In a historic moment on Thursday, three students were the first to earn doctoral degrees at Mississippi State University-Meridian.

Kaleb Smith of Meridian, Michelle Stubbs of Starkville and Brandi Sumrall of Petal each received the Doctor of Education in Educational Policy and Design during fall commencement at the MSU Riley Center. The Ed.D. program in the Division of Education got underway in the fall of 2023.

The doctoral students were among 65 graduates who completed their degrees on Thursday.

During the ceremony, MSU President Mark E. Keenum urged the students to move toward the future in courage with confidence.

“Just being here today should give you tremendous confidence for the next chapter in your life,” Keenum said. “With your education, your degree and a commitment to values in your life—a reputation for being trustworthy, thoughtful, kind and considerate to others—if you can live your life with these moral core values, armed with this unbelievably valuable education, there truly is nothing you can’t achieve.”

Also among the graduates were four outstanding students. Recognized were Joshua Wheaton of Meridian, Bachelor of Applied Science in Mental Health and Education Psychology; Nia Williams of Meridian, bachelor of criminology; Brandi Sumrall of Petal, Ed.D.; and Ty’Mikka Chandler of Meridian, Master of Business Administration; and David Justin Tisdale of Meridian, bachelor of Business Administration.

Associate Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Interim Head of Campus David Buys said the Ed.D. program, to seat its fifth cohort in spring 2025, has proven invaluable to students who wish to achieve their Educational Specialist degrees to qualify for leadership positions or to enhance the trajectory of their educational careers.

“This achievement not only speaks to the hard work and determination of our graduates, but also to the trajectory of our institution as a whole,” Buys said. “Admission to this program is highly competitive.”

Buys said he looks forward to the continued evolution of the MSU-Meridian campus.

“As we grow, we remain committed to providing a world-class education that speaks to our mission as a land-grant university by preparing students to make impactful contributions to their communities and the world at large.”

For more information about MSU-Meridian, visit meridian.msstate.edu.