Board of Trustees Member Awarded Honorary Degree at Spring 2026 Commencement

During the Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony, the FranU Board of Trustees awarded Donna Saurage the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for her outstanding contributions to the University and broader Baton Rouge community.

Saurage, a board member of nine years, has been recognized as someone whose life aligns with FranU’s mission and values through her ongoing leadership, insight and commitment to advancing Catholic higher education.

As chair of the Development Committee from 2016-2018 and again in 2022, Saurage made major strides with the University’s fundraising strategy, trustee participation and recruiting mission-aligned board members.

In this role she also achieved 100% participation in the Board Annual Appeal for six consecutive years, leading to a major matching gift that doubled trustee contributions and expanded scholarship funding for FranU students.

Saurage has also helped connect FranU with the Baton Rouge community through organizing fundraising visits and inspiring her trustees to “give, get or get off.”

Beyond FranU, she provides influential leadership to community organizations such as Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, the Huey and Angela Wilson Foundation, New Schools for Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

FranU is honored to have a truly dedicated member whose commitment to the mission extends beyond campus and into the community the University serves. Saurage is an inspiration to those around her, and we are excited to see what she does next.