miss graduate with Dr. Bounds’ reputation address our students this fall,” said Southern Miss President Shelby Thames.

Bounds earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Southern Miss and holds a doctorate from the University of Mississippi. In August, Bounds replaced former State Superintendent of Education Dr. Henry Johnson, who was nominated by President George Bush and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to serve as Assistant U.S. Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

“Dr. Bounds has achieved great success in the field of education, and we couldn’t be more pleased that he’s coming back to his alma mater to give the address to our students at commencement,” said Dr. Willie Pierce, dean of the College of Education and Psychology.

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