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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Stephen F. Austin State University’s Faculty Senate chair, Dr. Dana Cooper, are scheduled to offer the commencement addresses during spring graduation ceremonies Saturday, May 10, in William R. Johnson Coliseum.

Cruz was elected in 2012 as the 34th U.S. senator from Texas. The son of a Cuban immigrant, Cruz’s first-hand observation of the pursuit of freedom and opportunity in America inspired him to become a passionate fighter for limited government, economic growth and the Constitution. He graduated with honors from both Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

Cruz was the first Hispanic law clerk to serve a chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, aiding William Rehnquist. He also was the nation’s youngest, longest-serving and first Hispanic solicitor general of Texas. He has authored more than 80 U.S. Supreme Court briefs and made more than 40 oral arguments, including nine before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cooper, an associate professor of history, earned her bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University, master’s degree from Texas Tech University, and doctorate and graduate certificate in women’s studies from Texas Christian University. She is a past recipient of an SFA Teaching Excellence Award and recently was elected president of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates.

Cooper’s publications include several articles and a co-edited book, “Transatlantic Relations and Modern Diplomacy.” Forthcoming works include a second co-edited work, “Motherhood and War: International Perspectives,” and “Informal Ambassadors: American Women, Transatlantic Marriages and Anglo-American Relations 1865-1945.” Cooper has presented more than a dozen papers at national and international conferences, including venues in Canada, The Netherlands, England, Germany and Austria.

Commencement exercises will be split into two ceremonies. Cooper will provide the commencement address at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony, and Cruz will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Graduates from SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and College of Fine Arts will participate in the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Candidates from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, the Nelson Rusche College of Business, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics will participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony. Master’s and doctoral candidates will graduate with their respective colleges.

An estimated record-breaking 1,376 degrees will be awarded, with two being presented posthumously. Approximately, 1,062 bachelor’s degrees, 305 master’s degrees and nine doctoral degrees will be bestowed. More than 260 students will graduate with honors, including 124 cum laude, 63 magna cum laude and 77 summa cum laude.

Stephen F. Austin State University alumna ElaRuth McCullough of Nacogdoches is the recipient of the 2014 Edna Wilkin Teagarden Award for Exemplary Service in Human Sciences.

The award is given annually by the SFA School of Human Sciences and recognizes extraordinary professional achievements by graduates, including development and implementation of human sciences concepts and principles in the field. McCullough accepted the award at the School of Human Sciences convocation in April.

McCullough received her bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1966 with a major in vocational home economics. She continued her education at SFA, earning a master’s degree in administrative leadership in 1971.

After several years of teaching at the elementary and junior high levels, she agreed to the request of her high school principal to teach Family and Consumer Sciences at the junior and senior levels. It soon became obvious to her that a problem existed in the area of teenage pregnancy. She then devoted her attention and energy to helping young girls continue their education. Her successful grant writing yielded funding for a school day care, busing for participants and social work.

McCullough then moved into administration to implement the new programs, gaining credentials to direct the day care program, the school’s social work department and, ultimately, the school district’s Career and Technology Education Program. With the success of her endeavors, the Texas Education Agency invited her to visit Texas schools and monitor their programs and finances. She also served as an SFA adjunct professor, instructing graduate students on the CATE Program. Her organizational affiliations included Delta Kappa Gamma and Alpha Delta Kappa, both professional sororities for teachers.

McCullough was married to the late Dr. Jack McCullough, a past SFA Regents Professor and professor emeritus of biology. The couple has two sons and three grandchildren.

Dr. Mitzi Perritt, professor of interior design at Stephen F. Austin State University, was named a Fellow of the Interior Design Educators Council at the recent National Conference in New Orleans, La.

Perritt has been a member of the council for more than 20 years, serving on the Board of Directors for three years and as the IDEC president in 2003. She also received the Best Research Paper Award at the 1999 and 2004 national conferences. In addition, Perritt is a contributor to the IDEC Foundation and was a presenter at the 2000 World Congress on Environmental Design for the New Millennium in Seoul, South Korea.

The IDEC established a Council of Fellows in 1977 to recognize contributions made in the profession. Fellows are nominated by the membership and approved by the Board of Directors. There are currently only 43 IDEC Fellows nationwide.

Perritt began teaching at SFA in 1985. She currently serves as a professor and graduate coordinator for the School of Human Sciences in the James I. Perkins College of Education.

While at SFA, she has received numerous awards, including a Green Mountain Ranch Educator Fellowship in Universal Design; the 2013 Mentor of the Year award at the University Undergraduate Research Conference; and the SFA Teaching Excellence Award for the School of Human Sciences in 1994, 1996 and 2011, as well as for the College of Education in 1996.

A strong advocate for the advancement of SFA’s interior design program, Perritt has received more than $100,000 in SFA research grants related to healthcare design and lighting design. She also serves as the faculty adviser student design projects that have taken top honors at numerous competitions, including the Dallas Chapter Illuminating Engineering Society Lighting Design Competition, National Residential Design Competition and International Interior Design Association Student Design Competition.

Perritt is married to Dr. Dale Perritt, chair of the Department of Agriculture in SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, and the couple has two sons: Daniel, 27, and Heath, 21.