SEMO president to become citizen on Fourth of July

(AP) — This Fourth of July will be extra special for Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas-Aburto — he'll become a U.S. citizen.

Festivities will include patriotic music, presentation of the Spirit of America Award and an evening fireworks show.

Vargas was a physics major in college in came to the U.S. in 1973 to attend graduate school in Michigan.

Vargas held a number of administrative posts at schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania before being named president of Southeast Missouri State in March 2015.