Auburn University’s summer commencement exercises took place Aug. 5-6 and featured a keynote address by prominent business owner, veterinarian and Auburn alumnus Dr. Jay Price on Friday, Aug. 5.

The summer commencement weekend began on Friday, Aug. 5, in Neville Arena with a ceremony that will featured the conferral of degrees, greetings by university officials, the recognition of students graduating with academic honors and the keynote by Price. Families and guests can attended the Friday event. The ceremony will be streamed live on the university’s commencement website.

Price, a 2006 Auburn graduate with a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, is the founder and chief executive officer of Southern Veterinary Partners, one of the largest networks of animal hospitals in the nation. With more than 7,000 employees in over 300 locations across 22 states, Price created a pioneering business model focused on delivering exceptional veterinary care to animals and clients. In addition, SVP provides integrated support to animal hospitals by offering comprehensive resources such as human resources, finance, marketing and other operational support services.

Since his graduation, Price, a Phenix City native, focused on fostering a community of animal care and veterinary providers known for offering personalized patient care and strengthening animal health and welfare needs. Following its establishment in 2014, SVP was named among Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest Growing Companies in America and as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Birmingham by the Birmingham Business Journal for several consecutive years. Most recently, SVP was certified as a Most Loved Workplace.

In addition to Friday’s offerings, commencement weekend continued with combined college ceremonies taking place on Saturday, Aug. 6.

In total, Auburn will award 1,424 degrees, including 152 doctoral degrees, 341 master’s degrees, two professional degrees, 20 education specialist degrees and 909 bachelor’s degrees.

For more information—including historical information about the commencement ceremony, guest information, prior speakers and other details—visit auburn.edu/commencement.

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Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.