Three different speakers to headline spring commencement ceremonies

April 22, 2025

Each of Columbus State University’s three commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 9 will feature different speakers.

This spring’s speakers include:

• 9:00 a.m.: Steven Têtte ‘08, ‘10, ‘13, a three-time Columbus State art education alumnus and internationally recognized artist, will speak at the College of the Arts and Turner College of Business & Technology ceremony. [skip to bio]
• 12:30 p.m.: Calvin Smyre, a retired Synovus executive and Georgia’s longest-serving state legislator, will speak and receive an honorary degree at the College of Letters & Sciences ceremony. [skip to bio]
• 4:00 p.m.: Dr. Ellen Roberts, a retired College of Education & Health Professions faculty member and university administrator, will speak at the College of Education & Health Professions ceremony. [skip to bio]

Columbus State conducts commencement exercises and related events after each fall and spring semester. Since its founding in 1958, the university has bestowed degrees and certificates on more than 42,000 students. As alumni, they become automatic members of the CSU Alumni Association upon graduation.

The graduation webpage will provide live streams of each ceremony, including remarks by the commencement speakers. Graduates and guests attending these events can also find additional information on the website.

ABOUT TÊTTE

Steven Têtte (pictured) is a multi-faceted artist whose practice encompasses studio work, teaching and community engagement. His vibrant and expressive paintings delve into the complexities of the African American experience, exploring themes of identity, memory and the human condition.

Drawing inspiration from his Midwestern upbringing and Southern roots, Têtte’s work seamlessly blends figurative and abstract elements, resulting in dynamic and thought-provoking compositions. He holds three degrees from Columbus State, culminating in a master’s degree in art education.

Têtte’s work has garnered international recognition, with exhibitions spanning Europe, Asia and North America. His paintings have been featured in numerous publications, and his work is represented in esteemed public and private collections, including Google LLC, the Georgia Capitol Museum and The Columbus Museum. One of his most recent pieces, a portrait of 48-year state representative Calvin Smyre, was hung in the state capitol in January 2025 after Smyre retired from the Georgia Legislature and elected service.

ABOUT SMYRE

Calvin Smyre (pictured) has dedicated his life to public service and community betterment. A Columbus native, his career has spanned decades and encompassed roles as a Synovus executive, a 48-year Georgia state representative known as the “dean of the house,” and a community leader. During his tenure in these roles, he has served as an honorary member of the Columbus State University Foundation board.

As a state legislator, Smyre frequently championed Columbus State and its students. He was a longtime member of the Georgia House of Representatives’ Appropriations and Rules committees, and he authored significant legislation that created the Georgia HOPE Scholarship Program, established Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a state holiday, commissioned a statue in King’s honor on the State Capitol grounds, and redesigned the Georgia State Flag. He also chaired the Project Development Team that guided the $62 million Columbus RiverCenter construction project and has passionately advocated for racial justice and equality. His commitment to public service has earned him numerous awards, accolades and leadership appointments throughout his career.

After concluding his elected service in the Georgia House, Smyre was honored in January 2025 with a portrait of himself that now hangs outside the House chamber in the state capitol. It was painted by Steve Têtte ‘08, ‘10, ‘13, a three-time graduate with degrees in art education.

During the commencement ceremony, Smyre will also receive an honorary degree.

ABOUT ROBERTS

When she retired from Columbus State in 2019, Dr. Ellen Roberts (pictured) had devoted more than half a century to coaching women’s sports and teaching preschoolers through college-aged students. In 1987, Roberts joined the faculty of the then-Columbus College while completing her doctoral studies in physical and movement education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For the next 16 years, undergraduate and graduate students benefited from the knowledge and zeal she brought to the classroom.

She later brought that same zeal to her administrative appointments. These included serving as the college’s associate dean and interim dean, and culminated in her service as the university’s director of the Graduate School and its associate provost & vice president for academic affairs. Roberts was frequently celebrated for her profound impact on graduation education at Columbus State. Under her leadership, the university expanded graduate degree offerings (including its first doctoral degree program), established its early collaborative online degree programs, and created a sense of community for graduate students.

Even in retirement, Roberts still supports Columbus State and its students. In 2024, she created endowments to fund an undergraduate scholarship in her parents’ honor and to support first-generation students and a graduate student scholarship. Both prioritize support for students studying in the college’s teacher education programs.

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Media contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu