MACON, Ga. — Phillip W Banze of Ringgold, Ga., earned a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts on May 16 during the commencement for the University’s Macon campus. Mercer President William D. Underwood conferred the degree. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue was keynote speaker for the ceremony, which was the University’s largest.

The ceremony included more than 2,700 attendees, and 490 graduates of the College of Liberal Arts, Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, School of Engineering, Tift College of Education and Townsend School of Music. Perdue also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the ceremony.

In all, the University held nine ceremonies in May in Macon and Atlanta and conferred approximately 1,700 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.