Georgia Southern University announces speakers for Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies
Georgia Southern University has named five acclaimed speakers for the University’s Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies on May 13, 14, 15 and 17.
Approximately 4,300 students will graduate this semester with associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees during five ceremonies in Statesboro and Savannah.
Tuesday, May 13 – 10 a.m. — Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro
College of Arts and Humanities, College of Science and Mathematics, Waters College of Health Professions and Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Hemant Goel is a distinguished veteran of the health care software industry with four decades of experience.
Goel is president and CEO of FinThrive, a health care financial software company headquartered in Plano, Texas. FinThrive supports more than 4,000 hospitals and clinics across the U.S., employing nearly 2,000 individuals in the U.S. and India. Over the past decade, FinThrive has assisted hospitals in recovering more than $12 billion from insurance companies, processing an excess of $6 billion in hospital claims annually on behalf of the institutions it serves.
Prior to this, Goel served as CEO of Capsule Technologies, a company specializing in critical care device connectivity, serving 37 countries globally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Capsule Technologies swiftly developed ventilator surveillance software to help health care professionals monitor patients without entering their rooms and offered this technology free of charge to any hospital in need. This innovation garnered widespread recognition in the health care industry, earning Hemant and his team the “Healthcare Heroes” award.
Born in India, Goel relocated to the U.S. six months after earning a mechanical engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 1985. He later obtained his MBA from Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina in 1992.
Wednesday, May 14 – 10 a.m. — Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro
Parker College of Business and College of Education
Georgia Southern alumnus Younghoe Koo (’17) is the placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons, a position he’s held since 2019 that’s brought him recognition as one of the most prolific scorers in the NFL.
He became the first Eagle football player to be named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, annually presented to the top U.S. college football placekickers. He was the program’s first Football Bowl Subdivision All-American and set a career record for career field goal percentage.
Koo is sixth on the NFL’s all-time leaderboard in field goal percentage and is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. He’s a record-setting player, known for the most made field goals in a single season with 37, and is the first player in franchise history to make at least eight field goals of at least 50 yards without a miss.
He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 after leading the league in scoring that year. He continues to be one of the Falcons’ most proficient scoring players and has been named National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week and Month on multiple occasions.
Koo has a passion for giving back to both the Korean and American communities and hosts an annual youth football camp. He also serves as the face of Positive Athlete Georgia, an organization that recognizes high school athletes who serve their communities in the most positive ways.
Thursday, May 15 – 10 a.m. — Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing
Retired Brig. Gen. Vincent E. Buggs (‘90) is the founder and CEO of Embrace the Power and Power Pony Express Sports LLC, where he works to mentor and train individuals to achieve their personal and professional goals. He has received numerous awards over his 30-year military career, including the Legion of Merit, Joint Service Awards, Distinguished Star from El Salvador and the Polish Bronze Medal.
Buggs holds a master’s degree in global history from the American Military University and a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Air War College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in German from Georgia Southern.
Saturday, May 17 – 10 a.m. — Enmarket Arena in Savannah
College of Arts and Humanities, College of Education, College of Science and Mathematics
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Parker College of Business and Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing
Cecilia Tran Arango (‘02) is the principal marketing director at Thomas & Hutton, where she leads the engineering firm’s marketing, communications, community relations and culture-building efforts across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama.
Deeply committed to community service, Arango lends her expertise to numerous boards and organizations, including the Savannah Sports Council, Savannah Book Festival, TEDxSavannah, Society of Marketing Professional Services, Leadership Southeast Georgia, United Way of the Coastal Empire, Georgia Economic Developers Association, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia.
Arango’s leadership and contributions have earned her recognition as one of Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 and Engineering Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Women in Engineering. In 2024, she was named the Society for Marketing Professional Services Atlanta’s Marketer of the Year, a testament to her impact and leadership in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.
An avid runner, Arango is also the founder of Read, Run & Rant Book Club, which has been featured in Shape Magazine. A proud alumna of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Southeast Georgia and Leadership Savannah, she embraces lifelong learning and mentorship.
Arango graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in English communications from Armstrong Atlantic State University, now Georgia Southern University.
Saturday, May 17 – 3 p.m. — Enmarket Arena in Savannah
Waters College of Health Professions and Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Don L. Waters (’75) is the CEO of Waters Capital Partners LLC, a family investment office. From 1993 through 2016, he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Brasseler USA Inc., an international manufacturer of dental and medical surgical instrumentation.
Prior to his business career, Waters practiced as a CPA for 20 years as a partner with Price, Waterhouse & Co., and as an attorney and a partner with law firm HunterMaclean. Waters graduated from Armstrong State College with a Bachelor of Business Administration and from the University of Georgia School of Law. He was appointed by former Gov. Nathan Deal to the Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia in 2013 and served through 2022. He served a full term as vice chairman and then as chairman of the BOR.
A native of Savannah, Waters serves on the board of directors of Abrasive Technology, Inc., and the board of trustees of the Chatham County Hospital Authority, the Chatham County Hospital Authority Trust, the Wormsloe Foundation and the Rourke Foundation. He has served on the board of curators of the Georgia Historical Society, the board of trustees of the University of Georgia Foundation, and the board of directors of the Georgia REACH Foundation and the University System of Georgia Foundation.
Waters has devoted his civic and charitable activities primarily to education and health care, including efforts to preserve health services for the indigent poor. He is a founder of the Savannah Classical Academy, a K-12 public charter school, serving students selected by a blind lottery, with more than 75% being Title I-qualified.
Known for his commitments to state and community advocacy, his service has earned commendations from Gov. Brian Kemp and the BOR (2023), the Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum’s Leadership Legacy Award (2023), and the University of Georgia’s Blue Key Service Award (2019), among other honors including the Savannah State University Community Leadership Award (2018) and the NAACP Savannah Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).His family has endowed the Waters College of Health Professions of Georgia Southern.
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