More than 2,700 Wayne State University students will have an extra reason to celebrate spring this year; they will receive their degrees. The university's annual spring commencement ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, in Detroit's Cobo Arena.

WSU President Irvin D. Reid will confer 1,285 bachelor's, 1,330 master's, 110 doctoral and five advanced pharmacy degrees at the colorful ceremony.

Seniors Gail Babb of Auburn Hills and Michael Socha of Sterling Heights will receive Howard A. Donnelly Awards, which are presented each spring to a female and a male member of the graduating class. The award is given in recognition of academic achievement, outstanding leadership and service.

Babb, who will receive a Bachelor of Social Work degree, magna cum laude, founded and chaired Students Offering Services, a community outreach student organization at Wayne State. She is a member of the School of Social Work's policy board and is a contributing writer for the school's newsletter, the Advocate.

A member of the Metro Millennium Conference Planning Committee, Babb was named Student of the Year by the Michigan chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She has done volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity, the Detroit Rescue Mission, Freedom House and Genesis II. She will pursue a master's degree in social work at Wayne State.

Socha will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in economics, summa cum laude. A member of the WSU Student Council for three years, he served as president for the past two years and as vice president and chairman of the Campus Safety Committee during his first year on the council.

He is a recipient of WSU's Outstanding Student Leader Award and has served as a student representative on numerous committees, including the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board, the Provost Search Committee and the committee that planned inauguration activities for President Reid last year. Socha was a volunteer for Detroit Clean Sweep and the Woodward Corridor Clean- up, among other community service projects. He plans to pursue a law degree.