Louisiana Tech’s summer graduation will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19 at the Thomas Assembly Center, and Dr. James D. Nelson has been chosen to serve as keynote speaker. Nelson is the associate dean for undergraduate studies in Tech’s College of Engineering and Science, the director of the Integrated STEM Education Research Center and associate director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT). He also serves as a professor of civil engineering. Nelson received his bachelor’s degree in 1975 and a master’s in 1977, both in agricultural engineering from Tech. His Ph.D. in agricultural engineering was acquired in 1980 from Colorado State University. This year Nelson was presented with the Louisiana Tech University Foundation Professorship Award. In 2002, he received the Engineering Faculty Professionalism Award from the Louisiana Engineering Foundation, and he has been presented with the Outstanding Teacher Award twice. Nelson is also a member of several scientific, honor, and professional societies, including the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education, American Water Resources Association and Tau Beta Pi. Summer school will end Aug. 13. Classes for the fall quarter begin Thursday, Sept. 9.