Lee University will welcome Dr. Douglas F. Mann to speak at the school’s winter commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10:30 a.m. 
 
“We look forward to having Dr. Mann with us,” said Dr. Phil Cook, president of Lee University. “As president of Bryan College, he leads with a heart for students and a deep devotion to Christian learning—values we hold closely at Lee. I’m confident our graduates will be inspired by his perspective as a fellow leader in Christian higher education.” 

Mann serves as the president of Bryan College and brings to this role a steady record of scholarship and leadership in Christian higher education.  Since returning to Bryan in 2018, Mann has guided several academic initiatives aimed at strengthening both residential and online programs. His work has supported professional development efforts for faculty and staff and contributed to improvements in operational efficiency within the academic division. He also served for two years as vice president for academics and provost. 

A 1992 graduate of Bryan College, Mann went on to earn a Master of Arts in Christian thought from Trinity International University and later completed his Doctor of Philosophy in history at the University of Georgia. Prior to returning to Bryan College, he served on the history faculty at Liberty University. During his time there, he held several administrative roles, including dean of the graduate school, administrative dean for graduate programs, and vice provost for graduate education. Mann is also a published author and a frequent presenter. 

Lee’s winter commencement is one of three graduation ceremonies held each year at the university, the others being held in the spring and summer. The winter ceremony combines the music, which will be provided by Lee University Chorale, and decorations of the Christmas season with traditional commencement activities. 
 
There will be 136 undergraduate and 37 graduate students receiving degrees in the Saturday morning ceremony. Of the 37 graduate students, seven are doctoral students. 
 
Prior to the Saturday commencement, a commissioning ceremony will be held Friday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. The commissioning service is a special occasion for students and their families to reflect on their time at Lee, and five student speakers will share brief stories about their experiences. During the event, each graduate is presented with a personalized Bible in a traditional walk across the stage. Both services will be held in the Conn Center. 
 
Undergraduate student speakers for the commissioning ceremony include Shantae Adams, a computer science major; Evan Moore, a health science/allied health major; Alyssia Prater, a theological and professional studies major with minors in psychology and Christian ministries; and Rachel Turner, a biological science major with a pre-physician assistant emphasis. Representing graduate students is Jason Guyton, earning his Master of Arts in Ministry Studies with worship emphasis from Lee Online. Stephanie Lakatosh, global transformation and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) major, will open the ceremony with an invocation, music business major Austin Petitt will present a musical selection, and finance major Griffin Wong will share the benediction. 
 
In addition to the commissioning ceremony on Friday, the hooding ceremony for recipients of master’s degrees, education specialist degrees, and doctoral degrees will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Lee Chapel. 
 
The hooding, commissioning, and commencement ceremonies are ticketed events. 
 
For those wishing to view any of the events, live streaming will be available at leeu.live. 
 
For more information about commencement exercises, contact the Academic Events Office at (423) 614-8117 or visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/graduation-info/.