The alumni magazine of Auburn University
AUBURN MAGAZINE
vol. 19
happy
summer 2012
no. 1
100th birthday, auburn alumni quarterly
New
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Road to China The Auburn University Symphonic Band’s nearly 80 musicians, plus 16 faculty and staff members, explored the Great Wall of China during a March concert tour. The band performed in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of the Suwanee, Ga.-based U.S.-China Cultural and Educational Foundation. Photograph by Jeff Etheridge
S U M M E R
2 0 1 1
From the Editor
A century of class notes BETSY ROBERTSON Editor, Auburn Magazine
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Quarterly, the publication included two full pages of “personals,” as class notes were known at the time. “Miss Velma Hartley, ’12, has been elected to teach English and history in the Blount County High School,” reads an entry from Volume 1, Number 1, published in August 1912. “George Dunglinson Jr. ’04, formerly of Talladega, was recently appointed by the superintendent of transportation of the Norfolk and Western railroad to the position of chairman of the coal car allotment commission, with offices at Bluefield, W. Va.,” states another. Here at Auburn Magazine, we’re proud to continue the class notes tradition—so please keep sending us your submissions! Speaking of tradition: In this issue, as our staff pays tribute to the centennial birthday of the Quarterly, we also tip our hats to all the other incarnations of Auburn’s alumni publications over the past century. Many of you will remember The Auburn AlumNews, first published after the association’s reincorporation in 1945, which remained a fixture for nearly 50 years prior to the birth of the present-day Auburn Magazine in 1994. To all the editors and designers who came before, we salute you. Now submit a class note and let us know how you’re doing. War Eagle!
AUBURN MAGAZINE (ISSN 1077– 8640) is published quarterly; 4X per year; spring, summer, fall, winter, for dues-paying members of the Auburn Alumni Association. Periodicals-class postage paid in Auburn and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices are located in the Auburn Alumni Center, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849-5149. Phone 334-844–1164. Fax 334-844–1477. Email: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2012 by the Auburn Alumni Association, all rights reserved.
LETTERS Auburn Magazine welcomes readers’ comments, but reserves the right to edit letters or to refuse publication of letters judged libelous or distasteful. Space availability may prevent publication of all letters in the magazine, in which case, letters not printed will be available on the alumni association website at the address listed below. No writer is eligible for publication more often than once every two issues. No anonymous letters will be accepted. Auburn Magazine is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities. For information, call 334-844–1164. Auburn Magazine is a benefit of membership in the Auburn Alumni Association and is not available by individual subscription. To join, call 334-844–2586 or visit the association’s website at www.aualum.org.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
ART DIRECTOR
Stacy Smith Lipscomb UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff Etheridge EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Morgan McKean ’12, Alexandria Smith ’12 DESIGN ASSISTANT
Jake Odom ’12 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT
Christopher Stanley ’12 PRESIDENT, AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Jay Gogue ’69 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Deborah L. Shaw ’84 PRESIDENT, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Bobby Poundstone ’95 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR
Neal Reynolds ’77 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD
Maria Baugh ’87, John Carvalho ’78, Jon Cole ’88, Ed Dickinson ’70, Christian Flathman ’97, Tom Ford ’67, Kay Fuston ’84, Julie Keith ’90, Mary Lou Foy ’66, Eric Ludgood ’78, Cindy McDaniel ’80, Carol Pappas ’77, Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59,
Allen Vaughan ’75
betsyrobertson@auburn.edu
www.aualum.org/benefits
POSTMASTER Send address changes to AU Records, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849–5149.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Suzanne Johnson Shannon Bryant-Hankes ’84
There’s a piece of my job I occasionally take for granted but shouldn’t: the compiling and editing of Auburn Magazine’s Class Notes and In Memoriam sections, which appear in the back of each issue. It’s a task that requires regular care-and-feeding, as those sections are essentially supplied by the 213,000-plus members of Auburn’s alumni body. Every day—via email, phone calls, old-fashioned letters and even newspaper clippings—the magazine staff receives news of readers’ milestones: job promotions, career changes, moves and retirement plans; the births of children and grandchildren; engagements and marriages; and, sadly, the passing of alumni old and young. Believe it or not, my staff and I spend more time perfecting class notes and obituaries than any other department of the magazine, and not only due to the volume of information that requires condensing, rewriting and formatting. The reason is simple: Each entry represents a piece of someone’s life story, a tiny and lasting acknowledgement of a landmark moment. In reader surveys nationwide, class notes consistently rank as one of the most popular features of alumni magazines. It’s important to get them right. Those little word nuggets transcend time, too. One hundred years ago, when the Auburn Alumni Association debuted its first magazine, dubbed Auburn Alumni
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Betsy Robertson at 334-844–1164.
EDITOR
Betsy Robertson
REWARD YOURSELF AND AUBURN STUDENTS
The Spirit of Auburn credit card, featuring the WorldPoints® program, contributes to Auburn’s scholarship fund while allowing you to earn rewards on purchases, too. To date, our credit card program has generated more than $5.7 million for freshman academic scholarships. By using this card for all your everyday purchases, you share the Auburn spirit by benefiting students who most deserve academic scholarships – at no additional cost to you – and you ultimately help shape the future of Auburn. Even more reason to enjoy redeeming all the points you earn for cash rewards, travel, or merchandise. One good turn deserves another. For details or to apply, visit www.auburn.edu/spiritcard.
The Spirit of Auburn credit card is made possible by the Auburn Spirit Foundation for Scholarships (ASFS), which is affiliated with Auburn University. This advertisement was paid for by the ASFS. For information about the rates, fees, other costs, and benefits associated with the use of these cards or to apply, visit www.auburn. edu/spiritcard and refer to the disclosures accompanying the online credit card application. This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and is used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated and is used by the issuer pursuant to license. Platinum Plus and WorldPoints are registered trademarks of FIA Card Services, N.A. ARV2U0Z2 4/12/12 © 2012 Bank of America Corporation.
Carlos Lemus Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarship Recipient Auburn Junior Chilton County High School 2009 Graduate Clanton, Alabama
Welcome to the Auburn Family, Carlos. Excelling at academics and active in leadership roles at his high school earned Carlos an Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarship, among others. He considered several universities, but as he explained, “Auburn offered me what no other institution could: a suburban setting, great diversity, great education, an excellent range of activities to choose from, and an outstanding financial aid package.” “I am studying software engineering with a minor in German and hope to create computer-based language-learning applications. I’m particularly interested in assisting translators for non-lucrative organizations to become more efficient so that they can have an even greater impact on their societies,” he noted. Carlos serves as a Spanish translator for several national and international missionary teams and is president of an international student organization on campus. Receiving this scholarship has provided Carlos with meaningful possibilities for growth and success at Auburn. “I feel enabled to pursue the goals that I otherwise would have found difficult to achieve. I can honestly say that to me, the Auburn Spirit Foundation Scholarship signifies true opportunity, more than just a cash reward.” Thank you for supporting Auburn scholarships – and students like Carlos – through your use of the Spirit of Auburn credit card. Your efforts are instrumental in welcoming new students to the Auburn Family. a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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AN AUBURN TRADITION Situated on the charming campus of Auburn University, just a short walk from quaint, historic downtown Auburn.
Individuals & Groups, Alumni, Family & Friends, Meetings, Conferences & Special Events
241 South College Street • Auburn, Alabama 36830 Direct: 334-821-8200 • Fax: 334-826-8755 • reservations@auhcc.com • www.auhcc.com
On the cover Our cover pays homage to Auburn Alumni Quarterly, the first magazine ever published by the Auburn Alumni Association. The publication debuted in August 1912.
Summer 2012 F R O N T 4 From the Editor
Some things never change: One hundred years of class notes. Women’s basketball coach Nell Fortner says goodbye to Auburn.
8 The First Word
A century ago, readers hailed the first issue of their alumni magazine.
24 Tiger Walk
Operation FollowThrough opens the door to former student athletes who yearn to complete their college degrees. Plus: Which Tigers to watch in the major leagues this year.
10 College Street
The Alabama Senate confirms a new slate of trustees. Also: Check out what workers found on Auburn’s eagle twins.
B A C K 47 Alumni Center
Time for Tiger Trek: Make plans today to attend an Auburn club meeting in your town. Coeds get a lift during a 1941 summer recreation course.
For sculptor Bruce Larsen ’86, a pile of junk might as well be a gold mine. The former animator also creates props and special effects for films.
16 Research
College men pack on the pounds. Plus: An epic battle pits canines against reptiles in the Florida Everglades. 18 Roundup
What’s happening in your college? Check it out. 20 Concourse
“Fashion forward” takes on new meaning for industry interns. Also: Social clues from social media.
F E A T U R E S
28
The Junk Whisperer
From a studio cobbled together with spare parts and sweat, Mobile artist Bruce Larsen ’86 welds, sculpts and shapes in an effort to coax beauty from others’ castoffs. by nick marinello portraits by jeff etheridge
34
Then and Now
49 Class Notes 54 In Memoriam
A century ago this year, Alabama Polytechnic Institute officials called on the Auburn faithful to rally around a newfangled idea: a magazine, the Auburn Alumni Quarterly, meant to dispatch news from the Plains and keep graduates coming back for more. by suzanne johnson
42
Head football coach Gene Chizik
64 The Last Word
Sarah Hansen ’11 reflects on what changed—and what didn’t—during her student years.
Redneck Rocket Science
Ever wondered how to make a war wagon designed to withstand alien and zombie attacks? Engineer Travis Taylor ’91 and his country brethren discover the answer on National Geographic Channel’s “Rocket City Rednecks.” by candice dyer Interns taste the Big Apple.
Starbucks, anyone?
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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L E T T E R S
T O
T H E
E D I T O R
The First Word THE TOPIC In honor of its centennial anniversary,
we’re reprinting letters to the editor from Volume 1, Number 1, of Auburn Alumni Quarterly, published by the Auburn Alumni Association in August 1912, followed by a bit of advice from a current reader. Vital and virile
I am availing myself of the opportunity to express to you my sincere congratulations upon the establishment of a magazine to be issued in behalf of the interests of the alumni association of Auburn. I know of no movement that, in my opinion, could possibly conduce more to the welfare both of the institution itself and of that vast body of over 9,000 young men who have received their education, in whole or in part, in these halls. The publication is, indeed, but an indication of the growth of the “Auburn spirit” and is the fulfillment of a long-felt demand. As a medium of communication between fellow alumni it will be a source of keen pleasure; while, as a source of information concerning work and progress, the plans and purposes of our alma mater, it can but prove a bond of immense strength for solidifying the widespread units of out great organization. Will you permit me to speak a word of strong endorsement of the great Homecoming that is planned by the association for commencement 1913? It has been undertaken under the most auspicious circumstances and with the most convincing enthusiasm. The many letters already announcing establishment of alumni clubs throughout the state and throughout the South are ringing with words of loyalty and good cheer. In a way, a college is a self-perpetuating organism, growing from the life-center of its alumni. We know that this nucleus is vital and virile, and feel confident that it will be immensely stimulated in all forms of healthy activities by the publication contemplated. —Charles C. Thach, president, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn (1912) A Jim Dandy dinner
My dear Alumni Quarterly: (Editor J.R.) Rutland has just written me of your birth. He claims that you are a 10-pound boy and were born with two front teeth. Your advent gives me great joy. I was told while at commencement that you were expected and want to be among the first to greet you. Some day you will grow up and go back to commencement yourself, and some of the professors will invite you home and give you a Jim Dandy dinner, and you will go and sit up on stage and feel like real folks. There was a time when had I been seen foregathering with Dr. Thach, Prof. Ross or Dr. Petrie, someone would have been so unkind as to have
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
shouted, “Boot!” But I walked around with them at commencement and put my feet under their tables and smoked on their front porches. It is a strange thing, but you know I found out that they like us old boys, and they even had the decency to pretend that they liked us when we were sophomores. Oliver Semmes and R.C. Jones and I were all there and, while I heard that Webb and Hobdy locked up their chickens and buried silver, the “old-timers” seem to trust us. This filled me with great joy. A fellow that fails to go back and get in touch again with the old college will never know how good it feels to be not a mere cadet but an alumnus with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. I want you to say to all the boys everywhere who have been students at Auburn that next June I expect to meet a thousand of them there. Please call on “96” to come, every man of them, and if they do “there will be a hot time in the old town that night.”… May you grow and prosper, and may your mouth get so big and your voice so strong that the old boys can hear you in the four quarters of this old globe. May the minds of those who direct your course have occasional lucid moments, that your mission not be in vain. May your influence be so great that we will have a full thousand men at commencement in 1913 to plan for the good of Auburn and have as good a time as I always have when I go. —J.T. Mangum, Union Springs (1912) Birth of an Auburn club
On yesterday afternoon we held a meeting of a number of Auburn men, and the preliminary steps were taken toward the formation of an Auburn club in Atlanta. Among those who attended the meeting were Lee Ashcraft, P.S. Avery, J.Q. Burton, J.V. Blackwell, W.C. Coles, R.T. Dorsey, W.T. Ewing, L.W. Gray, W.D. Hall, R.B. Hall, J.L. Heard, B. Kauffman, Andrew M. Loyd, P.H. Mell, E.J. Spratling, W.O. Trammell, M.H. Tuttle, A.W. West and myself. ... It was decided that any man who had attended Auburn should be eligible to membership of the club, instead of making it purely alumni association. This, I think, was an extremely wise move, as it will increase the size of the club, and we can keep in touch with those who, though they may not have received a diploma, still have the interest of the college at heart. It was also decided that an invitation be extended to (API president Charles Thach) to meet with the club sometime during the summer, and a committee composed of Dr. E.J. Spratling, Lee Ashcraft, Andrew Loyd, Jos. Q. Burton and myself were appointed to make the arrangements and select the date for this meeting,
and to report at a meeting of the club to be held on July 16. I would be glad if (President Thach) would write me what time during the latter part of July or the month of August would be convenient to meet with us, so that the committee can name this date in its report to the club on July 16. At the meeting I took the names and addresses of all those present, and also secured the names and addresses of quite a number who were not at the meeting. This list now contains 50 names, and I believe that there are at least that many more old Auburn boys in Atlanta who we will try to get upon our roll. At the meeting I made a short statement about the plans for the Auburn Homecoming next commencement, and the idea was enthusiastically approved by everyone. —W.R. Tichenor, Atlanta (1912) Advice for graduating seniors
First, be open to opportunities outside of your initial career-path design, or even “below” your expected skill level. More often than not, your first job won’t be your last, so don’t get so focused on hitting that “perfect job” straight out of college. Once you are “in,” the sky truly is the limit. My road wound from radio major to stockbroker to retirement-planning specialist, to finance/human resources manager and finally into amusement parks via human resources. When it comes to résumés and applications, try to find a way to be professionally creative. Keep in mind that going too far overboard can backfire, so research and target your creativeness appropriately to your target company. While an amusement park might appreciate—and even elevate for priority consideration—a résumé built out of roller-coaster toys, a stodgy bank or hospital might think you are too flippant. Invest some time in trying to get a name on the HR team, and address applications or résumés personally versus generically. Actually going in to meet someone in person is worth 100 mailed resumes. That extra effort can pay off huge! —R. Cutter Matlock IV ’95, director of administration, Six Flags America, Kettering, Md. (2012) NEXT TOPIC Ah, summer. For some of us, it meant
three months free of classrooms, term papers and final exams. We waited tables to shore up spending money or worked full time for free in internships we hoped would look good on our résumés. A few intrepid souls stayed on campus, trying to get a head start—or catch up—on needed course credit. How did you spend your summers while enrolled at Auburn? Write Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849-5149 or email betsyrobertson@auburn.edu with your tales.
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C A M P U S
N E W S
AU PH OTOG RAPH IC S ERVI CES
COLLEGE STREET Q and A HOW DID AUBURN AND ALABAMA STUDENTS START WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOMES IN TUSCALOOSA AND BALDWIN COUNTIES OVER THE PAST YEAR?
“You know how there are those famous posters that you see at game time about ‘House Divided,’ where one spouse is a Tide fan and the other spouse is an Auburn fan? We came up with the idea of ‘House United.’ We’re two institutions who are rivals most of the year, but it’s great to have a chance to come together. That’s what university outreach is all about: the university extending its resources to better the quality of life for all citizens.”
Ralph Foster ’79
Director, Office of Public Service, Auburn University Outreach
Seeing red Auburn University officials knew there was some damage to repair when they removed the two iconic eagle statues that have perched atop the gates at the edge of campus near Toomer’s Corner for about half a century. One of the eagles had lost its beak in a post-football game celebration last fall, and the other had a broken wing. But when restoration experts began working to repair and restore the marble statues, they began seeing red. Literally. As workers cleaned the statues, they discovered a coat of red spray paint that, as near as anyone can tell, was applied to the front of the eagles about 30 years ago—then quickly covered over with another coat of paint resembling the color of the natural stone. A Mobile-based company that specializes in historic preservation spent weeks removing the paint and repairing the statues over the winter months. The eagles
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
were returned to their pedestals in April. “I am extremely happy with the way the eagles turned out,” said Auburn construction manager Lloyd Albert. “We were very fortunate to work with a local company with this kind of experience and with such a talented staff. They did such a nice job with the reconstruction that I couldn’t even tell at first which repairs were made to each of them.” The twin eagles were donated to the university by William C. “Red” Sugg ’31 and placed atop the gates in the early 1960s. Estimated at 350 to 400 pounds each, the heavy guys were transferred to The Lathan Co. Inc.’s Washington, D.C., office in November, where stone carving experts spent more than 200 hours restoring and cleaning them. The total cost for the eagle restoration project was $20,000 and was funded from a deferred maintenance account by Auburn University Facilities Management.
AUBURN’S MERITS Auburn’s Heisman winners
scholarship director
and Rhodes scholars are
Velda Rooker ’93. “The
well publicized, but the
attention it brings to
university is also home to a
Auburn’s programs and
record number of National
the academic quality we
Merit scholars—students
provide are good things.”
who made outstanding
The National Merit
grades in high school and
Scholarship Corp. is an
achieved top scores on col-
independent nonprofit
lege entrance exams.
organization that conducts
There are 181 National
competitions for recogni-
Merit scholars enrolled at
tion and undergraduate
Auburn, more than at every
scholarships. The National
other public university in
Merit scholars entering
the Southeastern Confer-
Auburn last fall averaged
ence. Auburn is ranked
34 on the ACT college
ninth among universities
entrance exam.
nationwide in number of
Auburn officials expect
National Merit scholars and
fewer National Merit
second behind Oklahoma
scholars this fall as the uni-
among public institutions.
versity continues to grapple
“Enrolling National
with state funding cuts that
Merit Scholars brings
affect the amount of avail-
a certain amount of
able scholarship dollars,
national recognition
Rooker says.—Alexandria
to Auburn,” says AU
Smith ’12
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Glad grads Auburn University awarded 3,312 academic degrees during spring commencement ceremonies May 6-8 in the Auburn Arena. Speakers included Ron Baynes ’66, coordinator of recruiting and officiating development for the NFL; Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of Home Depot Inc.; Kirby Bland ’64, chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Javier Goizueta ’81, vice president of Coca-Cola Co.
Flashback 100 years ago
75 years ago
50 years ago
25 years ago
10 years ago
Summer 1912
Summer 1937
Summer 1962
Summer 1987
Summer 2002
En route from Montgomery to Atlanta, former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt addressed Auburn residents and about 500 students from the back of a train at the Opelika depot. In his five-minute talk, “Teddy” spoke about the virtues of education as well as political issues of the day—and urged voters to support his candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.
Auburn architecture instructor Alan B. Jacobs was among five young architects selected from 100 finalists to participate in the Paris Prize Competition. The winner received a two-and-a-half-year trip to Europe—all expenses paid—as well as a $3,000 stipend to further his or her studies. Alas, Jacobs didn’t nab the prize.
Aubie, the tiger mascot born of Birmingham Post-Herald artist Phil Neel’s illustrations for football program covers, stood upright for the first time—but he remained unclothed until 1963. Sixteen years later, Aubie finally morphed into a 3-D, fist-pumping dancing machine, making his first live appearance at an Auburn basketball game at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.
Today’s students might barely be able to imagine life without it, but administrators only began issuing student identification cards—used for everything from buying coffee to unlocking dorm doors—in 1987. Students originally only used the cards to check out books and purchase food from the campus cafeteria.
Auburn’s men’s tennis team, under head coach Eric Shore, won its first NCAA championship title in College Station, Texas. Doubles partners Mark Kovacs ’02, a senior, and Andrew Colombo, a freshman, entered the tournament ranked 27th in the nation and subsequently defeated four higherranked teams.
Above: A group of engineering students, circa 1905, display an array of “modern” gadgets, with nary a smart phone or laptop computer in sight.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Get cooking The Hotel at Auburn University will host several hands-on culinary “boot camps” this summer and fall to showcase the best of Alabama culinary products and talent. The hotel’s restaurant, Ariccia Trattoria & Bar, will mix hands-on cooking lessons with other experiences, including a wine-pairing seminar. Classes will take place June 22-24, July 27-29, Aug. 24-27, Sept. 1-3, Oct. 12-14 and Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Cost is $295 per person. For more information, call Claire Posey at 334-321-3179.
Looking to the future JAY GOGUE ’69
President, Auburn University
NEW TRUSTEES CONFIRMED The Alabama Senate this spring confirmed six new members of the Auburn board of trustees, completing a process that—after a shaky start—filled or renewed nine of 13 seats on the university’s governing body. Recommended by the Auburn University Trustee Selection Committee and approved by the senate were Ben Tom Roberts ’72 of Mobile, who fills the seat left vacant by the death of trustee Jack Miller; Clark Sahlie ’88 of Montgomery, who takes the seat vacated by outgoing trustee Bobby Lowder ’64; Robert W. “Bob” Dumas ’76 of Auburn, who replaces outgoing board member Virginia N. Thompson ’78; Elizabeth Huntley ’93 of Clanton, who fills the seat of outgoing trustee Paul Spina ’63; James R. Pratt III ’72 of Birmingham, who fills the seat vacated by outgoing trustee Byron P. Franklin ’91; and Jimmy Sanford ’68, who fills the seat vacated by outgoing trustee Dwight D. Carlisle ’58. Approved in February for seven-year terms on the board were returning members Jimmy Rane ’68 of Abbeville, Sarah Newton ’74 of Fayette and Charles McCrary ’73 of Birmingham. The selection committee, chaired by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, included Auburn Alumni Association board members Bobby Poundstone ’95, Nancy Fortner ’71 and Howard Nelson ’69, as well as Auburn trustees Raymond Harbert ’82 and John Blackwell ’64. The process of choosing new trustees was restarted last year after initial nominations—made in an abbreviated procedure—met with public criticism. For more on the new trustees, see Page 47.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
For any institution to be at the top of its field, it’s not only important to know where it is but also where it is going. At Auburn University, we focus our efforts and resources on where the needs, hopes and desires of our students and state are going in the future. By doing so, Auburn continues its efforts to maintain unwavering commitments to deliver high-quality education and drive economic opportunity. To that end, we see three distinct priorities toward fulfilling that pledge. First, in dealing with a dynamic, constantly changing job market, faculty and administrators at Auburn are working to ensure that our curriculum equips students with the skills to succeed upon graduation. Some 3 million U.S. jobs remain unfilled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite an unemployment rate that remains at more than 8 percent. The answer for what appears as a disconnect might be found in a recent Fortune article, which claims the skills many job hunters have don’t match the ones employers need most. Integrating the latest technologies in instruction, exposing students to forward-looking research, constantly evolving degree programs, providing digital courses and offering executive programs are just a part of our plan to prepare our graduates to stay on top of emerging workforce trends. Second, continuing on a path of practicing sound fiscal management is
crucial. State support decreased sharply starting in 2008, and while funding has somewhat stabilized, Auburn’s annual support is still about $100 million less compared to four years ago. I commend our wonderful faculty and staff, who make every effort to keep the reduction in revenue from affecting the quality of education in the classroom. We work closely with House Speaker Mike Hubbard, Sen. Tom Whatley, Gov. Robert Bentley and other state officials on funding and opportunities where together we can attract investment and jobs to the area. The GE Aviation plant coming to our community is an excellent example of this partnership. And, finally, Auburn must constantly match its intellectual capacity with the needs of Alabama business, industry and communities. We look to grow the impact of extension and outreach in local economies. Likewise, the Auburn Research Park, established in partnership with the city of Auburn and the state, must continue attracting investment and economic activity. In studying the nexus between academic research and commercial product development, analysts at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found, not surprisingly, that these connections create jobs for skilled workers and a demand for our graduates. Keeping our eyes ever on the horizon, Auburn is guided by its commitment to a quality education and the state’s economic security.
jgogue@auburn.edu
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S T R E E T
Tuition hike Auburn’s board of trustees in April approved an 8 percent tuition increase beginning this fall as part of the university’s continuing efforts to deal with decreasing state appropriations. Auburn’s public funding has decreased by nearly $100 million since 2008.
TODD VAN EMS T
C O L L E G E
Meet the Prof Jason E. Bond Professor of biological sciences, College of Sciences and Mathematics BACKSTORY Jason Bond is a professor and director
of the Biodoversity Learning Center on campus. He specializes in the evolution, systematics and taxonomy of arachnids and myriapods (spiders and millipedes). A 1993 graduate of Western Carolina University, he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at Virginia Tech. Bond joined the Auburn faculty in August 2011. COLBERT CONNECTION After discovering a new
BELOVED IMMORTALS: Even 6-foot-5 Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has to look up to himself. As a crowd of thousands cheered, Auburn officials in April unveiled a trio of statues honoring its Heisman Trophy winners. Tigers athletic director Jay Jacobs called Pat Sullivan (1971), Bo Jackson (1985) and Newton (2010) “three of the finest men to ever wear
type of spider native to Alabama, Bond decided to name the species “Neil Young” to poke a bit of fun at the Canadian singer’s tumultuous relationship with the state. (Young wrote two songs criticizing racism, which inflamed the South during the desegregation years.) “It was a little tongue-and-cheek kind of thing,” says Bond. “It seemed funny for me to name a spider from Alabama ‘Neil Young.’” Comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert caught wind of the Neil Young spider and mentioned it on his Comedy Central show, “The Colbert Report.” Colbert subsequently requested that Bond name a type of spider after him as well—so Bond dubbed one of his discoveries “Aptostichus stephencolberti” and appeared on the show for a chat in 2008. Bond also has named a spider species after actress Angelina Jolie.
an Auburn uniform.” Jacobs also paid tribute to former Auburn coach John Heisman, for whom the award is named. OUT OF CLASS When he
ACE OF OAKS Auburn’s Donald E.
tion is really exciting for the
ago in an effort to obtain
Davis Arboretum—home
university,” says arboretum
the membership. The
on campus at the corner of
to 38 species of oaks, or
curator Dee Smith.
arboretum will now be part
College Street and Garden
of a group collaboration to
Drive near the President’s
Quercus, native to Alabama and the Southeast—in
University into a national
increase conservation ef-
Home, boasts dozens of
February became one of
organization of collections
forts and share genetic re-
animals and plants native
only 20 gardens nation-
and increases the visibility
sources of plants. Staffers,
to the Southeast. The gar-
wide honored by the North
of our research and conser-
for example, will collect
den is open from sunrise
American Plant Collections
vation efforts.”
acorns from the Boynton
to sunset, and admission is
oak, a species found only
free. For more information,
Consortium as a member of
14
“It integrates Auburn
The arboretum, located
Staffers began adding
its Multi-Site Quercus Col-
to the arboretum’s oak
in Alabama, and offer them
see www.auburn.edu/aca-
lection. “This recognition of
collection and improving its
to other collection mem-
demic/cosam//arboretum/
the arboretum’s oak collec-
documentation two years
bers outside the state.
index.htm.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
isn’t teaching or identifying one of the 10 million species of spider present on the planet, Bond enjoys fly-fishing, running, traveling and spending time with his family.
Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Auburn Magazine
For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University
Auburn Magazine
For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University
59
59
u aa ll u um m .. oo rr gg Auburn Auburn Magazine Magazine aa u 59AuburnMag_Fall08.indd 59
59 57
7/11/08 5:34:32 PM
Benefits of
59AuburnMag_Fall08.indd 59
Membership
Fall09-book.indd 5957 Winter11Book.indd
7/11/08 5:34:32 PM
7/24/09 PM 11/1/11 12:59 5:18 PM
These days it makes sense to take advantage of your Auburn Alumni Association’s member benefits program, which includes discounts on insurance, logo merchandise, moving services, hotels, restaurants, travel, golf and more. Stay informed about benefits and events by updating your email address at aurecords@auburn.edu. Thank you for being a member!
Tell me more... For details on membership benefits, contact:
www.aualum.org/benefits
Danielle Fields ’02 Marketing Coordinator
334-844-2985 daniellefields@auburn.edu
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
15
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Research
BIG BOYS
16
We’ve been warned
10 students gained
about the “freshman
weight—an average of
15”—the amount
13 pounds each among
of weight a student
men and 3.7 pounds
supposedly gains dur-
each among women.
ing the first year of
college—but Auburn
ful of studies that
scientists have col-
have been done on
lected data indicating
college weight gain
that number may be an
have focused only on
exaggeration.
female students,” says
Today’s stu-
Gropper. “But from
dents are heavier at
our data, the gains
graduation than when
in weight and body
they first arrive on
fat suggest increased
campus—but men
health risks for many
gain more weight than
college males.”
women, and neither
gender packs on as
gaining student carried
many pounds as you
4.7 percent more fat
might think.
tissue as a graduating
senior than he or she
Nutrition expert
“Most of the hand-
The average weight-
Sareen Gropper and
had as a freshman.
colleague Lenda Jo
In men, extra pounds
Connell in Auburn’s
were most likely to
College of Human
show up in the waist;
Sciences led a team of
females put on weight
Alabama Agricultural
in their thighs and
Experiment Station
seats. The waist is con-
scientists who tracked
sidered the unhealthi-
changes in the weight,
est place to add fat.
size, shape and body
Men also boasted a
composition of 131
more significant in-
college students over
crease than women in
the course of their
body-mass index, which
four-year college
is calculated based on
careers. Seven out of
height and weight.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Bye bye, blackbirds As a result of a change in the weather, the rusty blackbird could be going the way of the dinosaur. Scientists have known that the onceabundant North American species—distinguished by its distinctive feather edges and yellow eyes—is in rapid decline, with populations plunging as much as 99 percent over the past 40 years. Auburn researchers now have linked the birds’ decline to climate change. Graduate students Chris McClure, Brian Rolek ’09 and Kenneth McDonald recently published their findings in Ecology and Evolution. Under the direction of ornithology professor Geoffrey Hill, the students analyzed rusty-blackbird breeding data and climate indices, and examined temperature oscillations in the Pacific Ocean to figure out whether weather had anything to do with the species’ disappearance. “It was hard to figure out what exactly is going wrong because of the complexities of the life cycles of the birds,” Hill says. “They breed in the far North, winter in the Southeast and move through
the middle of the country during migration. But we have good data that pins the decline of this blackbird to climate change. Studies of these sorts of biological systems are showing that even small changes in temperatures have a big impact in the environment.” It’s not the actual temperature change causing the bird’s decline—it’s the way the changes in temperature are affecting the ecosystem. Oceanic oscillations impact both temperatures and precipitation on land, which results in changes in how long the dry season in wetlands lasts. As part of a chain reaction, insects and arthropods— which blackbirds eat during nesting season—are negatively affected. “Changing climate is affecting everything,” says McClure, who recently earned a doctoral degree in biology. “These birds used to be everywhere, and usually when people are talking about climate change, you look at the effects on an isolated species such as some rare bird on a mountaintop somewhere. But our research proved that it has a much wider effect.”
Slippery situation Auburn University faculty members explore the lasting effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the first volume of a new annual book series centered on campus research. Auburn Speaks: The Oil Spill of 2010 features reports on topics ranging from the spill’s environmental impact to its potential lasting human health risks. The book is available for purchase on campus at the Auburn Bookstore or online at www.aubookstore.com.
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Dogs vs. snakes The scenario reads like a low-budget horror movie: Humongous snakes are on the loose in the Florida Everglades, eating everything in sight. Auburn researchers send in the big dogs to save the day—and the heroic canines make national news for successfully eradicating a slithery menace. The real story is only slightly less dramatic. Researchers have trained Auburn University’s detector dogs—products of the largest dedicated canine-detection research program in the U.S.—to sniff out Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park. Officials are trying to figure out how to control the burgeoning python population, which threatens native wildlife—mostly mammals and birds—in southern Florida. “Interaction with humans is also a problem,” notes Christina Romagosa of Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. “The snakes, like alligators, can get in swimming pools, eat small dogs and cats, and could injure a human.” The plethora of pythons most likely developed over the years as residents started dumping pet pythons in the Everglades when they grew too big and cumbersome to keep at home. The first Burmese python was spotted in Florida in 1979; the population is now estimated in the tens of thousands. Natives of Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons have been known to reach up to 20 feet and weigh nearly 200 pounds. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contacted Auburn’s EcoDogs program in 2010 about using dogs to track down the snakes, which led to a pilot study funded by the National Park Service’s Everglades National Park, South Florida Water Management District and Auburn’s Center for Forest Sustainability. EcoDogs is a joint
project between Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine. In the study, Labrador retrievers Jake and Ivy helped researchers capture 19 pythons, most between 6 and 8 feet long, including a female snake pregnant with 19 viable eggs. “We found the use of detection dogs to be a valuable addition to the current tools used to manage and control pythons,” says Romagosa. “Dog search teams can cover more distance and can have higher accuracy rates in particular scenarios than human searchers.” Prior to going to the Everglades, Jake and Ivy trained for six months under the supervision of Craig Angle, associate director of Auburn’s Metcalf Veterinary Sports Medicine Program, and trainers Terry Fischer and Bart Rogers, who taught the dogs to pinpoint the pythons’ odor. “There are very few dogs that can conduct python operations,” Angle says. “Their training is physically and mentally intense. We had to progressively condition their bodies so that they had the structural durability, speed, power, strength, cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance to conduct searches. Their conditioning program is much like an athlete’s.” The dogs are trained to “alert,” or sit down, when they get within five meters of a python. Auburn’s onsite research in the Everglades lasted six months and involved searching for free-ranging wild pythons along canal roads and banks, plus radio-tagged pythons in a controlled plot where dog and human teams’ search times and successes were compared. The results were promising, researchers say. “Dogs cannot eradicate Burmese pythons but can be used in conjunction with other tools, such as human searchers and snake traps, to help manage the population,” Romagosa says.—Charles Martin
BAD BALLS ON BEACH The sticky, coin-sized tar
or cancer, who eat raw
balls that still speckle
oysters. V. vulnificus
the shores of the Gulf of
infection is the leading
Mexico two years after
cause of death related to
the Deepwater Horizon
seafood consumption in
oil spill are reservoirs
the United States.
for a multitude of bac-
The discovery of high
teria—including at least
levels of V. vulnificus in
one pathogen that can
tar balls by Arias and
cause life-threatening
her team has “clear pub-
sickness in humans,
lic health implications,”
according to Auburn
because of the possibil-
University researchers.
ity that humans could
Despite the National
come in contact with the
Oceanic and Atmospher-
bacterium through an
ic Administration’s
open wound, she says.
assurances that tar balls
are not a human health
especially during the
hazard, aquatic micro-
warmer months, and
biologist Cova Arias
they are difficult to
says people may be
remove,” says Arias, an
susceptible to serious ill
associate professor in
effects from exposure to
Auburn’s Department
a pathogen that thrives
of Fisheries and Allied
in warm seawater and,
Aquacultures. “If a tar
apparently, in tar balls
ball contacts a skin
resulting from the April
abrasion, it could vector
2010 environmental
V. vilnificus and cause
disaster.
severe wound infections
that may lead to death.
Commonly absorbed
“Tar balls are sticky,
by filter-feeding oysters,
People whose immune
the bacterium Vibrio
systems are compro-
vulnificus is most often
mised should be fully
associated with severe
aware of the risks and
illness and death in
go out of their way
individuals with certain
to avoid any contact
medical conditions,
with tar balls.”—Jamie
such as liver disease
Creamer ’79
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
17
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Roundup COLLEGE OF
Agriculture Professor Henry Fadamiro is trading ants for administration this year as he begins a two-semester stint as Auburn’s presidential administrative fellow. Fadamiro, a native of Nigeria and an Alumni Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, will work part time in Auburn president Jay Gogue’s office helping the university expand its ties with institutions in the developing countries of Asia,
Africa and other regions. The result, says Fadamiro, could be stronger graduate programs at Auburn. … Nutritional biochemist Werner Bergen, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, has been named a fellow of the American Society for Nutrition, the preeminent worldwide scientific organization for nutritional sciences. Organization officials cited Bergen’s innovative research on protein
and lipid metabolism in animals as factors in their decision. COLLEGE OF
Architecture, Design and Construction Industrial design major Zach Burhop ’11 and his friend Tim Pickens built a working, water-powered “rocket belt” in just 48 hours for an episode of National Geographic Channel’s new “Mad Scientists” show. The pair ended the challenge with a testing session at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, where the show’s host used their contraption to safely fly more than 12 feet in the air. Burhop’s prototype of an asphalt-fueled bicycle, which he began designing as a student at Auburn, also was featured. Want to see it work? Search for “Mad Scientists Rocket Bike” on YouTube to view a video clip. COLLEGE OF
Business The Princeton Review has listed two economics faculty members among the nation’s best for undergraduate instruction as rated by their students. Professor Randy Beard and instructor Macy Finck are recognized in the guidebook The Best 300 Professors, published in
18
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
April. To compile the list, Princeton Review teamed with RateMyProfessors.com, an online college-professorrating website, to create the first comprehensive guidebook to America’s top undergraduate professors. “It is always a tremendous honor to be recognized by your students for your work in the classroom,” says Finck. Adds Beard: “It would have been enough for me to be one of the 300 best professors at Auburn, much less the nation.” The guidebook profiles outstanding professors at 122 colleges. More than 60 fields are represented, from accounting to writing. COLLEGE OF
Education A group of Auburn education majors will travel in May to one of the world’s leastdeveloped nations—the Republic of Malawi in southeastern Africa—to teach and work with students in Mtendere village. The group plans to hold a workshop for local elementary school teachers to help set up a development plan for math and science education; after the three-week trip, students will follow up on the plan via email and Skype. “We hope the developmental plan is sustainable and look forward to seeing how beneficial our help is,” says trip host and associate professor Octavia Tripp. While in Malawi,
Auburn students also plan to attend school with the Mtendere students and visit a local orphanage. It won’t be all work, though—the group also plans to go on safari. SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF
Engineering Chemical engineering department chair Chris Roberts, an 18-year veteran of Auburn’s engineering faculty, will take the reins as dean of the college beginning July 1. Roberts, who holds the title of George E. and Dorothy Stafford Uthlaut Professor of Chemical Engineering, succeeds Larry Benefield, who is retiring after 33 years at Auburn and who has served as dean of the college since 1998. Roberts came to Auburn in 1994 as an assistant professor of chemical engineering and has served as chair of the department since 2003. His research focuses on nanotechnology and synthetic fuels, and he has been the principal investigator or significant co-principal investigator on more than $16 million in extramurally funded research contracts and grants from industrial sponsors and federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and others. Roberts earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri and both his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. SCHOOL OF
Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Andalusia forester Richard H. “Rick” Jones ’77, a longtime employee of Charles Dixon and Co., in April was named the school’s 2011 outstanding alumnus. A former president of the Alabama Forestry Association, he also has served on the board of directors of the Forest Landowners Association. … The Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative at Auburn is celebrating 40 years of weed, seedling and pesticide research conducted on behalf of forest-tree nurseries across the southern U.S. Before the cooperative was established in 1972, individual nurseries were left to their own devices—or lack thereof—when it came to researching seedling care and pesticides. The cooperative has helped nursery owners create ideal growing conditions, improving the health and quality of seedlings. Members of the cooperative grow between 80 and 85 percent of the forest-tree seedlings planted nationwide.
C O L L E G E
Eye for design In its annual survey, “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2012,” DesignIntelligence magazine ranked Auburn’s undergraduate interior-design program as one of the two best in the nation. Auburn tied for number one with the Savannah College of Art and Design. Auburn’s industrial-design and architecture programs also made the list of top-20 degree programs in their fields.
COLLEGE OF
Human Sciences The college named Robert C. “Rob” McDaniel ’02, chef at SpringHouse Restaurant near Lake Martin, its outstanding alumnus during an annual hospitality gala fundraiser in April at The Hotel at Auburn University. McDaniel recently assisted Chris Hastings of Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club in a win against celebrity chef Bobby Flay on an episode of the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” The hospitality gala raised $238,000 for Auburn’s hospitality management program. … Auburn’s board of trustees in February approved the establishment of an international hunger institute on campus based on the College of Human Sciences’ ongoing relationship with the United Nations World Food Programme. The institute represents an extension of the work begun by human sciences dean June Henton and external relations director Harriet Giles,
who spearheaded the establishment of the War on Hunger campaign at Auburn in 2004. COLLEGE OF
Liberal Arts Readers of The New York Times online are getting lessons in Civil War history from Auburn professor Kenneth W. Noe, a contributing writer for the newspaper’s “Disunion” series. “Disunion” is an ongoing blog that publishes contemporary accounts, diaries, images and historical assessments designed to follow the Civil War as it unfolded. In his piece “The Road to Gardiner’s Store,” Noe relates the events in West Virginia (which was still part of Virginia) surrounding the burning of the small town known as Gardiner’s Store. At the time, many Union officers believed in a strategy calculated to win hearts and minds, but Gen. George Crook was not one of them. Civilians caught between Confederate guerillas and Crook’s forces paid a heavy price, and even some of Crook’s own
lamented the actions of their fellow soldiers. Noe is an Alumni Professor and Draughon Professor of Southern History in the College of Liberal Arts. To read more of the “Disunion” series, see www.facebook.com/ nytimescivilwar. SCHOOL OF
Nursing The Auburn University and Auburn University Montgomery schools of nursing are accepting nominations for two nursing alumni—one from Auburn and one from AUM—to be recognized with the schools’ Distinguished Alumni Award. Nominees may be graduates of any of the schools’ degree programs and should have distinguished themselves in the nursing field through scholarly endeavors, promotion of health care, professional service, or service to the community, state or other organization. For a nomination form, see www.auburn.edu/
S T R E E T
academic/nursing/ alumni_friends. HARRISON SCHOOL OF
Pharmacy
Pharmacal sciences assistant professor Rajesh Amin and his colleagues in other disciplines on campus are trying to keep millions of diabetic Americans from developing congestive heart failure as a result of cardiac complications. More than 90 percent of the nearly 26 million diabetics in the U.S. are living with Type 2 disease, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. Heart failure is the leading cause of death of Type 2 diabetics. “Most diabetic patients suffer from vascular problems usually associated with clogged arteries or atherosclerosis,” Amin says. “This leads to damage in the heart and the ensuing heart failure. My lab is trying to understand how this happens and how to prevent it.” To better understand the subject, Amin has joined forces with John Quindry, an exercise physiologist in kinesiology; Juming Zhong, who studies heart arrhythmias and contractile dysfunction in veterinary medicine; Orlando Acevedo, a chemist in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, and Forrest Smith, an associate professor in the pharmacal sciences department, who together are analyzing potential therapeutic compounds. Tracey Ward from Ferris State University in Michi-
gan serves as the synthesis chemist for the group. The team’s success could particularly benefit the state of Alabama, which has one of highest rates of diabetes and heart failure in the country. COLLEGE OF
Sciences and Mathematics Paul Bergen, a senior double-majoring in microbiology and German, made it four in a row for Auburn this spring when he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study in Germany during the next academic year. A four-year member of Auburn’s Honors College, Bergen has conducted research with biological sciences associate professor Mark Liles, examining clones from a soil metagenomic library that inhibit bacteria. He will continue the research at Technical University Munich in Germany. The Fulbright Scholar Program is a selective, merit-based award begun in 1946 to increase mutual understanding between scholars of the U.S. and other countries. Auburn students have won Fulbright scholarships every year since 2009.
COLLEGE OF
Veterinary Medicine Auburn’s new Research Initiative in Cancer aims to combine scientists’ work in veterinary and other fields to accelerate cancer innovation from the lab to the clinic—for both humans and animals. “In 2010, more than 23,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed, and more than 10,000 people died of cancer in Alabama,” says director Bruce Smith. “In addition to being ill with cancer or seeing relatives endure pain, many Alabamians have also watched a beloved pet suffer from this disease. Animals and humans share many of the same cancers, and what we learn in treating a tumor in a dog can teach us more about treating the same tumor in a person.” Members of AURIC’s board include scientists and oncologists with the College of Veterinary Medicine as well as representatives from Auburn’s Harrison School of Pharmacy and Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. For more information, see www. auriconline.org.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
19
S T U D E N T
L I F E
CONCOURSE
Interview Blanche Alverson Junior, biomedical sciences THE 4-1-1 Alverson, an Andalusia native who plays
both guard and forward for the Auburn Tigers women’s basketball team, is a fourth-generation Auburn student. As a sophomore, she scored Auburn’s first field goal in the new Auburn Arena, a 3-pointer that came 56 seconds into the Tigers’ game against Mercer University. She was named Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s basketball in February and ranked second in the SEC this year in 3-point percentage with a 41.4 percent clip. BOOKWORM After telling her parents she wanted to
get involved in something that would make a difference, Alverson’s mother, a special-needs teacher, helped her arrive at the idea of collecting donated children’s books and distributing them to kids in need. Her father helped formulate a name for the effort: Ballin’ for Books. This season, basketball fans donated more than 500 books for the Loachapoka Public Library and the local branch of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. READING MATTERS “Literacy is something you often
don’t think about,” says Alverson, “but learning to read early affects you in so many different aspects of your life that you have never really paid attention to.” She hopes to continue the Ballin’ for Books program during the upcoming basketball season. PARTING SHOT A pre-med major who maintains a
near-perfect grade-point average, Alverson hopes to enroll in medical school and eventually become a pediatrician or pediatric orthopedic surgeon. “I’ve decided working with kids is what I feel led to do,” she says. “We have camps and I love being around kids, and I have a little sister who is eight years younger than I am. Being around her and her friends is very enjoyable, and I think I could really have an impact and have the kind of bedside manner that a pediatrician should have.”
20
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Fashionably focused Auburn communication major Holly Williams is paying a price for high fashion: She lives in a room the size of a walk-in closet, adorned only by a twin bed, sink, dresser and heater. The only redeeming quality of the place is its view of the New York City skyline.
Williams—one of a handful of Auburn students who head for the Big Apple each semester in search of pre-graduation work experience—moved to the city in January to work as a public relations intern for apparel designer Michael Kors. Her daily tasks consist of working with magazine editors, selecting clothing for photo shoots, archiving magazine clippings, staffing fashion shows and casting models. “In the fashion industry, there are never set hours,” Williams says. “You work sunup to sundown, and you still never get everything done. “My favorite thing has been working the Mercedes Benz fashion show at the Lincoln Center,” she adds. “I got to work with celebrities, walk them in, take them through to talk to Michael Kors and the press, and escort them to their seats. I Left: Communication major Holly Williams worked as a public relations intern for designer Michael Kors this spring. Opposite: Apparel merchandising major Erin Rogers checks samples as a retail intern at Betsey Johnson. About 4 million Americans work in the fashion industry, according to a University of Delaware study.
C O N C O U R S E
Hope from Hager NBC “Today” show correspondent Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush, in April encouraged Auburn students to engage in small acts to help those in need in their communities, specifically children. Hager, who works with UNICEF as an advocate for humanitarian relief for kids around the globe, spoke to a record-breaking crowd at Auburn’s Women’s Philanthropy Board spring symposium.
FACEBOOK FACEOFF
also worked backstage, dressed models and helped put them in order.” While Auburn’s academic advisers typically help students track down choice internships, chance occasionally plays a role. Apparel merchandising major Erin Rogers heard about an open slot through Twitter, applied online and was hired last year to spend the summer with freewheeling designer Betsey Johnson. As a retail intern, Rogers toiled over cost sheets and updated merchandising boards, which consist of photos and samples of the designer’s styles, colors and prices. “If the board I was working on wasn’t accurate, everyone else’s information wasn’t accurate either,” Rogers says. No pressure. A few Auburn students like the New York state of mind enough to make it permanent. After interning in the city, Kelly Haselschwerdt ’11 had graduated and was working at a job in Florida when a former boss called to offer her a position as an assistant accessories buyer for luxury Fifth Avenue retailer Bergdorf Goodman.
“I love getting to work with different designers, going to market and knowing the different, upcoming trends,” Haselschwerdt says. “It is exciting, fast-paced and constantly keeps you on your toes.” Although New York is often the go-to city for jobs in certain disciplines, including fashion, some graduates majoring in creative fields have found positions closer to home. Morgan McAllister ’10 interned with Atlanta-based bridal gown designer Anne Barge as a student; after graduating with a degree in apparel design, she was hired at the firm as assistant director of production, handling orders for custom-designed wedding dresses. Lesie Stanford ’10, who interned for Billy Reid in New York, now works as a product-development manager at the designer’s studio in the tiny northwest Alabama town of Florence, where smaller, she says, is definitely better. “I got so much responsibility very soon after working here,” says Stanford. “Although that was hard, I love being so involved.”—Alexandria Smith ’12
Could what you post
mined solely from the
on Facebook indicate
students’ Facebook
how you’ll perform at
profiles, and what em-
work? It’s possible,
ployers and personality
researchers say.
tests actually said about
them. Students with
Auburn manage-
ment professor Kevin
many friends and inter-
Mossholder and his
actions on Facebook, for
colleagues at North-
example, were judged to
ern Illinois University
be more extroverted in
and the University of
the workplace.
Evansville have collected
data indicating Facebook
utes, our raters could
postings may be used
look at the tone of a
to accurately assess
subject’s wall post, note
certain personality traits
the number of friends
that predict academic
they have, peruse their
and job success.
photos to see how
social they were and
“You can measure
“In five or 10 min-
personality through a
assess their tastes in
test, but you can also
books and music. It’s a
measure personality in
very rich source of in-
different ways—through
formation,” the study’s
observing the person or
lead author, Northern
looking at Facebook,”
Illinois University man-
Mossholder says.
agement professor Don
“Facebook is a sample
Kluemper, says.
of your behavior.”
stop short of suggest-
In the study, human
Still, the scientists
resources experts
ing that prospective
perused the Facebook
employers use Facebook
profiles of hundreds of
to screen job applicants.
college students, rating
“Before it can be used
individuals on certain
as a legally defensible
character traits including
screening tool, it has to
emotional stability, ex-
be proven valid,” Kluem-
troversion, openness to
per says. “This research
experiences, agreeable-
is just a first step in that
ness and conscientious-
direction.”
ness. Researchers then correlated the ratings of a smaller group of 56 individuals against work performance as judged by their employers.
The result:
positive correlations between what the raters had deter-
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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C O N C O U R S E
Blue-ribbon design Auburn interior-design students won first place in a national competition for their concept of an art therapy center for children with emotional problems stemming from the loss of a parent. Sponsored by the Interior Design Educators Council, the contest challenged more than 300 students from 45 institutions across the country to identify issues faced by South Africa’s “Lost Generation”—such as safe housing, education or access to health care—and craft an appropriate response.
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES
Syllabus COURSE NAME CAHS 5450 “History of Costume” INSTRUCTOR Pamela V. Ulrich ’80, professor,
Department of Consumer Affairs, College of Human Sciences THE SCOOP From its emergence in the 14th cen-
tury, the concept of fashion took off as Western cities began to grow: With more people living in concentrated areas, clothing became an important identifier. “Everything we wear is subject to fashion, not just the luxury of high fashion,” Ulrich notes. “History of Costume” explores the origin, evolution and themes of Western dress from ancient Egypt to about 1910. Students analyze stylistic changes in fashion by viewing various clothing styles as displayed on murals, tapestries, engravings and paintings. WHO TAKES IT Aspiring apparel designers and
merchandisers. Ulrich hopes her students eventually use the knowledge to inform their work, drawing inspiration from the past. “Many things cycle back—but there’s always a 2012 twist as opposed to the 1982 twist,” she says. SUGGESTED READING Students refer to Survey
of Historic Costume: A History of Western Dress (Fairchild Books, 2010) by Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eubank, specifically chapters that cover social, cultural, environmental, geographic and artistic influences on clothing.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Faculty in Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine are helping undergraduates appreciate the challenges and opportunities inherent in improving public health, which involves the interplay of a plethora of factors—including nutrition, environment and governmental policy. Senior animal sciences major Emily Brennan was one of the first Auburn students to complete the college’s undergraduate minor in the field, which is the first of its kind in Alabama. Faculty began offering courses toward the public health minor in 2010. “I’ve enjoyed being able to complete the minor in such a short period of time while still getting classes done for my major,” Brennan says. “Actually, the minor has dramatically changed my perspective and broadened my view of science and medicine. I was already leaning toward graduate school, but it was a factor in my decision to definitely pursue it.” The program’s introductory course consists of 15 lectures by 13 speakers who cover topics ranging from cholera and yellow fever to public health law. Problems that plague the state of Alabama in particular—such as obesity, diabetes and infant mortality—also are included. Administrators and faculty hope the minor will attract not only students who aim to enter the medical field but also those majoring in engineering, agriculture and sociology, among other disciplines. “If you want to be a dentist or a nurse, or a physician or veterinarian, and on your application it says a minor in public health, that’s pretty slick,” says program coordinator Kenneth Nusbaum. “But, if you’re a sociologist or a nutritionist or a civil engineer or a pharmacist or an architect, and you can say, ‘I have some familiarity with ideas about public health and measuring impact,’ then I think that’s a great gateway.”
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S P O R T S
TIGER WALK JEF F ET H ERIDG E
Campus redux
When an athlete commits, so does Auburn University
Each year a handful of college athletes take a calculated risk, quitting college prior to graduation in order to make it big in the pros—and perhaps avoid a career-ending senior-year injury. Armchair quarterbacks might advise student athletes to stay in school, but the decision isn’t easy given the highly publicized, top-dollar salaries offered to top draft picks. Those who do elect to leave are getting a hand from Operation Follow-Through, which has helped more than 150 former Auburn athletes complete their college degrees.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
“Our mission is for all of our student athletes to graduate,” says executive associate athletic director Tim Jackson ’89. “They know, especially after their sports careers are over, that sports only last so long. They need a degree for the rest of their lives.” Operation Follow-Through might assist students with financial aid, advising or even employment while in school. Former NFL player Troy Smith—drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1988 and now an academic counselor in the Auburn athletics department—runs the program.
Decatur, Ga., resident David Rocker ’11, brother of two-time All-American Tracy Rocker ’94, played at Auburn for four years, was chosen in the NFL draft’s fourth round in 1991 and played another four years for the St. Louis Rams. He re-enrolled at Auburn partly at his mother’s urging. “She would not stop harassing me,” Rocker says. “She wanted me to have a degree. She would say to me, ‘I want all three of my boys to have their degrees. Two of my boys have one, and you need to get one.’”
Links champs The No. 5-ranked Auburn women’s golf team held off a late surge from both Arkansas and Alabama to win the Southeastern Conference Championship in April in Fayetteville, Ark. Senior Patricia Sanz made it an Auburn sweep, nabbing the individual title for the first tournament win of her collegiate career. The Madrid native carded a final-round 77 to finish the tournament with a 3-over 219.
W A L K
TODD VAN EMS T
Rocker also came back to set a good example for his own children, he says— even though it meant attending classes with kids barely older than his own. “I decided I was going to graduate college before my kids finished high school,” he says. “I graduated a week before their graduation.” About half of NFL players, fewer than 50 percent of Major League Baseball players and only 21 percent of NBA players held college degrees in 2009, the New York Times reports. According to Sports Illustrated, 78 percent of NFL players either file bankruptcy or face financial problems within two years of retirement; 60 percent of NBA players are bankrupt within five years of leaving professional sports. Eleven players on Auburn’s 2011 championship team—including quarterback Cam Newton and defensive lineman Nick Fairley—elected to leave for the pros before finishing their degrees. Offensive guard Jenorris “Jeno” James ’09 was drafted by the Carolina Panthers and later played for the Miami Dolphins after starting in every Auburn Tigers game from 1996-99. He was still playing pro football when he re-enrolled at Auburn to work toward a degree in human sciences. “It was complicated,” James recalls. “Since I was still playing in the NFL and making money, sometimes it was hard to see the benefits. But when I got my degree, it was worth everything.” Most athletes who return do well, perhaps because they’ve matured— which helps them appreciate the value of an education, administrators say. “When athletes come back, they take school much more seriously,” Jackson notes. “They know how vital it is to get a degree and provide for their families.” Now working as a defensive line coach at Point University southwest of Atlanta, David Rocker hopes his own student athletes don’t do as he did at their age. “I would tell (student athletes) to seize the moment,” he says. “As much as your goal is to play pro ball, sports will come and go. But a degree cannot be taken away; a degree never changes. It holds the same weight if you received it in 1990 or 2012.”—Alexandria Smith ’12
T I G E R
‘Coach Flo’ banks on Tigers Twenty-year coaching veteran Terri Williams-Flournoy, formerly head coach at Georgetown University, was named Auburn’s sixth women’s head basketball coach in April. She succeeds Nell Fortner, who resigned from the position in March. Williams-Flournoy led the Hoyas to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during eight seasons at Georgetown. She says her coaching style is simple: “We want to play tenacious defense for 40 minutes. We want to cause havoc as much as we can and force the other team to turn the ball over as much as we can. I know that that’s how it works, because it has been successful for me.” Wreaking havoc in the Big East, Williams-Flournoy earned a 69.4 percent winning percentage with the Hoyas. In 2011-12, the team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 23-9 record, ending fourth in the Big East. Along the way, Georgetown defeated two top-10 teams, beating No. 10 Georgia and No. 7 Miami, and finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally. The Hoyas entered NCAA Tournament play ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense and eighth in the country in scoring defense. “She took a program at Georgetown and left it a lot better than she found it,” Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs notes. Prior to her arrival at Georgetown, “Coach Flo” was a successful assistant at Southwest Missouri State (2002-04), Georgia (1996-2002) and Georgetown (199296), posting a record of 251-116. She has been part of three programs that have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past two decades, including five that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond, and coached at Georgia when the Lady Bulldogs advanced to the 1999 Final Four and Elite Eight in 1997 and 2000. Auburn’s Lady Tigers struggled this year, falling to 5-11 in the Southeastern Conference and 13-17 overall. “I understand that the competition is tough every night,” says Williams-Flournoy, who played at Penn State before graduating in 1991 with a degree in business management. “I know how to win, and I will put that in the minds of our women.” Williams-Flournoy and her husband, Eric, have two children, Maya, 11, and Eric Jr., 8.
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25
T I G E R
Sidewalk stars Six former Tigers athletes will soon find their names etched in stone along Auburn’s downtown sidewalks. Inducted this spring to the city’s “Tiger Trail” honoring Auburn’s past sports legends were: cornerback Carlos Rogers of the San Francisco 49ers; former NFL linebacker William “Bill” Cody ’67; golfers Marci Clemons ’97 and Ricky Smallridge Jr. ’84; former basketball point guard Gerald White ’88; and former guard/forward Frank Ford ’88.
W A L K
26
Three former Auburn
A catcher, he was
baseball players are
drafted in the seventh
on Major League
round of the 1998
Baseball opening-day
draft after transfer-
rosters and two others
ring to Florida for his
are on 40-man rosters
junior year.
as MLB kicked off its
2012 season in April.
returning to Detroit
after spending part
Josh Donaldson
Clete Thomas is
(Oakland A’s), David
of the 2008 and
Ross (Atlanta Braves)
2009 seasons there,
and Clete Thomas
compiling a .253 aver-
(Detroit Tigers) are
age in 142 games. An
all on the active
outfielder, he was a
roster, while Evan
sixth-round pick of
Crawford (Toronto
Detroit in 2005 and
Blue Jays) and Tim
has spent his entire
Hudson ’97 (Atlanta
pro career there.
Braves) are on the 40-
man roster.
the Blue Jays’ 40-man
roster for the first
Donaldson, who
Evan Crawford is on
starred at Auburn
time in his career,
from 2005-07, is
but will begin the
enjoying his first stint
year with the AA New
on an opening-day
Hampshire Fisher
roster and is penciled
Cats, for whom he was
in as the everyday
the winning pitcher
third basemen for the
in the 2011 Eastern
A’s. Drafted in the
League Champion-
supplemental round
ship-clinching game.
in 2007 by the Chica-
A left-handed pitcher,
go Cubs as a catcher,
he was an eighth-
he was traded to the
round pick by Toronto
A’s in 2008. He made
in 2008.
his MLB debut in
2010 at Toronto and
his 14th MLB season
has played in 15 big-
and his eighth in
league games. This
Atlanta. The 1997
season, he makes the
Player of the Year as
move back to third
both a pitcher and an
base, the position he
outfielder at Auburn,
played as a freshman
he compiled a 181-97
at Auburn.
career record with
a 3.40 earned-run
David Ross begins
TODD VAN EMST
BATTER UP!
Tim Hudson is in
his fourth season
average after being
with the Braves and
drafted in the sixth
his 10th MLB season
round by Oakland in
overall. A key player
1997. He begins the
on Auburn’s 1997
2012 season on the
College World Series
15-day disabled list
team, he is a career
after undergoing back
.236 hitter in 596
surgery in the off-
major-league games.
season.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Fast times in Seattle Auburn sophomore Zane Grothe recorded the best-ever time by a Tiger swimmer in the 1,650-yard freestyle, and sophomore Marcelo Chierghini won the silver medal in the 100 freestyle to highlight the final day of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships. Auburn finished in sixth place with 254.5 points as the three-day meet wrapped up in March at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center near Seattle. The Tigers were 16.5 points behind fifth-place Michigan. Auburn has finished in the top six in the country at the last 11 NCAA Championships. The Tigers will now turn to the long-course season and the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games, officials said. The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials are set for June 25-July 2 in Omaha, Neb. “I’m happy with some swims and the way the guys came together,” Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said. “We would have loved to have found our way to the top of the podium, but we got a bunch of second- and third-place finishes throughout the meet. It’s disappointing (to finish sixth), but, at the same time, it’s encouraging. It keeps us hungry and focuses us for the future. We know we’re close.” California won the national title for the second straight year, finishing with 535.5 points. Texas also took runner-up
honors with 491 points. Stanford (426.5) and Arizona (396) rounded out the top four. Among other SEC schools, Florida finished eighth, Georgia was 11th, Kentucky took 21st, Tennessee 22nd, Alabama 25th and LSU 31st. Grothe, a sophomore from Boulder City, Nev., broke two school records during his mile swim. His time of 14:37.59 shattered the previous Auburn record of 14:47.09, which he set at last year’s NCAAs, to place him fourth. It was the best-ever finish by an Auburn swimmer in the mile at the NCAA Championships. He also broke the Auburn record—his own—in the 1,000 freestyle as he took the mile out in 8:52.58, knocking more than four seconds off his pace from last year’s NCAA Championship mile swim. Grothe scored 30 individual points for Auburn with his fourth-place finishes in both the 500 and 1,650 free. Both were the bestever finishes by an Auburn men’s swimmer in those respective events, and he set the school record in both. “Having a sophomore break school records in the 500, 1,000 and the mile is awesome,” Hawke said. “It bodes well for the future, and it goes to show that Auburn’s not just a sprint school. We know we have distance swimmers, and we welcome swimmers of all sorts. Zane is one of those guys that’s leading the way for us.”
AUBURN FOOTBALL 2012 Inside the Auburn Tigers Football Guide Inside the Auburn Tigers 2012 Auburn Preseason Football Guide features profiles on players and coaches, depth charts and a conversation with Gene Chizik. Recruiting fans will enjoy a special section on the top high school prospects in the state, region and nation. In addition to the in-depth look at the offense, defense and kicking game, we also preview what is happening with Auburn’s SEC opponents featuring who is hot and who’s not this season.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
From heaps of broken images to the wasteland itself, artist Bruce Larsen ’86 finds truth, beauty and Sasquatch. b y
n i c k
m a r i n e l l o
The
Junk
Whisperer
Whether he’s constructing animal sculptures for feature films or creating public art honoring famous sports figures, Fairhope artist Bruce Larsen ’86 is known for his ability to turn natural objects and man-made castoffs into enduring works of beauty.
Gear wheels and flywheels, oil pans and railroad ties. Clutch springs, clock springs, corkscrews and calipers. Hammerheads and broken blades, drill bits and shoots of rebar. Gathered in piles, weighted by rust. Decomposing into constituent elements, crescendoing in decay. A molecular symphony, if you could hear it. Bruce Larsen hears it. Presiding over one of many junk heaps, he grabs a flat, irregularly shaped piece of metal and pitches it onto the concrete. Glangk. Then another piece. Gladank. He bends down. Arranges them. Steps back. Reaches for another piece. “They kind of tell me,” he says of the selected scraps. “It’s weird. I can come out here, and they almost raise their hands and say, ‘Me, me, me! I want to be in the sculpture!’” It’s a little weird, conversing with clutter, but that’s how Larsen rolls. In some ways he comes off as a flaky sort of guy— even for an artist—but in other ways he seems more grounded than most folks. Yet to characterize Larsen as a study in contrast does him a disservice: He’s a veritable jumble of contrast. Artist and mechanic, philosopher and archaeologist, family man and adventurer, Luddite and futurist, dropout and graduate, Hollywood prop maker and backwoods carpenter. A man
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
T H E
of the world with a soul sited squarely in Alabama. If you are charged with writing a story about Bruce Larsen, you have to start somewhere. But there are so many somewheres. So you could choose to begin here, in the open-air space beneath the raised, quirky house he has single-handedly cobbled together over more than a decade, and amid the chaos of rusting rubble that constitutes his studio. And you could listen. “Metal fascinates me,” Larsen says as he scrutinizes the impromptu sculpture materializing on the pavement. “People look at a rusty old tin can and say, ‘Aw, it’s just an old piece of junk.’ But if you can go to a molecular level, back in time, and follow that little chunk of steel flying through space before there was an Earth and then later slamming into it as a meteorite—that’s what these things are. And that’s sexy.” Larsen claims he was born to be an artist, but, with a slight jog to the left or right in his personal narrative, he might have turned out a poet. He’s surely got the soul of one: a restless wonderment about how things fit together in the universe. “The way I see it,” says Larsen, “I’ve been waiting 13 billion years to be here, right? I’ve been dead. “People fear death. I don’t. I’ve been there, done it for 13 billion friggin’ years.” The more you talk to Larsen and learn his story, who he is and how he is, the longer you hang out at his eccentric property outside of Fairhope, beside a river and amongst the pines with his wife, three kids, two cats, a couple of ponies and a world of junk waiting to be fashioned into art, the more you think: Dang, 13 billion years? Dude, it was probably worth the wait.
I
n an age in which earning one’s keep is increasingly disconnected from who one is, Larsen supports his family by doing what he loves. He’s been called a “found-object artist” and a “repo-Renaissance master.” That he can assemble exquisitely graceful, vibrant and spirited forms out of discarded car parts, cow bones and driftwood, among other odds and ends, is nothing short of miraculous—an observation Larsen accepts with humility. “There are certain pieces that just want to be together,” he says. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just the facilitator.” Larsen is inexorably drawn to nature, and animals are among his favorite subjects. (His father, Harry S. Larsen, was a professor in the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.) Myriad dragonflies and butterflies, a horse rearing on its haunches, a sprawling alligator and an elephant set whimsically atop an upended cast-iron tub constitute just a few of Larsen’s sculptures on public display in Mobile and elsewhere. If there is irony in honoring the natural world through the discarded relics of humankind, it’s Opposite: In his sprawllost in the beauty of Larsen’s work. ing workspace, Larsen is part metalworker, And there is a staggering amount of part wizard, employwork. Sit down at the computer with ing power tools and Larsen, and he’ll call up an endless ingenuity to find hidden shapes within bits of stream of images documenting his art, metal. Right: Larsen each piece representing more than the created a fierce, Sassum of its parts. “These are rakes,” says quatch-type monster for the film “Night Claws.” Larsen, pointing to the mid-section of a
J U N K
W H I S P E R E R
large fish sculpture. “And here’s a belt. When they used to hook up all that old machinery, they’d use belts like this.” Then there are the athletes. Among the most lucrative pieces Larsen produces are those of sports figures in action. One of his personal favorites is a sculpture of Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin, a Moscow-born gymnast frozen in the middle of a routine, her body inverted and arching backward. Nastia the Gymnast now poises permanently on a balance beam at the U.S. Sports Academy campus in Daphne. The organization named Larsen its Sports Artist of the Year in 2009; officials there also have hired him to create an epic piece of art commemorating one of the most heated rivalries in college football. In 2010, Larsen unveiled the first two sculptures of the Iron Bowl Monument, a work that will grow each year as Larsen adds more figures. Ironically, both head coaches in the annual Auburn vs. Alabama dogfight—Gene Chizik and Nick Saban— are collectors of Larsen’s work. The feeling apparently is not mutual, however. “I don’t follow football,” Larsen says. All told, Larsen’s sculptures are probably among the most recognizable works of art in Alabama and also can be found in public spaces in such far-flung outposts as Bahrain, China, East Timor, Germany, Italy, Malaysia and Switzerland, as well as at the homes of former U.S. president Bill Clinton, rock star Sting and radio host Robert Kennedy Jr. None of this, however, means Larsen has actually “made it” as an artist, he says, which is why, as a side job, he makes props and devises special effects for films. “It’s hard to make a living as a sculptor in Alabama,” says Larsen, ducking out of the room and returning with the head of a toothsome, nasty-looking creature. That would be the noodle of a Sasquatch, or at least a replica of one. Larsen was contracted to create it for a locally shot film called “Night Claws,” in which he himself plays Bigfoot.
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T H E
J U N K
W H I S P E R E R
“It’s not a serious business,” says Larsen. “I got into it to do monsters and stuff like that.” Along the way, though, he’s done some pretty serious work. Last year Larsen manufactured 15 dead bodies for use as props in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming movie “Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Tommy Lee Jones. He made a gorilla suit for “Dumb and Dumber,” mechanical horses for “The Stand,” “The Patriot” and “Black Knight,” and special effects for “Nomad, the Warrior,” which took him to Kazakhstan for three months. “This is just fun for me,” says Larsen. “I think as long as I’m having fun, it’s all good.”
L
arsen claims he’s not a religious man, but as the family breadwinner, he puts some stock into the possibility of benevolent influence. His wife, Joy, homeschools two of their children and is also “very good with money,” he explains. “I find that things just kind of happen,” Larsen says of the unconventional way he goes about making ends meet. “So when I get to the end of my rope, and I have no more money, something drops right in my lap.”
Left: Larsen is building fake corpses to serve as props for a battlefield scene in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” Opposite: The Mobile sculptor created a stylized horse as a wedding gift for the prince of Bahrain.
He and Joy have found a way to live small on a couple of acres situated so remotely in southern Alabama that Larsen worries visitors won’t find him. “Call me if you get lost,” he advises. The family’s modest lifestyle reflects Larsen’s traditional sensibilities. “I’m a child of the Depression in my mind,” says the 53-year-old, referring to his odd affinity for the past and things gone by. As did his grandparents, he honors the “mentality of efficiency, of hard work.” Larsen’s pragmatic ethos received a decided boost from Hurricane Danny in 1997. The storm stalled near the mouth of Mobile Bay, dumping more than 30 inches of rain onto the area and 6 feet of water into the Larsens’ house. “We were flooded out, and we became instant minimalists,” says Larsen, who lost nearly everything in the flood. The experience would prove to be something of an epiphany. Larsen recalls standing waist-deep in rising water, enveloping the family’s Curtis Mathes TV in a bear hug to keep it dry. “It was still plugged in, and the cable was on, and it just went pssshhhh,” he says, simulating the sound of the boob tube as it splashed into the water and drowned. The house has since been gutted and rebuilt on 10-foot piers that Larsen erected with the help of a couple of neighbors. It remains a work in progress: At present, the second-floor boys’ bedroom may only be accessed by ladder. “I remember coming home one day, and Bruce was taking off the roof with a chainsaw,” recalls Joy. “I had three kids and a tiny little house,” explains her husband of his decision to add another story. “You have to start somewhere.” The strange thing is—and you can’t be certain Larsen realizes this—he’s constructing the house in much the same way he composes his sculpture. “That’s part of the house that someone gave me,” he says, pointing to a small room in the back. “I cut it in half, put it on a trailer, moved it over and then jacked it up with car jacks and put it up here.”
T
he artist meanders through a field, his eyes casually scanning the ground. He spots a smooth, round piece of wood and bends to pick it up. “Kinda looks like a bird wing, doesn’t it?” A few minutes later, amid an old grove of oaks, he stumbles upon the remains of a rusted vehicle of some sort, all but buried in red Alabama clay. Judging from the lack of ornamental detail, Larsen decides it’s a piece of farm equipment. He excavates and pockets a small door hinge. As a kid, Larsen aspired to be an archaeologist. He also imagined himself building a rocket out of vacuum cleaner parts. He eventually traipsed into adulthood, landing somewhere in between. Along the way, there was a job making mechanical parts, an ill-fated attempt to study industrial design at Auburn, a period of living in a trailer in Waverly, a stint airbrushing T-shirts and surfboards in New Jersey, a successful return to Auburn as an
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
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art major, several years working as an animator and commercial sculptor in Atlanta, his marriage to Joy and, eventually, three kids. Countless disparate and unlikely pieces, fitting together to compose a life. “There are certain pieces that want to be together,” says Larsen, whose contemplations on found objects might also be applied to the cosmic coincidences that constitute the human condition. He takes this thought a step further, wondering about lives that have come before and how their reverberations have produced our own humble moments on the planet. “It’s a big privilege to be representing my ancestors,” Larsen says. “I’m the newest of the line. I’m rusting. I’m corroding, and I’ll fall apart. My fenders will fall off, but I’m going to run it until the wheel bearings lock up.”
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He illustrates with a final story about how, before he became a father, when he could afford to be cavalier, he was a bit of a daredevil. Hang gliding was his favorite pastime. Larsen remembers a particular 20 minutes spent 6,000 feet over Chattanooga, Tenn., circling on a thermal air current in time with a nearby hawk. “And I don’t know if he was even paying attention to me,” the artist recounts. “You see just that one eye. But I was paying attention to him.” At the time, Larsen began to think about previous generations of humans and how, over the millennia, they must have looked to the sky, wondering what it would be like to fly. “And I got to do it,” he says. “So I can’t help thinking about all those ancestors looking on and saying, ‘Yes!’”
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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A century ago this year, the Auburn Alumni Association published its first alumni magazine, dubbed the Auburn Alumni Quarterly. Join
us for a look back at the inaugural issue, in which articles debated the skill level of athletic recruits and informed readers about new state-of-the-art classroom buildings. Sound familiar? b y s u z a n n e j o h n s o n
Now&
Then “Rugby football� was the sport of choice at Alabama Polytechnic Institute early in the 20th century. Here, a rousing game draws a small crowd to the drill field near Main Building, now known as Samford Hall.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F AU BU R N U N I V E R S I T Y L I B R A R I E S
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By international standards, the birth of a type-heavy alumni magazine in far eastern Alabama was not a particularly noteworthy event in 1912. That same year, Sun Yat-Sen formed the Republic of China; New Mexico and Arizona both achieved statehood; Roald Amundsen discovered the South Pole just as Robert Scott died trying; and that unsinkable ship, the legendary Titanic, sank, killing more than 1,500 passengers and crew. Perry Como, Woody Guthrie and Julia Child were born a century ago, along with the first publication designed expressly for alumni of Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Auburn Alumni Quarterly first rolled off the press in August 1912, and after 100 years—and several name and format changes—Auburn’s alumni magazine is still going strong. (Perry, Woody and Julia, unfortunately, aren’t.) Today’s incarnation of the publication, Auburn Magazine, publishes a lot more photos—the first issue of Alumni Quarterly boasted only four grainy black-and-white shots, none of which appeared on the cover. We’ve doubled the number of pages and added loads of color within the past couple of decades, but in many ways the publication still offers its alumni readers the same familiar comforts: Stories and photos that reinforce and celebrate the idea of the Auburn family, along with the university’s general ethos, traditions and discoveries. Not all is the same as it ever was, though. Alumni no longer gather for parties known as “smokers” (in which tobacco was a key ingredient), and the magazine stopped providing detailed coverage of commencement as the number of ceremonies began to climb along with Auburn’s student enrollment. Still, it’s fun to flip through Volume I, Number 1, of Auburn Alumni Quarterly, stored carefully for posterity in Ralph Brown Draughon Library’s special collections and archives department. Here’s a look back at the very first issue of Auburn’s very first alumni magazine.
Bargain bin?
From the outset, the founding editor-in-chief, James R. Rutland, class of 1900—who also taught English and math on campus— knew the organization would need the help of advertisers as well as donors to keep the publication alive. A full-page ad in the first issue lists 10 reasons “Why You Should Subscribe for the Auburn Alumni Quarterly”—and three of them are appeals to the readers’ wallets. The ad implores alumni to “send us a dollar” to cover the 25-cent-per-copy manufacturing cost of the quarterly periodical.
For the boys
These days, the phrase “Sons of Auburn” might conjure up images of an alternative folk band, but, in 1912, the fledgling Auburn Alumni Quarterly used those words Opposite: Although to describe API’s 9,000 alumni (as well API began admitting as those who graduated from Auburn’s female students in 1892, only a few brave earlier iterations, East Alabama Male women had breached College and Agricultural & Mechanical the walls of campus by 1912. Right: A College of Alabama). century ago, Comer Although administrators had been Hall was one of API’s admitting female students since 1892, newer buildings. Constructed in 1910, it’s unclear whether API’s earliest alumComer burned down, nae had a place at the table at all as the was rebuilt in 1922 and alumni association planned club meetis still in use today.
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ings, reunions and other events for Auburn graduates. An ad for Montevallo-based Alabama Girls Technical Institute in the Quarterly’s first issue, in fact, encouraged young women to bypass API entirely, promoting its own campus’ “healthfully situated, highelevation” landscape, which, the ad claimed, featured the “purest drinking water” and “unsurpassed accommodations.”
Super-size us
In recent years, Auburn Magazine has touted the university’s capital-projects philosophy, under which buildings seem to sprout faster and grow bigger than the latest hybrid tomatoes: the new Student Center (182,000 square feet), which replaced Foy Union as students’ main hangout; the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology (200,000 square feet), which houses several engineering disciplines under the same roof; and the massive Recreation and Wellness Center (240,000 square feet), scheduled for completion next year. A hundred years ago, Auburn Alumni Quarterly broke the news that renovations to Broun Engineering Hall resulted in the building’s ballooning to 43,500 square feet. The facility was declared “practically fireproof,” and featured “state-of-the-art” steam heat and running water. (By 1983, engineering administrators had deemed the building “well-loved but structurally deficient,” and it was demolished.) API’s new $30,000 Carnegie Library, one of “the finest in the South,” boasted room to grow the university’s book collection to 50,000 volumes. The building served the university for five decades until the completion of Ralph Brown Draughon Library, begun in 1962 and expanded in the 1980s to accommodate 2.5 million volumes. The old Carnegie Library building, now known as Mary Martin Hall, houses the university’s admissions, financial aid and registrar’s offices. Finally, the first issue of the Quarterly raved about the “handsome and commodious” new Comer Agricultural Hall. “It is the general opinion that there is no superior, if equal, building for agricultural purposes in the South,” the publication reported. Expanded and rebuilt in 1922, Comer continues to serve as headquarters for the College of Agriculture, although the college has expanded to include a much larger network of buildings for classes and research.
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be soft, sissified, sentimental and silly-bubby. Be a man who can stand in the open with his face to the sky and the rain.” He received a standing ovation. Today, Auburn’s multiple-ceremony commencement format makes the scheduling of graduation speakers largely impractical, although occasionally a “celebrity” alumnus does make an appearance: During his commencement speech on campus two years ago, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook ’82 stressed the significance of intuition, rigorous thought and hard work in determining life’s successes.
Future farmers
Long before the late Tide head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant fanned the flames of the Auburn/Alabama cross-state rivalry by referring to Auburn as “that cow college across the state” (after which the Tigers handed the Tide a loss, thank you very much), there was sensitivity among some Auburn graduates about being perceived as a provincial college that amounted to little more than its agriculture curriculum. In 1912, API’s new alumni magazine felt the need to remind its readers that college-educated farmers represented a state asset. “Farming is the most important occupation,” the Quarterly argued. “It is more lucrative and less disagreeable than it once was, and sensible people should in all ways take a good look at the modern farmer before calling him ‘hayseed.’” At the time, API boasted 302 students majoring in animal husbandry; 282 in agriculture; 196 in botany; 22 in entomology; five in horticulture; 18 in forestry; and four in landscape gardening. Last year, Auburn’s College of Agriculture and School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences together enrolled more than 1,600 students in agriculture-related majors.
Free, not fancy
Preach it, brother
API’s 40th commencement ceremony made news in 1912: Much of the first issue of the Quarterly was devoted to covering the full weekend of activities that culminated in 114 students receiving academic degrees. All of the graduates, dressed in gray and white gowns, marched into Langdon Hall and stood at the foot of the stage while university president Charles Coleman Thach imparted words of wisdom. But the stars of the day were a pair of guest speakers, the Rev. Edgar Young Mullins, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., who spoke on “Man’s Dominion,” and the Rev. James Isaac Vance, who delivered an allocution titled “Playing the Game of Life.” “This planet is nothing more than a crag out in God’s great universe,” Mullins intoned, while Vance urged his fellow alumni to live as “men in the real sense of the word,” noting that “the hobble of low ambition is worse than the hobble of a skirt.” “The world is good; you are good,” Vance lectured. “Don’t
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As the faithful gathered to commemorate API’s class of 1912, someone came up with the idea that the school’s alumni body had grown large enough to hold an annual “Home-Coming” (sic) during the next year’s commencement weekend, complete with free dormitory accommodations and meals for all “old Auburn men” who showed up. These days, Homecoming is centered on one of Auburn’s November football home games. Students make floats and put on a parade—but there’s no longer a free lunch associated with the event.
Rugby football
In the first Quarterly, athletics director M.J. Donahue contributed an update on API sports operations, specifically the “poor gymnastic facilities” that forced students to engage mostly in outdoor activities. At the time, intercollegiate compeLeft: An admissions ad tition was limited to five sports: “rugby promotes API’s majors football,” “soccer football,” baseball, and its cost. Tuition was free for Alabama basketball and track. residents and $20 for Donohue lamented the lack of out-of-state students. skilled high school recruits in the sport Opposite: The first public sale of Auburn of “rugby football,” a problem he’d cattle took place in been attempting to resolve by dedicatfront of the Alabama ing each player’s freshman year to basicAgricultural Experiment Station in 1913. skills training: “taking the green athletic
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wood, so to speak, and carrying it through all the processes that will eventually result in the polished and finished product of a skillful athlete.” Donahue’s strategy apparently worked: The team lost just two conference games in four seasons—to Vanderbilt and Sewanee. Notably absent from Auburn’s football schedule a century ago was the University of Alabama. The rivals didn’t play each other between 1908 and 1948 due to a simmering feud over the terms of the game contract.
Smokers and nonsmokers
Smokers—gatherings in which male attendees smoked and reminisced—were a popular alumni pastime in 1912. “Almost no engagement, except his wedding, it is said with some truth, will a college man hesitate to postpone in order to attend a smoker, where talk of college days and news of his alma mater circulate with good fellowship and smoke,” the Quarterly notes, pledging to set up smokers for alumni as often as possible in various locations around Alabama. A hundred years later, smoking is practically a dirty word at Auburn. Students and faculty this spring successfully advocated for a university policy that prohibits smoking within 25 feet of any campus building.
Getting personal
Today we call them class notes and, really, the listing of graduates’ significant milestones hasn’t changed that much since the first Alumni Quarterly published its “personals” section. Most of the announcements were job-related: Alumnus J.M. Moore was hired to organize “pig clubs” around the state, for example. And then there was the strange case of W.W. Johnston, class of 1904, who wrote of taking a civil engineering position in Barcelona, Spain—and also claimed that his API thesis had gone down with the Titanic. Johnston himself never sailed on the ship. Happy birthday, Auburn Alumni Quarterly. Those of us who carry on the tradition of alumni periodicals would like to pay due diligence to your legacy. Would your editors approve of the Quarterly’s descendants, which include the Auburn AlumNews and Auburn Magazine? We’d like to think so. An archival photo shows a view of A century ago, alumnus J.T. Mangum campus from Main wrote a letter to the editor offering his Building, now known as best wishes for the new alumni periodical: Samford Hall, shortly after the turn of the “A fellow that fails to go back and get in century. In the foretouch again with the old college will never ground is the road know how good it feels. ... May you grow now known as College Street, while Gay Street and prosper, and may your mouth get so intersects Magnolia big and your voice so strong that the old Avenue in the upper left corner, near Auburn boys can hear you in the four quarters United Methodist of this old globe,” he wrote. “May the Church. In 1836, judge minds of those who direct your course John Harper and 34 other Georgians settled have occasional lucid moments that your the land that would mission not be in vain.” become the town of We’re not too sure about the occaAuburn. A log house at the corner of Gay sional lucid moments, but, Mr. Mangand Magnolia became um, the magazine’s mission remains on the city’s first school and church. course.
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Safety third! Whether they’re annihilating automobiles or achieving better living through beer, Somerville engineer T r av i s Ta y l o r ’ 9 1 and his gang of brainiacs serve up science with a sweet Southern accent. b y c a n d i c e d y e r
Redneck Rocket Science Auburn electrical engineering alumnus Travis Taylor ’91 (second from left) is the ringleader of National Geographic Channel’s “Rocket City Rednecks.” In each episode, Taylor and the cast—which includes his father, nephew, brother-in-law and best friend—apply scientific principles to real-life problems, such as how to use moonshine to fuel a rocket or how to bomb-proof a pickup truck with beer cans.
That poor watermelon never stood a chance. Five good ol’ boys, all experienced hunters and skeet shooters, had constructed a trebuchet—a sort of medieval catapult— then hurled the heavy fruit in a majestic arc before yelling, “Pull!” and firing their rifles. The stunt, filmed for the first season of National Geographic Channel’s reality show “Rocket City Rednecks,” was meant to simulate an asteroid hurtling toward Earth, or more specifically, toward the red-blooded heart of civilization—the southeastern United States, represented by a crudely drawn target map (a crawfish doodle symbolized the state of Louisiana) with Huntsville at its center. The astrophysics, though, are more sophisticated than they seem. “The old theory was that comets were similar to dirty snowballs, but recent findings show they’re more like something with a hard rind and a slushy inside—so a frozen watermelon seemed like a good analog,” explains “Rednecks” ringleader Travis Taylor. On the show, the Auburn University engineering alumnus and his posse of freckle-faced Einsteins conduct experiments combining advanced principles of science and engineering with “redneck ingenuity” in the birthplace of the U.S. space program in northern Alabama. “Hollywood disaster movies always show the asteroid headed toward New York, or L.A., or Washington, D.C. Here, we’re focused on saving the world between Mobile and Nashville,” Taylor explains.
PHOTOGRAPHS ©NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL / FLIGHT 33
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gun; built a solar-powered bass boat; and designed a “trailer of the future” for optimal off-the-grid living—all punctuated by whooping rebel yells and toasted with six-packs. In one episode devoted to the science of tailgating, the group built a meat smoker out of an old keg and devised a way to keep drinks cold by packing their homemade “super cooler”—an aluminum toolbox—with liquid nitrous oxide. Their motto— “Safety third!”—was inspired by “a shop teacher who was missing a finger,” Erbach says. In what might be a nod to Huntsville’s international status as a center for the study of space exploration, Taylor and his team are particularly interested in attempting to defy gravity. In addition to watermelons, the guys have launched reclining chairs, a toilet seat, and—their crowning exploit of grandeur and aspiration—a double-barreled, 700-pound contraption they dubbed the “Big Ass Rocket.” For these hayseeds, the sky really is the limit. “We have a saying around here: Either go whole hog or nothing at all,” Taylor says. “We go whole hog.” The charm of “Rocket City Rednecks,” of course, derives from the way the show upends Southern stereotypes by embracing them in a bear hug—and then putting them in a playful headlock. The show aims to simultaneously reclaim and honor the r-word. “I have to explain the history of that word to a lot of people—especially in California—who hear ‘redneck’ and have some racist and other negative associations with it,” Taylor says. “It has several origins, the primary one from this region’s sharecroppers, whose necks got sunburned while they plowed. They had to learn to build and fix things, to invent and make repairs, or their families would go hungry. So to me, the word ‘redneck’ is a testament to this tradition of resourcefulness and resilience of indigenous farmers, to their on-the-spot, improvisational engineering.” Taylor rehearses for a “Rocket City Rednecks” episode in which the cast attempts to create an “ironman suit” designed to give the wearer superhuman strength and missile-firing capabilities. The prototype demonstration went like clockwork until the suit’s helmet caught fire.
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uring his career with NASA, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, where he holds top security clearance, Taylor, 43, has explored ways to deflect asteroids, studied nuclear-electric propulsion techniques and considered exploration models for expeditions to Pluto. In other words, he’s an actual rocket scientist with five academic degrees—including an undergraduate electrical engineering degree from Auburn—and a textbook, Introduction to Rocket Science and Engineering, to his name. Taylor’s “Rocket City” co-stars—patriarch Charles “Daddy” Taylor, nephew Michael “The Kid” Taylor, brother-in-law “Pistol Pete” Erbach and best friend Rog “The Sidekick” Jones—also claim stratospheric IQs as well as assorted credentials in physics, optical sensors and grease-monkey tinkering. The gang’s redneck street cred is virtually unassailable: All have done their share of farming, turkey hunting and four-wheeling, and Rog—who regularly appears on the show wearing bib overalls—lives in a doublewide trailer on the edge of a pond he calls “Lake Flaccid.” “My hardest job to date? Working in the chicken house,” Taylor says with an accent that could sweeten iced tea. NASA, meet NASCAR. “Rocket City Rednecks” premiered last September to the National Geographic Channel’s highest ratings of the year and went on to average 476,000 viewers per show during its 20-episode run—a following large enough to cinch a second season, scheduled to air this autumn. During the first season alone, the band of bumpkins successfully tornado-proofed an outhouse; converted moonshine into an “alternative energy source”; bomb-proofed a pickup truck with empty beer cans and plywood; dared a local sheriff to pinpoint their cutom-built “stealth vehicle” with a radar
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s do a number of Southerners, the “Rocket City” rednecks speak slowly but think fast. They wonder aloud whether “some dang ol’ somethin’ will work worth a flip” and then, without missing a beat, vault into scientific jargon worthy of British physicist Stephen Hawking. In a line from the show, Taylor’s nephew, Michael, says, “Most Americans think that just ’cause we talk with a Southern drawl and we drink sweet tea, I guess they think we must be idiots.” Ironically, The Kid’s dialect is so thick that producers helpfully provide English subtitles, and, for the uninitiated, the show’s website offers a glossary of redneck terms (“crazy as an outhouse rat” is a favorite). Some viewers might believe the men are just country-hamming it up for the cameras, but anyone who grew up firing potato guns in rural Alabama—or Georgia, Mississippi or Tennessee for that matter—will recognize the cast’s authenticity.
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“These guys really bring something Below: Travis Taylor’s philosophy of life is summed fresh and different to television,” says up, he claims, in the words Erin Griffin, a National Geographic of Yoda, the Jedi master from the “Star Wars” Channel publicity executive who has film series: “There is no succumbed to the regional hospitality. try, only do or not do.” Cast and crew usually rendezvous first Taylor and castmate Rog Jones met as students in at “Daddy’s Farm” in Huntsville to their elementary school’s plot their schemes while sitting on the talented-and-gifted tailgate of a truck. program, and have been best friends ever since. “It’s an unusually laid-back set Jones’ contributions to for all of us in the industry,” Griffin “Rednecks” include metal working, welding and “creadds. “As odd as it sounds, our crew ative mischief,” according members have started calling (Taylor’s) to his official bio. father ‘Daddy.’ And Travis’ mom, who is a retired cosmetologist, is always cooking this delicious homemade Southern food and insisting we all eat.” Taylor’s pedigree practically guaranteed he’d grow up an inventor of some sort, whether of spaceships or TV shows. As a kid growing up 25 miles southwest of Huntsville in the town of Decatur, he built his first rocket at age 6. In third grade, he took an aptitude test that predicted he would become a scientist, astronaut or superhero. Meanwhile, Taylor’s father, Charles “Daddy” Taylor, labored as both a sharecropper and one of NASA’s original machinists, working in the Saturn V program during the space race and helping aerospace pioneer Wernher von Braun build America’s first satellites—some of which are still in orbit. “Daddy handled von Braun’s blueprints!” Travis Taylor confirms. (On “Rocket City Rednecks,” “Daddy” usually serves as a foil for the “boys,” greeting their shenanigans with a wry eye roll or good-natured admonition. He often claims he’d rather be fishing but concedes the show is “a hoot.”) As an adult, Travis Taylor accumulated a lengthy list of diplomas, bylines in peer-reviewed science journals and polymath hobbies (scuba diving, piloting, martial arts, singing, creative writing). He chose to pursue his undergraduate degree at Auburn because of its highly ranked engineering program. “I wanted the chance to do hands-on work and learn circuitry from the guy who literally wrote the book on it,” says Taylor, referring to electrical and computer engineering professor David Irwin, who joined Auburn’s faculty in 1969 and now holds the title of Earle C. Williams Eminent Scholar in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Early on, Taylor was accepted into Auburn’s cooperative education program, taking classes on campus and, on alternate semesters, working at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. “What I remember most about Travis Taylor during his undergraduate years at Auburn was his focus on learning, and his sense of the relevancy of math, science and technology to everyday life,” says co-op program director Kim Durbin. “I remember walking into my supervisor’s office years ago, minutes after meeting with Travis to discuss what he had learned during his most recent co-op work semester. I told my boss
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that this student had a command and understanding of science like no one I had ever met. “More important, Travis could explain this knowledge to others in ways that allowed for easy understanding … I told my boss then that Travis was destined for greatness, and one day we would all read about his varied accomplishments.” Taylor eventually earned a pair of master’s degrees in physics and aerospace engineering, plus a doctoral degree in optical science and engineering, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, as well as a master’s degree in astronomy from the University of Western Sydney. He’s now working toward a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering while writing—“in all my copious spare time”—science fiction novels. His half-dozen titles, including Back to the Moon (Baen, 2010) and One Day On Mars (Baen, 2009), about a band of anti-federal separatists on the “red planet,” have established him as a celebrity in an unabashedly geeky genre. A few years ago, when television scouts for Flight 33 Productions did a Google search for “space warfare experts,” Taylor’s name popped up. His Robert Redford looks and courtly manner passed the screen test, and he subsequently appeared on a pair of History Channel documentaries, “The Universe” and “Life After People.” “That’s when I started thinking about developing my own show,” Taylor explains. “I wanted to make science fun and accessible for average people—to make them learn something without even realizing it, because they’re having so much fun. “So my wife got behind the video camera, and started filming me and the other ‘Rednecks.’ I sent the tape off to National Geographic, and they were immediately sold on it. I came up with a spreadsheet of 120 experiment ideas. Right off the bat, the National Geographic crew said, ‘Any way you can do an experiment where you blow up a truck?’” As supervising producer Tim Evans says: “Now that’s gonna be good TV.”
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THIS IS
AUBURN
FOOTBALL Join the Auburn family as we hit the road with the Tigers!
We’ll travel in style with our spirited group of Auburn fans with packages designed to keep our fans together on the road. We’ll book your hotel, arrange transportation to and from the stadium and tailgating parties, and provide an on-site hospitality desk to help with any questions while on the road. For more information visit www.TotalSportsTravel.com/Auburn or call 888.367.8781 .
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Reserve your Exclusive Member Tailgate today! Food? Check. Chairs? Check. Shade? Check. Stop stressing and enjoy yourself during football season this fall: Reserve a spot now for your Exclusive Member Tailgate within the Auburn Alumni Association Hospitality Tent. Pay one fee for a prime location on the Wallace Center lawn adjacent to Jordan-Hare Stadium—we provide the tent, tables, seating, set-up, breakdown and more for your private party. Catering options available. w w w . a u a l u m . o r g / e xc l u s i v e ta i l g at e
For more information, contact: Danielle Fields (334) 844-2985 daniellefields@auburn.edu
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Calendar
New trustees on board
May 22
BOBBY POUNDSTONE ’95
President, Auburn Alumni Association As you probably know, the Trustee Selection Committee on Feb. 6 selected nine Auburn alumni to submit to the Alabama Senate for confirmation, and the end result is an exceptionally qualified slate. I am happy to report that, as of April 9, the Senate has confirmed all nine of the trustee nominees, which gives Auburn University a full complement of trustees for the first time in several years. Jimmy Rane ’68, Sarah Newton ’74 and Charles McCrary ’73 were unanimously confirmed to serve second terms on the board. These three trustees will continue to serve Auburn well. As for the six trustees who will be new to the board, here are brief bios on each: BEN TOM ROBERTS ’72 An industrial management major at Auburn, B.T. is president of Roberts Brothers Commercial & Property Management Inc. in Mobile. He has served as board chairman of the New Orleans branch of the Federal Reserve Bank; as vice-chairman of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce; on the executive committee of the Coastal Recovery Commission; and as a board member for the Coastal Alabama Leadership Council. B.T. also has served on the Auburn Alumni Association board and as Mobile/Baldwin co-chair for Auburn’s most recent capital campaign. CLARK SAHLIE ’88 An international-business major at Auburn, Clark is a partner in North McDonough Properties of Montgomery and is a director of American Visual Display Products. He serves as board president of The Montgomery Academy and recently chaired the school’s Headmaster Search Committee. Clark also serves as a director of the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Foundation and on the administrative board of First United Methodist Church in Montgomery. He is a board member of the Auburn Tip-Off Club and has served on the Auburn athletics department’s Strategic and Auburn Arena advisory committees.
JIMMY SANFORD ’68 Jimmy earned his bachelor’s degree in business and master’s degree in economics in 1968 and 1971, respectively. An entrepreneur and farmer from Autauga County, he serves as a director for Alabama Power and is active in many professional and civic organizations, including serving as director and chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; chair of the Alabama Cotton Commission; director of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama; trustee of Judson College; and in numerous leadership positions for the National Cotton Council. Jimmy also has chaired the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation and has served as a member of Auburn’s agriculture and veterinary medicine advisory boards as well as the Auburn University Montgomery advisory board. ELIZABETH HUNTLEY ’93 A Chilton County resident with an Auburn political science degree, Liz practices law with the Birmingham firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White. She has served as an officer and director of the Farrah Law Society; director of the Children’s First Foundation; officer of the Chilton County Children’s Policy Council; and director of Children’s Village. Liz was one of the founders of the Michael A. Figures Leadership Forum, which introduces rural high school students to the practice of law. JIM PRATT ’72 An English literature major at Auburn, Jim is a partner in the law firm of Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton in Birmingham and serves as president of the Alabama Bar Association. He also has served as president of the Alabama Association for Justice; president of the Civil Justice Foundation; trustee of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce; board member of Governors of the American Association for Justice; director of the Alabama Law School Foundation; and member of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s advanced-safety-engineeringand-management and biomedical-engineering advisory boards. BOB DUMAS ’76 A business major at Auburn, Bob is president and CEO of Auburn
(See “Poundstone,” Page 53)
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CHARLOTTE AUBURN CLUB
Annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C., featuring Auburn Tigers running backs/recruiting coordinator Curtis Luper. Info: 334-844-1148 or www.auburnclubs.org. May 24 TIGER TREK: CULLMAN COUNTY AUBURN CLUB
Club meeting featuring Auburn Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik. 7 p.m. at McGukin Civic Center in Cullman. Info: 334-844-1148 or www.auburnclubs.org. May 31 DEADLINE: AWARD NOMINATIONS
Nominations are being accepted through May 31 for the Office of Alumni Affairs’ Undergraduate Teaching, Minority Achievement and Lifetime Achievement awards. For details, see www.aualum. org or contact Tanja Matthews at 334-844-1113 or tanjamatthews@auburn.edu.
June 2–17 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: TREASURES OF CHINA & TIBET
Beginning in Beijing, experience China’s ancient culture and enduring history. Your journey continues in Xi’an; then it’s on to Lhasa, your gateway to Tibet. From $4,690. Info: 334-8441443 or www.aualum.org/travel. June 3–July 3 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: CUENCA, ECUADOR
Travelers will receive an introduction to living abroad, including private language instruction. From $3,495. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum. org/travel. June 7 NEW ENGLAND AUBURN CLUB
Annual meeting in Cambridge, Mass., featuring Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs. 7 p.m. at Tavern in the Square/Central Square. Info: 334-844-1148 or www.auburnclubs.org.
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Calendar June 9 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: 2013 TOUR PREVIEW & REUNION
Save the date for the Auburn Alumni Association’s 2013 Tour Preview & Reunion, which includes lunch and a look at next year’s trip itineraries. Visit with fellow alumni travelers and our travel partners, and begin planning your next tour. Noon to 3 p.m., Auburn Alumni Center, 317 South College St., Auburn. Info: 334-844-1443 or tanjamatthews@auburn.edu. June 14–21 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: LONDON & PARIS FAMILY ADVENTURE
Visit the Tower of London; attend a theater performance; see Buckingham Palace and Big Ben; and ride the London Eye. Then travel on to Paris, where you’ll experience firsthand King Louis XIV’s magnificent palace and gardens of Versailles. From $2,549 (adult), $1,999 (child). Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel.
WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: GREAT JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE
This extraordinary 11-day “Grand Tour” of Europe features five nights aboard a deluxe Amadeus fleet vessel cruising the most scenic sections of the Rhine river. Visit Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands. From $4,395. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel. July 14–20 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: WILD WEST & YELLOWSTONE FAMILY ADVENTURE
All trails lead West! Families will tour incomparable Yellowstone, the first and oldest national park in the U.S., as well as Grand Teton National Park, home to the pronghorn, the fastest mammal in the western hemisphere. The journey begins in Salt Lake City and includes the town of Jackson Hole, Wyo., plus Idaho burgs Blackfoot and Pocatello. Don’t miss the Idaho Potato Museum! From $2,219 (adult), $1,719 (child). Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel.
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DEBBIE SHAW ’84
Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association Bo knows. He just does. He knows more about compassion than most of us. Growing up the eighth of 10 children in Bessemer, Bo Jackson ’95 learned early the importance of sharing. As his athletic talent increased with his age, he ended up at Auburn, where he quickly became a superstar. His athletic accomplishments in college as well as professionally are so well known to the Auburn faithful there is no need to repeat them here. However, what is worth mentioning is how Bo, now 50, has put all his energy into remembering his home state by biking across Alabama, specifically through the communities ravaged by the April 2011 tornadoes. “Bo Bikes Bama” was a major effort on Bo’s part to raise money for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund, established to help Alabamians with unmet recovery needs due to the storms. Many individuals donated to the fund to be able to ride with him on parts of the 300-mile journey. Other fundraising activities took place. The race ended in the most appropriate of places, Tuscaloosa, which was hit extremely hard by the storms and in which several deaths occurred. The celebration in Tuscaloosa at the end of the race was quite possibly one of the best and most memorable moments of Bo’s life. And what a life he has had. Yet his decision to make a significant impact on his home state will affect many for years to come. Thanks for caring, Bo. And thanks for not choosing to do the easy thing, which
would have been to write a check and go on about your business. You took the road less traveled—you trained hard to be able to bike 300 miles, and you were able to solicit thousands to get involved in remembering the victims of one year ago. Our state is grateful; our university is proud. At press time, $410,454 had been raised due to your leadership and vision. This may really be your greatest moment.
R
GC KASIN PHOTOGRAPHY
June 28–July 8
Bo knows compassion
It is a painful reminder to drive down College Street and see the results of what Spike 80DF can do. I am reminded daily of the incident of more than a year ago which has resulted in the slow and likely demise of our beloved Toomer’s Corner oaks, two large trees that once stood large and full at the main gates of our campus. Due to the diligent work of university horticulturists, landscapers, agronomists, engineers, chemists and others who have undertaken a series of steps to give the trees a fighting chance, I can confidently relay to you that every researched method of survival has been and continues to be attempted. Auburn will never give up on its oaks. While we are aware the chances of their survival is slim, hope remains. We do know that we will be rolling the trees this fall for football game victories; the experts have told us that rolling will not affect their chances. If the oaks die, a plan has been approved by university president Jay Gogue to replace them with a large living tree or trees. We will be ready for action when and if that day arrives. For updates, see ocm.auburn.edu/news/ oaks.html. War Eagle!
debbieshaw@auburn.edu
A L U M N I
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Class Notes GOT NEWS? Auburn Magazine 317 S. College Street Auburn University, AL 36849-5149, or aubmag@auburn.edu
received the NFL’s 2011 Art McNally Award in recognition of his professionalism, leadership and commitment to sportsmanship on and off the field.
Life Member Annual Member
’20–’59 Gordon H. Chandler ’52 and wife Hazel of
Huntsville recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Gordon is executive director emeritus of Madison Baptist Association and the English pastor at Korean First Baptist Church in Huntsville. Hank Florey Jr. ’57
is serving his fourth term on the Lauderdale County board of supervisors in Meridian, Miss.
’60–’69
Virginia Snyder Hinshaw ’66 has served
as chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa since 2007. She recently received the University of Hawaii Alumni Association’s 2012 President’s Award. Glenn McWaters ’67
of Birmingham was featured on WBRCTV’s “Absolutely Alabama” program, which highlighted his triumph over a combat injury in Vietnam that left doctors saying he would never run again. He coaches track and field at Briarwood Christian School.
Larry Brooks ’69
is a reverse-mortgage consultant for A & A Mortgage Funding Inc. in Riverview, Fla. He was named 2011 Volunteer of the Year by the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce.
’70–’79 Katherine Owen Sechrist ’70 of Moun-
tain Brook is a retired Internal Revenue Service employee and serves as a volunteer for the Republican Party. Karen Teague DeLano ’73 of Vestavia
was named superintendent of the Auburn City Schools system. Janet Jehle Beale ’76
owns You Name It! embroidery and gift store in Montgomery.
Michael J. Colpack ’61 and wife Judy Weber Colpack ’63 of Orlando,
Fla., recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. Michael works as a consultant for Northrop Grumman.
Patsy Shearer ’67
is a retired elementary school specialist and works as a volunteer manager for the Central Brevard Library gift shop in Rockledge, Fla.
James E. “Teeny” Mahaffey ’61 of Gunters-
Dianne Perry Wam-
ville and San Antonio, Texas, is a musician, arranger and composer for concert bands, marching bands and jazz ensembles. He was featured in Alabama Musicians: Musical Heritage from the Heart of Dixie (The History Press, 2011).
mack ’67 is the 2012-13
Ronnie Baynes ’66
of Birmingham, an NFL line judge for 26 years,
chair of the Alabama Retail Association. She and husband Dennis have owned Cameras Brookwood in Birmingham since 1977. Walt Johnson ’68 is
an attorney in Columbus, Ga. He was listed in the 2012 edition of Georgia’s Top-Rated Lawyers.
Mark McGuire ’76
of Auburn received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Brevard College. He is an optometrist in Tuskegee. Curtis Fortenberry ’77
was promoted to state engineer for the federal Bureau of Land Management in Fairbanks, Alaska. He has worked with the agency for more than 20 years.
Martin M. Freeman
BLOUNT COUNTY AUBURN CLUB
Md., served as a massage therapist on the U.S. medical team at the 2011 Pan American Maccabi Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Annual dinner featuring former Auburn Tigers punter Lewis Colbert ’88. Info: 334-844-1148 or www. auburnclubs.org.
Sam Gaston ’78, city
manager for Mountain Brook, is the 2011-12 president of the International City-County Management Association.
a county court judge in Tampa, Fla., was recognized for his service with the Hon. Robert J. Simms High School Mock Trial Competition.
July 18 TIGER TREK: GREATER BIRMINGHAM AUBURN CLUB
Club meeting featuring Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik. 5:30 p.m. at Cahaba Grand Conference Center. Info: 334-844-1148 or www.auburnclubs.org.
’80–’89 William C. Hamilton Jr. ’81 of Chesapeake, Va.,
is a U.S. Navy captain who serves as the commanding officer for the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclearpowered aircraft carrier. The 50-year-old ship is scheduled to be deactivated later this year. James E. Jowers Jr.
July 23–AUG. 5
’81 is an investment
WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: BRITISH ISLES ODYSSEY
adviser with Merrill Lynch in Atlanta. He recently was listed in Barron’s “Top 1,000” state-by-state ranking of financial advisers.
Learn the history of the British Isles aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica. From Dover, cruise the North Sea to Scotland, beginning with Edinburgh and enjoying Invergordon and the Highlands. Sail to the Orkney Islands, and continue to the Isle of Skye. From $4,799. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel.
Beverly Kearney ’81
Aug. 2
received the 2012 BET Honors Education Award. She is the head women’s track-andfield coach at the University of Texas.
TAMPA BAY AUBURN CLUB
Annual freshmen send-off, featuring Jay Gogue, Auburn University president; Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs; and Jay Jacobs, athletic director. Info: 334-844-1148 or www.auburnclubs.org. Aug. 5
Susan Plummer May ’81 of Cartersville,
Dick Greco Jr. ’77,
July 17
’77 of Silver Spring,
Ga., writes fiction under the name Susan Carlisle. She recently signed a four-book contract with Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
MINORITY ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT NOW (MAIN)
Annual end-of-summer picnic at Oak Mountain State Park south of Birmingham. Info: 334-844-1113 or tanjamatthews@auburn.edu. Aug. 11 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AUBURN CLUB
Annual picnic featuring Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs. Info: 334-8441148 or www.auburnclubs.org.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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Class Notes
Buckelew Murphy ’78
Alec Harvey ’84 is the features editor for The Birmingham News. He recently received the paper’s Henderson Award for Leadership.
recently relocated from Vestavia Hills.
Carr McCuiston ’85
J. Christopher Murphy ’81 is the director
of public safety for the city of Montgomery. He and wife Nancy
Scott Norman ’81
was promoted to associate principal in the Atlanta office of Urban Design Group.
SNAPSHOT
Clean sweep Jeff Simmons ’83 has a confession: He’s afraid of heights. Which wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact that he spends a lot of time on rooftops. “When I got this job—and to this day—if I had one phobia, it would be heights,” says the Opelika chimney sweep with a laugh. Simmons, who majored in personnel management and industrial relations at Auburn, opened a retail hearth-and-patio shop after realizing that jobs in human resources and management weren’t, well, fun. “I thought I had a ‘people’ job—that I (would get) to deal with people all day,” he says. “But I soon found out that the only time I got to deal with people was to fire them, and I wasn’t too keen on that.” He went to work for a local chimney sweep and eventually bought the business. Simmons embraced his new calling, even earning certification in the field from the Plainfield, Ind.-based Chimney Safety Institute of America and National Chimney Sweep Guild. And yes, he wears a top hat—a nod to the traditional costume of his trade. Simmons even met Dick Van Dyke—who portrayed the perpetually cheerful chimney sweep, Bert, in Disney’s classic film “Mary Poppins”—when the veteran actor served as spokesman for the chimney sweep guild. For all its perks, though, the life of a chimney sweep isn’t all animated penguins and carousels. Simmons once pulled a hornet-infested cap off a chimney and, startled, headed down the steep slope of a roof at a run. To avoid falling, he grabbed hold of a second-story gutter—which, in a scene seemingly made for a cartoon, popped off the house and eased him gently to the ground.—Alexandria Smith ’12
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C. Stephen Roney ’81,
a Grayson, Ga., veterinarian, was named director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Poultry Improvement Plan. Susan Nolen Story ’81, president and CEO
of Southern Company Services Inc., received the Institute of Industrial Engineers’ Captain of Industry award. Bryant Galloway Whelan ’82 was named executive
director of the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education in Ocean Springs, Miss. Charles D. Rutledge Jr. ’83 retired as a rural
development specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture after 28 years of service. He lives in Hartselle.
’90–’99 Christy Francis ’90 is as-
served as co-chair for the 23rd annual American Craft Council Show in Atlanta in March. She owns Signature Contemporary Craft gallery in Atlanta.
Gerald L. Pouncey ’81,
an Atlanta environmental law attorney, was selected to head Morris Manning Martin Green Consulting Group, a new logistics and infrastructure consulting firm.
A son, Achilles Tobias, to Damon Woodson ’88 and wife Jennifer of Macon, Ga., on Feb. 3.
Tim St. John ’85 is a
Denver-based writer, editor and columnist.
sistant manager of Kiroli Park in West Monroe, La. She formerly served as curator of Auburn University’s Donald E. Davis Arboretum. John Clements ’91 was
named a senior product marketing manager with Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating in Suwanee, Ga.
Carol Robinson ’86 is a
senior reporter for The Birmingham News. She recently received the paper’s Editor’s Award in the features category.
Douglas Gordon ’91 is
the commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s new USS North Dakota submarine. He is stationed in Groton, Conn.
Jesse “Jay” Bray ’88
was promoted to CEO of NationStar Mortgage Holdings Inc. in Lewisville, Texas. He and wife Mindy Calder Bray ’89 live in Grapevine, Texas.
Ronald J. Hughes Jr. ’91
is an investment adviser with Merrill Lynch in Atlanta. He recently was listed in Barron’s “Top 1,000” stateby-state ranking of financial advisers.
Kathleen Madden ’88
plans to retire in September as a U.S. Air Force colonel after 24 years of service. She has served as a flight-, squadron- and center-level commander, and was a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellows.
Harold V. “Griff” Law Jr. ’91 was promoted
to chief technology officer for Northeast Georgia Health System Inc. in Gainesville, Ga. He formerly served as the system’s director of technical services.
BORN A daughter, Aubrey Forbes, to Rob Crabtree ’86 and wife Andi of Birmingham on Sept. 6. A son, Lawson Slade, to Brian Powell ’88 and Sabrina Berry Powell ’89
of Atlanta on Sept. 2.
Edward Sims Floyd Jr. ’92 was named executive
vice president of the Columbia, S.C.-based South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. He formerly served as the organization’s lobbyist and field-services
99PERCENT
of alumni surveyed said
they were familiar with the Auburn Creed.
SHOW YOUR STRIPES Tell us why you believe in Auburn and love it to help the 1 percent understand the importance of being part of the Tiger Pride. Plus, by telling us on Facebook,you could be featured in an upcoming Auburn University campaign.
Facebook/auburn99percent Results are from an online survey conducted by SimpsonScarborough in September 2011.
C E N T E R
CANDY EDWARDS AVERA
A L U M N I
Class Notes director. He and wife
Amy Albritton Jeffs
BORN
Haley Chapman Floyd
’97 was promoted
A daughter, Lucy Chapman, to Susan
’91 have two daughters. Matthew Landreau ’93
established an Auburn law office specializing in business litigation and corporate and criminal law. He and wife Patti live in Phenix City. Joel M. Haight ’94
Tiger Trek comes to town Auburn Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik traveled to eight cities in three states during April and May, speaking to thousands of Auburn alumni during the annual Auburn Alumni Association event known as “Tiger Trek.” Chizik and the alumni association this year added the city of Eufaula to the tour to accommodate alumni and fans in the Barbour-Bullock County, Dale County and Wiregrass Auburn clubs. Tiger Trek, which has drawn record crowds since its inception in 2010, wraps up in Birmingham on July 18. A portion of the proceeds from the tour benefits student scholarships administered by the Auburn clubs sponsoring each stop. For more information on Tiger Trek, see www.aualum.org/clubs. In other club news: • The ATLANTA, COLUMBUS/PHENIX CITY, CULLMAN COUNTY, GREATER BIRMINGHAM, HUNTSVILLE/MADISON, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, SHOALS AREA and WEST GEORGIA clubs received the prestigious “All Auburn, All Orange” designation for general excellence during the Auburn Alumni Association’s annual volunteer leadership conference in February. • The WEST GEORGIA AUBURN CLUB won the association’s Most Outstanding Scholarship Program award for its fundraising efforts over the past year. • Curtis Mize ’60, president of the CULLMAN COUNTY AUBURN CLUB, received the association’s annual award for Most Outstanding Club Leader. • The MOBILE COUNTY AUBURN CLUB won the association’s Most Outstanding Community Service award for filling an 18-wheel tractor-trailer with an estimated $50,000 in supplies for tornado victims in north Alabama. The club sought out a rural area not served by other relief efforts and subsequently oversaw distribution of the donated items to victims. Donations included nonperishable food, clothing, bottled water, toys and diapers.
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of Washington, Pa., was appointed to the board of directors of the American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation. He works for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Pittsburgh and previously taught energy and mineral engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Duane Mohon ’94
is president of the Alabama Optometric Association. He and his wife, Sharon Ann, and their three children live in Jacksonville.
to chief operating officer for Status Solutions security-alert company. She lives in Roswell, Ga., with husband Chris and their two daughters. Mark Michel ’97 is a
lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. He serves on the U.S. National Security Council and is a member of the White House national security staff. Kelly Thrasher Fox ’98
joined the Birmingham office of Hand Arendall law firm. Jeremy Arthur ’99
of Prattville accepted a position as head of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. He formerly was president of the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce.
assistant professor of aeronautics at EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University in Midland, Ga. He wrote the Aircraft Dispatcher Oral Exam Guide (Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc., 2012) and is working on an instrument pilot textbook to be published next year. Derek Meek ’96 is
an attorney in the Birmingham office of Burr & Foreman. He is ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top lawyers in the country.
and husband Keir of Washington, Va., on Oct. 12. She joins brother Dryden, 2. A daughter, Caroline Victoria, to David Derrer ’92 and wife Joy of Cumming, Ga., on Feb. 17. She joins siblings Emma Grace, Thomas and Mary Cate. A son, Christopher William, to Billy Barton ’93 and Stacy Oliver Barton ’93 of Alabaster on June 23. A daughter, Mackenzie Lauren, to Kristi McCracken Yates ’95 and husband David
of Smyrna, Ga., on Oct. 26. A daughter, Amelia Elizabeth, to Jill Franklin Barton ’96
’99 was promoted to
and husband Tommy of Hoover on Nov. 2.
director of financial planning and analysis for The Cheesecake Factory Inc. in Calabasas Hills, Calif.
A son, Lawson Kreg, to Gregory Bryant ’96 and wife Sandy of Huntsville on Oct. 21.
Jason D. Hicks David Ison ’95 is an
Dryden Whitson ’91
MARRIED Bradley Burns ’93 to
Betsy Neal on Oct. 29. They live in Atlanta.
A daughter, Audrey Elizabeth, to Brian Daniels ’99 and Alisha Reynolds Daniels ’00 of Huntsville
Summer Burris ’98
to Terry Janssen on Feb. 12. They live in Phoenix, where Summer is an area sales director with SureSmile, an orthodontics technology company.
on Nov. 21. A daughter, Hannah Scout, to Sean Flinn ’99 and Erin Lewis Flinn ’99 of Pearland, Texas, on March 6. She joins brothers Patrick, 4, and Ryan, 2.
Healthy app Out with the notebook paper, in with the iPad. Computer science and software engineering doctoral candidates Jonathan Lartigue and Russell Thackston have developed an interactive iPad application that teaches elementary school students about nutrition. Dubbed “Body Quest: Food of the Warrior,” the app features animated characters who provide nutrition facts and lessons through a series of games. The app is being used in third-grade classrooms across Alabama.
’00–’09 Amy Jordan ’01 was
named partner in the Birmingham office of Burr & Foreman law firm, where she focuses on labor and employment law. Melinda E. Sellers ’01
Allen Sullivan Jr. ’01
is an associate in the Birmingham office of Burr & Foreman law firm, where he focuses on tax planning for entrepreneurs.
James Brady ’05 to
Gregory Saunders ’09
(“Poundstone,” cont. from Page 47)
land ’04 is education
Calley Carter on Jan. 28. They live in Auburn.
to Larke Roney on Nov. 19. They live in Houston.
Bank as well as chairman and immediate past president of the Alabama Bankers Association. He has served as president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Auburn City Board of Education; a director of the East Alabama Medical Center; and a director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lee County. He has also served Auburn as a director of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities; chairman of the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate Tournament; and a member of the College of Business Advisory Council. The trustee selection process was handled with integrity and diligence using a structured protocol. The trustees, alumni representatives and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley all worked well together. The end result is an exceptional board of trustees.
director for the Mobile International Festival. She formerly was a special-events coordinator for the city of Mobile.
second-year student in the rural-medicine program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was named a regional coordinator for the American Academy of Family Physicians National Family Medicine Interest Group Network.
Amanda Corrie Burts ’05 to Neil Bontrager
on Nov. 5. They live in Columbus, Ga.
Sarah Smalley Dudley ’07 was promoted to as-
sistant administrator at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham.
Richard W. Kroon ’02
wrote 3D A-to-Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary (McFarland & Co., 2012), a media and entertainment industry reference book. He and wife Melanie live in Lake Balboa, Calif.
Robert McCullough
Birmingham office of Robins & Morton construction and engineering company. He and wife Kelli McNeilly McCullough ’03, an engineer for Southern Company Services Inc., have a daughter, Scarlett Darden. Brandy Rhodes ’09 of Fairhope wrote Good Morning Sun (AuthorHouse, 2011), a children’s rhyming book.
on April 28. They live in Opelika.
’05 to James Davis on
David Smith ’09 to
Aug. 6. They live in Birmingham.
Andrea Galen Talley on March 10. They live in Natchez, Miss.
Kyte Hoefert ’05
to Katherine Boehmler on Dec. 28. They live in Annapolis, Md.
BORN A son, Kamden Lee, to Brian Kirby ’00 and Karol Hardy Kirby ’01
Thomas Henry Alkire
Sukying on Jan. 7. They live in Montgomery. Allie Elizabeth Butterworth ’08 to Bradley Ryan Strouse ’08 on
’08 works in the
Keri Schuetz ’09 to Jonathan Hallford ’05
Lauren Adele Fowler
’08 to Nattakarn “Nui”
Benjamin E. Wise ’01
wrote William Alexander Percy: The Curious Life of a Mississippi Planter and Sexual Freethinker (University of North Carolina Press, 2012).
C E N T E R
Angela Gibbons Strick-
Tate Hinkle ’06 , a
was named partner in the Birmingham office of Burr & Foreman law firm, where she focuses on condominium, real estate and alcohol regulatory law.
A L U M N I
Sept. 4. They live in Nashville, Tenn., where Allie is an operations assistant for Cromwell Radio Group and Brad is an agent for Current Talent Agency.
of Opelika on Sept. 9. He joins siblings Jeffrey and Kolton. A son, Michael Jason Jr., to Michael Hoyt ’01 and wife Laurie of Daphne on Feb. 14. A daughter, Bree Laurel, to James “Lynn” Shoop ’01 and Meredith Rathbun Shoop ’01 of Mari-
etta, Ga., on June 24. She joins siblings Logan and Summer.
Allison Helms ’09 to Jeremy Logan ’09 on
June 4. They live in New Braunfels, Texas. Kathryn Lee Isaacson ’09
to Blake Cameron Ware on July 9. They live in Greenwood, Miss.
Courtney Furlong Dow
A daughter, Darby Ruth, to Bradford Snuggs ’02 and
MARRIED
Sara Elizabeth LaPorte
Courtney Fain Snuggs
director of NightLight International. She was recognized in January as one of seven “Young Influencers in 2012” by Suwanee, Ga.-based Catalyst, a Christian leadership organization.
Christopher Blake
’09 to Robert Hardman
’01 of Birmingham
Lambert ’04 to Erin
Pickett III on Dec. 17. They live in Troy.
on Dec. 28.
Ashley Nicole Morris ’09
to Mark Allen Crane on Aug. 27. They live in Cusseta.
Auburn’s Newest Exclusive Neighborhood
A daughter, Lori Isabella, to Amanda Leigh Jones ’02 and husband Casey of Pisgah on May 20, 2011.
’04 is the Atlanta
Courtney Green on Oct. 29. They live in Birmingham, where Christopher is a certified public accountant with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
bpoundstone@babc.com
A son, Classic Ryder, to Tami Williamson ’02 and husband Stephen of Fairhope on Dec. 27.
Scenic Walking Trails Within Walking Distance of Auburn University Limited Lots Remaining
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Karol Kirby (334) 319-2472
REALTOR
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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Class Notes A son, Hudson, to Corey Chandler ’04 and
wife Brooke of Huntsville on Dec. 27.
bama at Birmingham’s Rural Medical Scholars program.
MARRIED
In Memoriam Daniel Duncan ’37
of Portsmouth, Va., died Nov. 24. He retired as executive vice president of Virginia Chemicals Inc. after 33 years of service.
A son, Spencer Joseph, to Jonathan New ’04 and Jill Beatty New ’03 of Newport, R.I., on March 9.
Amanda Ellen Wilson
A son, William Charles, to Jonathan Wright ’04 and
Brittany Winslett to Eric
’39 of Tuskegee died
Baker ’09 on Nov. 12.
Dec. 1. He worked for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service for 38 years, serving as a county agent in Bullock and Macon counties, and was a past president of the Alabama Association of County Agricultural Agents and Specialists.
to Martin Christopher Beck Jr. on July 9. They live in Columbus, Miss.
J.M. “Jack” Bolling
Beth Kicker Wright ’06
of Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 12.
SNAPSHOT
The invisible inventor More than three decades after earning his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in 1955, George Kirchoff took a phone call that would ultimately define his career as an engineer: A colleague was standing in an automotive manufacturing plant, watching cars come off the assembly line—each one supplied with an airbag designed to save drivers’ lives. The year was 1988, and Chrysler was the first American automaker to include airbags as standard equipment on its vehicles. Kirchoff had helped pioneer the invention of the airbag, a product most of us hope never to need. Just off a U.S. Navy stint as a carrier pilot and having held jobs in the aerospace industry, Kirchoff, now 79, was in the right place to apply his knowledge of dynamics to the design of a new vehicle safety device that amounted to an inflatable cushion. In the mid-1970s, cars were equipped with seatbelts, but few drivers used them. “When we first started developing the airbag, only 12 to 13 percent of people were using their seatbelts,” Kirchoff recalls. “I realized there was a need for more safety.” Now known as the “father of the automotive airbag,” Kirchoff and his colleagues at rocket-and-missile propulsion systems manufacturer Thiokol began attempting to figure out how to help Chrysler make airbags work. “The biggest thing with the airbag was that the inflation device has to fill with air in 30 milliseconds,” he says. The team decided nitrogen gas offered the best option for an airbag’s deployment, because it was safe and would burn fast enough to inflate the bag. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates airbags have saved nearly 30,000 lives in the U.S. alone. Consumer-protection advocate Ralph Nader honored Kirchoff in 1991 with the Center for Study of Responsive Law’s H.H. Bliss Award for his work.—Alexandria Smith ’12
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A daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Green, to Chad Bennett ’05 and Blair Bledsoe Bennett ’05 of Montgomery on Feb. 9. She joins sister Leighton Grace. A son, Corbin Levi, to Edwin L. Perry III ’05
and Courtney Stephens Perry ’04 of Mobile on Dec. 27.
They live in West Africa.
’11 Arthur Bides is a civil-
ian project engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He began a yearlong tour of Afghanistan in February. Todd Petersen was
promoted to second vice president and associate actuary for individual disability insurance with Standard Insurance Co. in Portland, Ore.
Jacob Cooper Jr. ’39 of
Birmingham died Jan. 31. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he retired from American Cast Iron Pipe Co. Sterling Graydon ’39
A son, Ryder Russell Rigsby, to Sharon Aiko Russell ’05 of Foley on Aug. 22.
Chelsea Watkins is an
A son, Caleb William, to Nathan Tubbs ’05 and
Katherine Webb of
Lesley Freeman Tubbs ’04 of Brooklyn, N.Y.,
on Oct. 24. He joins sister Sophia Marie, 2.
account executive in the Atlanta office of Force Marketing.
Phenix City won the Miss Alabama USA pageant in January and will compete for the Miss USA crown in June.
of Myrtle Beach, S.C., died Jan. 8. He was a former Boeing Co. employee who later opened The Silver and Gold shops in Greenwood, S.C., and Beaufort, S.C.
Brette Bennett was
MARRIED
promoted to account executive at Atlantabased Duffey Communications, an Atlanta public relations firm.
Ryan Alcaino to Ashley
James Shelton ’40 of Jacksonville, Fla., died Feb. 2. A World War II veteran, he retired as an education specialist at Fort McClellan.
Cornutt on July 22. They live in Chelsea.
Joseph Lynn Dean ’41
’10
Michael Thomas Plummer to Laura
Eleanor Isbell Mathews
is a member of the University of Ala-
Catherine Jones on Dec. 31. They live in Charleston, S.C.
of Atlanta died Jan. 6. A former U.S. Army captain, he retired as director of the DeKalb County data processing department.
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A L U M N I
C E N T E R
In Memoriam Robert Nester ’41 of Fairhope died Jan. 26. A veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, he retired from the U.S. Navy and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Alma Thompson Benefield ’42 of Montgomery
died Jan. 2. She taught elementary school for more than 34 years. Carl R. Culverhouse ’43 of Redlands, Calif., SNAPSHOT
Game maker Former Auburn Tigers walk-on Alex Howell ’07 mostly warmed the bench during his college football career, taking a backseat to superstar teammates Carnell “Cadillac” Williams and Ronnie Brown during the Tigers’ 13-0 season in 2004. Now he’s reclaiming those glory days—virtually, anyway—as a designer for video game giant Electronic Arts Inc. Howell is the primary creator of Electronic Arts’ NCAA Football 12’s “Road to Glory” game mode, in which a player takes on the persona of a prospective college athlete and walks him through schoolwork, practices and field maneuvers in an effort to win the Heisman Trophy. Based at the company’s studio north of Orlando, Fla., Howell attempts to virtually recreate game days as experienced by himself and his teammates, translating to the video screen the excitement of a breakaway run or intensity of a huddle during a tied game. “I’m working to make it as similar as possible to the college experience that I went through,” he says. A few years ago at Auburn, the Montgomery native switched positions from wide receiver to running back under then-head coach Tommy Tuberville. He stayed on the scout team all four years, never playing a single down in Jordan-Hare Stadium. “Our role was to prepare the defenses for upcoming weeks,” he told Orlando Magazine, which published a profile of the 26-year-old in October. “I was getting killed. It was the ‘Rudy’ life minus the awesome ending. ... Fast forward a few years, and I’m making a football video game. So now I’m saying, ‘This totally paid off.’” Off the field, Howell earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design at Auburn, then a master’s degree in interactive entertainment at the University of Central Florida. “The fact that I can take my knowledge of being a player and put that into a product seems like something I should be doing,” he says.—Morgan McKean ’12
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died Dec. 19. He worked as a chemical engineer, primarily in the aerospace industry. Attie Fleming ’43 of Birmingham died Dec. 14. He retired as an agronomy professor at the University of Georgia, where he taught for 40 years. Hugh Gayler ’43 of Eufaula died Dec. 18. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he worked as a project manager in the U.S. Department of Defense for 25 years. Edward Lide ’43 of
Atlanta died Jan. 1. A World War II veteran, he worked for Lockheed Martin Corp. for more than 40 years. Warren Sockwell ’43 of Huntsville died
Dec. 11. A World War II veteran, he was an engineer for the U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command. Ina “Bobbie” Wright Harrell ’44 of Pen-
sacola, Fla., died Feb.
6. A licensed pilot, she flew with the Civil Air Patrol during World War II and practiced pharmacy for more than 30 years. She and her husband owned and operated Harrell’s Brentwood Drugstore, and developed Brentwood Shopping Center in Pensacola, Fla.
Victor I. Dekle ’48 of Cedartown, Ga., died Jan. 4. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was a retired textile engineer. Royal “Dink” Glasscock ’48 of Birmingham
Mary Jo Nicoll ’44 of
died Dec. 13. He worked in the grocery and insurance industries, and established Walglas at Oxmoor Inc. in 1991.
Greenville, S.C., died Jan. 28. She was a retired schoolteacher.
Fern Sulphin Nix ’48 of Greenville died Sept. 19.
Sara Lucille West ’44 of Huntsville died
Dec. 27. She was a vice president at Section Gin & Grain Co.
Cecil J. Teague ’48 of
Decatur died Jan. 7. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he taught Sunday school at Central Baptist Church.
Robert A. Kirby ’46 of
Eufaula died Jan. 10. A captain in the U.S. Army, he was a veterinarian and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa honor society and Omega Tau Sigma veterinary fraternity. William E. “Bill” Peters ’46 of Athens, Texas,
died Jan. 15. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Robert B. Cater Jr.
Martin Beck ’49 of Auburn died Jan. 4. A World War II veteran, he operated Beck’s Turf Inc. for 29 years. William H. Black Jr. ’49 of Mobile died
Dec. 13. A World War II veteran, he retired as chief administrative officer in the engineering department of Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co. after 36 years of service.
’47 of Homosassa,
Fla., died Jan. 8. He served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry.
Robert “Bob” Davis ’49
of Stanton died Feb. 5. He was an educator and high school principal in Autauga and Chilton counties.
Jean Crawford Mills ’47 of Dallas died Jan
15. She was active in various civil organizations through the years, and was a member and province president of Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
Henry Grady Gillam Jr. ’49 of Gadsden died
Feb. 16. A World War II veteran, he was president and CEO of American National Bank and a local bank manager for
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From San Diego to New York City, Houston to Chicago, Atlanta to Birmingham and points between, your Auburn family is there for you. Reach out today to an alumni club in your town for career networking, community service opportunities and fun events that celebrate your alma mater.
www.aualum.org/clubs w w w. a u a l u m . o r g
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II
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In Memoriam AmSouth in Gadsden. He was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and a past president of Kiwanis Club of Gadsden.
coached high school football in northern Alabama for more than 40 years. Charles D. Hudson ’50 of LaGrange, Ga.,
Barbara Williams McGee ’49 of Eutaw
died May 26, 2011. She was a schoolteacher. Kathryn Seale Smith SNAPSHOT
Food fight She graduated from Auburn University with a business degree and eventually became a chef; he attended the University of Alabama, indulged an interest in historical restoration and went to work as a contractor. Along the way, Missy Ferraro Mercer ’95 and Browne Mercer married and subsequently figured out how to merge their interests: Together, they own a pizzeria, café and bakery in Montgomery. But don’t take the Mercers’ surface camaraderie for granted. They’re also rival authors. A year ago, the restaurateurs revealed their latest project, a pair of sister cookbooks geared to Auburn and Alabama fans, specifically those who enjoy tailgating. She wrote the Auburn University Cookbook. He wrote the University of Alabama Cookbook. They claim not to have aided each other during the writing process, which took place during the 2010 football season. Still, the timing may have given Missy Mercer a bit of an edge: That was the year Auburn won its first national football championship title in 50 years. She and Browne created their own recipes for the books, working independently of each other, Missy says. However, the 30 recipes in each book—which include detailed instructions for dishes such as “Kick ’Em in the Butt Big Blue Chili” and “Rammer Jammer Baked Beans”—were taste-approved by fans from both universities, she adds. “We would bring a whole bunch of food over to my family’s house on game days and test them out,” says Missy. The couple credits long hours in their grandmothers’ kitchens for stirring up a shared passion for cooking. After majoring in finance at Auburn, Missy enrolled at California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and spent another four years working in restaurants in the Bay area. After two years of cooking for resorts in Telluride, Colo., she jumped the chance to move home to Montgomery. The Mercers now run Tomatinos Pizza and Bake Shop as well as the adjacent Café Louisa and Louisa’s Bakery in Montgomery’s Old Cloverdale neighborhood. In addition to kitchen duties, Missy handles the bills and bookkeeping, while Browne focuses on catering and cake decorating.—Morgan McKean ’12
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’49 of Gadsden died
Jan. 12. She volunteered at Riverview Regional Medical Center for more than 40 years. James D. “Jim” Bottoms ’50 of Treynor,
Iowa, died Dec. 15. A U.S. Army veteran and former Auburn Tigers quarterback, he was a part-owner of Treynor Farm Supply Co. Inc. and had served as town mayor.
died Jan. 19. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a past president of the Auburn University Foundation, served on the board of Auburn’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He owned an insurance agency and was a partner in a hardware company; served two terms as chair of the Georgia Board of Corrections; and was a former member of the Callaway and Fuller E. Callaway foundations, among other community activities.
James Jernegan ’51 of
Skipperville died Jan 23. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he taught vocational agriculture and worked with California Spray and Chemical Co. for 27 years. Mary Askew Layfield ’51 of Dadeville died
Jan. 18. Robert H. Lisenby Sr. ’51 of Abbeville died
Feb. 4. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he was a farmer and had served as assistant superintendent of education for Henry County. Henry G. Lowry ’51
of Glenwood Springs, Colo., died Jan. 4. He was a pharmacist for more than 40 years. Edmund C. McGarity ’51 of Gadsden died
Aaron L. Cook ’50
Ernest F. Woodson
of Birmingham died Dec. 2. A World War II veteran, he worked as an engineer for more than 40 years.
Sr. ’50 of Jackson
Preston Evans ’50 of
Stone Mountain, Ga., died Dec. 27. A World War II veteran, he retired as a claims supervisor from State Farm insurance company. Byron M. Forbus ’50
of Paducah, Ky., died Dec. 26. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked as a pharmacist for more than 50 years. Charles C. Grubbs ’50 of Mary Esther,
Fla., died Nov. 25. He
died Jan. 14. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, he was a pharmacist, a partner in Woodson Furniture Co. and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Jan. 10. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was vice president and treasurer for U.S. Pipe and later worked for U.S. Home Corp. in Clearwater, Fla. Most recently he served as vice president and controller for a family medical practice in Gadsden.
Jerry Mack Baker ’51
of Muscle Shoals died Dec. 18. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he owned a real estate and insurance company. Martha Poarch Huie
Richard Van Benschoten ’51 of
Mobile died Jan. 29. He was a retired employee of Scott Paper Co. Robert Herbert
’51 of Birmingham
Boerner Sr. ’52 of
died Nov. 21. She taught elementary school in Attalla for 18 years.
Huntsville died Jan. 9. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he worked for NASA’s Marshall
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Cub Corner Space Flight Center on the second stage of the Saturn V rocket and managed the Hawk missile program. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
Muriel Smith Harris ’53
of Auburn died Jan 24. She taught first grade at Dean Road Elementary School and Lee Academy for 30 years. Benjamin Franklin Lawson Jr. ’53 of
Jack Cox Sr. ’52 of
Myrtle Beach, S.C., died Jan. 22. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was a veterinarian and owner of Cox Veterinary Hospital for 50 years.
Walterboro, S.C., died Feb 14. A U.S. Air Force pilot, he was a retired dean and faculty member with the Medical University of South Carolina.
Make an origami tiger Limber up your fingers for this fun folding project! An ancient Japanese craft once reserved for religious ceremonies and special events, origami has evolved into a popular pastime for anyone with a piece of paper and a little determination. Follow these step-by-step instructions, and soon you’ll have a work of art that is something to roar about! Start with a square piece of paper, and don’t forget to email photos of your creation to alumweb@auburn.edu. You may also post pictures directly to the Auburn Alumni Association’s Facebook page.
Alfred Matthews ’53 George Keller Sr. ’52
of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., died Jan. 27. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he played professional baseball.
of Raleigh, N.C., died Dec. 12. He helped operate Matthews Machine Co. in Decatur. Ernestine McDaniel Stevens ’53 of Decatur
Fred H. Heath ’52 of
Brentwood, Tenn., died June 27. A World War II veteran, he worked as an accountant for 30 years, retiring as a partner with Ernst & Young accounting firm.
died Jan. 4. Carl Bozeman ’54 of
Jackson, Miss., died Jan. 11. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he was a veterinarian. Roger Everett ’54 of
Dan Stuart ’52 of
Vestavia Hills died Feb. 8. He retired as chairman of the board of Brice Building Co. and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Atlanta died Jan. 30. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, he was a dentist, orthodontist and pharmacist. George T. Gann Jr. ’54
of Cary, N.C., died Jan 1.
Ernest Thompson ’52 of
William Sidney Fuller ’53 of Andalusia died
March 11. He was an attorney and law clerk in federal district court and was a member of Kappa Alpha Order.
Robert McLean ’54 of
Bellaire, Texas, died Jan 11. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, he worked as an engineer for Exxon Mobil Corp. for 28 years. Harold Edward Pate ’54 of Lowndesboro
died Jan. 14. He served as a pilot in the U.S.
HTTP://EN .ORIGAM I-CLUB.CO M/
Mobile died Jan. 28. A U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II, he retired as a major.
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In Memoriam
Alumni board slate presented The Auburn Alumni Association board of directors’ nominating committee, having solicited nominations from the membership as required in the association bylaws, has submitted its list of candidates for two new officers and four new directors to the full board. The recommended candidates have been approved by the board and are presented below for the membership’s consideration. According to the association’s bylaws, members may propose other candidates via the process outlined in Article XI, Section 4 (see below). The deadline for contesting any candidate recommended by the board is 4:45 p.m. CST June 18. If no further nominations are received, the unopposed candidates will be deemed automatically elected and will begin their terms at the association’s annual meeting on Nov 3.
Army National Guard for 39 years and was a past president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and Southeastern Livestock Exposition. James Pugh ’54 of Bir-
mingham died Jan. 1. He retired from Sonat Inc. energy company.
WILLIAM B. “BILL” STONE II ’85
RESIDENCE: Signal Mountain, Tenn. MAJOR: Electrical engineering EMPLOYMENT: President and chief operating officer, Electric Motor Sales & Supply AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Auburn Alumni Association board of directors, 2007-present; past president, Greater Nashville Auburn Club; Auburn Alumni Association Most Outstanding Club Leader, 2003; former Nashville co-chair, capital campaign; Engineering Eagle Society; Circle of Excellence VICE PRESIDENT WILLIAM JACKSON “JACK” FITE ’85
RESIDENCE: Decatur MAJOR: Building science EMPLOYMENT: President and CEO, Fite Building Co. Inc. AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Auburn Alumni Association board of directors, 2008-present; past president, Morgan County Auburn Club; George Petrie Society; Samford Society; Circle of Excellence; 2011 Lloyd Nix Achievement Award, North Alabama Auburn Club; Capital Campaign Committee DIRECTORS
Birmingham died Dec. 11. He was a retired employee of Chicago Bridge International.
Alice N. Heard ’56
of Anniston died Jan. 4. She taught school for 42 years and was a member of Delta Zeta sorority.
Nina Celorio Long ’55
of Gainesville, Fla., died Feb. 2. She was an English teacher.
died Jan. 6. She was a retired state employee.
’55 of Valdosta, Ga.,
died Dec. 29. A U.S. Army veteran and member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, he retired from the heavyequipment manufacturing industry. Elinor Sprague Rudd
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MARK H. THOMAS ’95
’55 of Pinson died Jan.
RESIDENCE: Bluffton, S.C. MAJOR: Mathematics EMPLOYMENT: Senior vice president/security and environmental solutions, Integration Innovation Inc. AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Savannah Auburn Club; George Petrie Society; Young Alumni Achievement Award, 2011
15. She taught at Bush Elementary School in Ensley and was a member of the Lazy Daisy Garden Club.
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Jan. 11. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, he was a longtime employee of Sears Holdings Corp.
Margaret R. Nabors ’55
RESIDENCE: Birmingham MAJOR: Speech communication EMPLOYMENT: Director, Merrill Lynch AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Greater Birmingham Auburn Club; Business Advisory Council; Samford Society
Article XI, Section 4: Nominations from Members at Large. Members may propose other candidates for any position provided that (1) the name and a biography of their proposed candidate is submitted in writing to the secretary of the association by the time specified in the notice, which can be no sooner than 30 days from the day of the announcement; (2) the submission specifies which candidate submitted by the directors the new candidate opposes; (3) the submission bears the new candidate’s signed consent; and (4) the submission of the new candidate contains the signed endorsement of at least 75 members. Mail, facsimile or email transmissions of this information will be accepted.
Charles Edwin Buis Jr. ’57 of Atlanta died
DAVID OBERMAN ’80
RESIDENCE: Hampton Cove MAJOR: Fashion merchandising EMPLOYMENT: President and CEO, Huntsville Botanical Garden AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club; Honors College Development Council
Fla., died Jan. 12. He worked as a telecommunications engineer with BellSouth Corp. and AT&T Inc.
of Winter Haven, Fla., died Jan. 12. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he owned Havendale Animal Clinic.
Robert Plummer
PAULA STEIGERWALD ’76
Donald R. Hallenberg
Van Tyle Burnette ’55
TIMOTHY A. MARTIN ’78
RESIDENCE: Northport MAJOR: Pharmacy EMPLOYMENT: Director of pharmacy, DCH Regional Medical Center AUBURN ACTIVITIES: President, Tuscaloosa/Pickens County Auburn Club; Circle of Excellence; George Petrie Society; Harrison School of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Council
Neal R. Carlson ’56
of McDonough, Ga., died Jan. 23. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a veterinary surgeon.
’56 of Plantation, Denis Alcock ’55 of
PRESIDENT
Force veteran, he was a retired accountant.
Merrill “Lee” Wingard ’55 of Prattville died
Jan. 15. A U.S. Air
Gerald “Jake” Frederick ’57 of Birmingham died
Jan. 21. He worked at Legacy Community Federal Credit Union for many years. Edwin Lowell Hall ’57 of Lincoln died
Jan. 31. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he owned Suburban Pharmacy in Montgomery and taught at the University of Oklahoma and Samford University. Myrtle Joiner Lawhon ’57 of Rock Hill, S.C.,
died Jan. 25. She was a home economics teacher at Manchester High School in Manchester,
Get out of town Join other members of the Auburn family on caravan to three of the Tigers’ away football games this fall. Most travel packages include accommodations, tailgating events and the services of an on-site hospitality desk. For more information, see www.aualum.org/travel.
Ga., for many years and was active in the Manchester Woman’s Club. William Newton Price ’57 of Birmingham
died Jan. 11. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran of the Korean War, he founded Magic City Electric Co. Sara Brannon Rief ’57 of Albany, Ga.,
died Feb. 2. She was a sustaining member of the Charity League of Albany. Jack B. Bruce ’58 of
Vestavia Hills died Jan. 31. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he was an executive with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama for 19 years and retired as vice president and co-owner of Crossville Health Care. William Franklin Hinton ’58 of Metairie,
La., died Dec. 16. A U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, he worked as a claims adjuster and litigation specialist. James M. “Jim” Searcy Jr. ’58 of We-
tumpka died Dec. 3.
Richard C. “Jerry” Bishop ’60 of Bremen
died Feb. 1. He served as co-pastor of Life Church in Pelham for 20 years and was an engineer and inventor.
Walter Charles McClenny ’59 of Panama
City, Fla., died Feb. 14. He was a retired employee of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
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Wendell Mitchell ’62 of
Montgomery died Jan. 4. A former state senator, he was a professor and dean of Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University.
Reginald Dewey Carlton ’60 of Sylacauga
William R. “Bob”
died Jan. 7. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he taught at Goodwater and B.B. Comer Memorial high schools in Coosa County and Sylacauga, respectively, and served as principal of Sycamore Elementary School in Sylacauga.
Thompson Jr. ’62 of Au-
Ronald T. Coffee ’60 of
Sophia Stephens Camp
Selma died Jan. 28. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired as a partner in Coffee Printing Co.
’63 of Moreland, Ga.,
burn died Jan. 11. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired in 1994 as assistant state conservationist for water resources with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service. He later started a furniture refinishing business.
died Feb. 3. She taught at East Newnan and East Coweta elementary schools.
Thomas “Ed” Means ’60 of Glencoe died Feb.
Dale Clayton ’63 of
1. A U.S. Army veteran, he was an electrical engineer with Gulf States Steel Inc. for more than 42 years.
Dadeville died Dec. 10. He was a member of the Alabama National Guard and retired from Uniroyal Goodrich after 27 years of service.
Judy Jowers Eastis ’61
of Oneonta died Feb. 4. She served in the American Red Cross in Korea, was a program director with the YMCA and owned a day care.
Dudley Gunter ’59
of Milton, Fla., died Dec. 1. A Korean War veteran, he worked for State Farm insurance company for 28 years.
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Dorothy Porterfield McHugh ’63 of
Tignall, Ga., died Jan. 6. She was a retired mathematics engineer. Eric Wayne Townson
Eleanor H. Barber-
’63 of Murphy, N.C.,
ousse ’62 of Virginia
died Dec. 27. He was an architect.
Beach, Va., died Dec. 30. She taught home economics before becoming an assistant professor of counseling at Auburn. She also taught counseling at George Washington University and Regent University.
Robert Edgar “Sonny” Bonner ’65 of Syl-
acauga died Jan. 14. A retired U.S. Army major, he was a founding member of the Auburn chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Thanksgiving in New York Looking for a different way to spend a holiday? Register now for the Auburn Alumni Association’s “Thanksgiving in New York” trip Nov. 21-25, which offers travelers a prime spot for viewing the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Organized by the association’s War Eagle Travelers program, the family-oriented, four-night tour package includes a buffet breakfast at the Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square, which overlooks the Macy’s parade route, plus tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (featuring the Rockettes) on Thanksgiving afternoon, followed by a holiday cocktail reception and dinner at a top New York City restaurant. Also on tap: tour participants’ choice of another Broadway production as well as a cocktail reception upon arrival. Travelers will join the Metro New York Auburn Club to watch the annual Iron Bowl on Nov. 24. The War Eagle Travelers program also offers trips this fall and winter to other destinations around the globe: Participants may see highlights of Italy, Greece, Turkey and Portugal or board cruises sailing along the Danube or on the Aegean Sea. The program is planning its 2013 tour preview and reunion for noon to 3 p.m. June 9 at the Auburn Alumni Center. For more information on all trips or to register, call 334-844-1443, email wareagletravelers@auburn.edu or see www.aualum.org/travel.
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In Memoriam Robert McKelvey ’66 of Palestine, Texas,
died Dec. 25. A Vietnam War veteran, he ran an equipment-rental business for 28 years and was a member of Delta Chi fraternity.
John J. Atkins Jr. ’70
of Decatur died Dec. 30. Sara Ruth Allmond Carroll ’70 of Colum-
bus, Ga., died Jan. 24. She retired as principal of Wynnton Elementary School.
Sonny Reynolds ’66 of SNAPSHOT
Tied up Men: Think about it. You’re getting dressed for work in the morning, and you have nothing to wear. No decent necktie, that is. That green one has a stain on it; you donned the striped one yesterday; and the one adorned with tiny Santa Clauses—well, let’s just say there’s a time and place for that sort of thing. Enter a pair of Auburn University alumni who believe they have the answer to your sartorial issues. As classmates in law school, David Powers and Scott Tindle—both of whom graduated from Auburn in 2003—came up with the idea for a business that trades on the model established by DVD-by-delivery company Netflix Inc. Designed for men who regularly wear neckties, customers of TieTry, the brainchild of Powers and Tindle, visit a website to select one or more ties to rent. TieTry then mails subscribers their choices; customers may keep the ties for as long as they like or trade them for new ones anytime. “The Netflix model is a brilliant way to apply this business to our lives,” Tindle says. “Wearing ties a lot, you wear it one time and put it away. Choosing a tie is a hard decision, especially when you don’t want to wear one to begin with.” He and Powers started thinking about applying the Netflix model to neckties after viewing an episode of the ABC-TV reality show “Shark Tank,” in which contestants pitch company ideas and inventions to wealthy entrepreneurs. One woman on the show suggested using the rental-and-mail-delivery model for children’s toys: Rather than stuffing their kids’ outgrown toys in a closet, why not allow parents to send items back when their luster has faded? Powers and Tindle decided the business plan could work for them too, and TieTry was born. The company launched in January and within a few weeks boasted subscribers in 20 states. Rental plans start at $11.99 per month; subscribers may choose from more than 250 ties, including both long ties and bow ties, some in Auburn’s own orange-and-blue color combo. “The response has been great,” Tindle says. “We hope to start advertising in some national publications, and offer deals on Groupon and other sites like that.” Neither Tindle nor Powers have quit their day jobs just yet— both are attorneys, Tindle in Mobile and Powers in Washington— so Tindle runs the business out of his home. Ready to tie yourself down? Check out www.tietry.com.—Alexandria Smith ’12
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Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Nov. 20. A U.S. Army paratrooper and Green Beret, he practiced veterinary medicine in Nashville, Tenn., from 1979 to 2002.
25. He was a cattle farmer and a retired employee of the U.S. Department of Defense. Walter Earl Compton ’70 of Northport died
“Bob” Scott ’66 of
Jan. 8. He retired from Ramada Inn hotel chain and was employed by Mapco Discount Food Marts.
W. Russell Beals Jr. ’67 of Birmingham died
Jan. 22. He retired from Alabama Power after 25 years of service and later pursued a career in business and law. Edward Lewis ’67 of
Birmingham died Jan. 19. A U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, he worked as a human resources professional and retired as a command sergeant major with the U.S. Army Reserve.
Jamie Burk Speaker ’70 of Long Beach,
Miss., died Nov. 25. She taught at Quarles Elementary School for 26 years and was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. Richard Ernest Carter ’71 of Savannah, Ga.,
died Feb. 3. He was president of D.J. Powers Co. Inc. logistics company for 36 years. David Stephen
Melvin D. Bassett ’68
Colquett ’71 of Bran-
of Jemison died Jan. 2. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was an employee of Georgia Power and Southern Co.
don, Fla., died Nov. 26. He served in the U.S. Air Force National Guard and worked for GTE Corp./Verizon Communications Inc. for 31 years.
Arthurine Morgan Meier ’69 of Montgomery
died Jan. 5. She taught school and worked as an aircraft mechanic at Maxwell Air Force Base during World War II.
David Sayers ’71 of Auburn died Nov. 29. He taught accounting at Auburn University and Auburn University Montgomery.
Frederic Chapman ’70 of Pinson died Dec.
William Bythwood
Prattville died Nov. 27. He was a land surveyor and real estate developer.
after 23 years, wrote several books, and was a teacher and musician.
Jay Dixon ’71 of Gate City, Va., died Jan. 20. He retired as a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army
Ralph Edmond Sprayberry ’71 of
Birmingham died Jan. 9. He retired as Alabama public housing director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after 41 years of service. Elizabeth “Bette” Floyd ’72 of Columbus, Ga.,
died Jan. 25. She worked in the Muscogee County School District as a media specialist for more than 37 years. Donald Hacker ’72
of Birmingham died Jan. 3. He was the founder and president of CompuSystems Inc. and MainSoft Inc., and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. David McCall ’72 of
Memphis, Tenn., died Jan. 20. He worked in the trucking industry, sold menswear and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Elaine “Lanie” Haigler Scovell ’72 of Tallahas-
see, Fla., died Jan. 20. She taught elementary school and preschool for 36 years. Eric Coady ’73 of Pensacola, Fla., died
Park it here The Auburn Alumni Association offers reserved parking prior to the Tigers’ home football games for $675 per space. Parking spots are located behind the Auburn Alumni Center, and proceeds benefit student scholarships. A portion of the payment is tax deductible. To guarantee a spot for the 2012 season, contact Nancy Ingram at 334-844-2586 or nancyingram@auburn.edu.
Feb. 1. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, he was an adjunct instructor in environmental science and math at Pensacola State College. Elaine Lawhon Friel
investment executive for CoreFirst Bank and Trust. Marcy Anne Bergey ’79 of Montgomery
died Jan. 14. She was a longtime employee of Sterling Bank.
’73 of Vestavia Hills
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Michael Martin ’93 of
Starkville, Miss., died Jan 20. A member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, he was an electrical engineer for the U.S. Department of State. David J. Pearce ’98
of Hoover died Jan 20. He owned Patton Chapel Animal Clinic in Hoover.
died Jan. 7. She was a member of Auburn’s first women’s varsity tennis team and was a social worker in Jefferson County.
James N. Luke ’79 of
Michael Harlan Fuller
Jeffrey Berry ’81 of
’73 of Sonoma, Calif.,
died Jan. 8. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was an avid pilot.
Carrollton, Texas, died Jan. 20. He was active in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Auburn Club.
Jeffrey Israel ’73 of
Michael M. Hutcheson
“Bobby” Mitchell ’07
Dallas, Ga., died Jan. 17. He worked in the insurance business for 30 years.
’82 of Rainbow City
died Jan. 31. He worked for Super Bee Pharmacy for 30 years.
of Atlanta died Nov. 28. He worked as a client services representative for IBM.
William Elliot Collier Jr.
Chris Moorhead ’89 of
Andrew McQuaig ’10 of
’75 of Atlanta died Jan.
Pensacola, Fla., died Jan. 26. He was senior vice president of Coastal Bank and Trust and a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Lilburn, Ga., died Jan. 27. He was employed by Graham Field Health Products Inc.
Kosciusko, Miss., died Jan. 20. He operated animal clinics in Philadelphia and Union, Miss.
A L U M N I
Francis Dee Imlay ’04
of Mountain Home, Idaho, died March 28. He was an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter pilot and a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Robert Marshall
22. He was a graphic designer. William Gregory Mann ’75 of Stone
Mountain, Ga., died Dec. 15. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and was employed by Lowe’s.
Mary Katherine Sparks ’89 of Columbus,
Libbie Elizabeth
Ga., died Jan. 14. She taught Spanish at Brookstone School.
Ainsworth of Coppell,
William Howard Osborn ’75 of Albertville died
James “Jimmy” Daniel
Jan. 8. He had served as president of Snead State Community College.
’90 of Birmingham died
Montgomery died Feb. 5. Barbara Hill ’93 of
’75 of Topeka, Kan.,
died Jan. 8. A member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, he was an
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on the Auburn Alumni Association’s new Alumni Walk, located at the Auburn Alumni Center’s front portico facing South College Street. The project allows alumni and friends of Auburn University to buy a personalized paver commemorating a graduation date, celebrating a baby’s birth, honoring or memorializing a loved one, or recognizing a club, sorority, fraternity or other organization. Pavers will be in place prior to the Tigers’ Sept. 15 home football opener and are available in several sizes: 4-inch-by-8-inch bricks for $200; 8-inch-by-8-inch sandstone slabs for $500; and 12-inch-by-12 inch granite squares for $1,000. Each paver may be etched with an inscription of the purchaser’s choosing, and proceeds benefit student scholarships. Purchases are tax deductible. For more information, contact Janet Bryant at 334-844-1150 or janetbryant@auburn.edu, or see www.aualum.org/scholarships.
Glenn A. Anderson of
cinnati died Jan. 31. Jeffrey Edward Tilden
Texas, died Jan. 3. She was a sophomore interior design major at Auburn and a member of Phi Mu sorority.
Jan. 18. Monty Scott ’90 of
Jon Shehane ’75 of Cin-
Faculty and Friends
Walk this way
Dadeville died Feb. 8. She worked as a nurse and also owned Pak Mail and Village Gifts.
Auburn died Jan. 21. He retired as assistant dean of Auburn University Libraries after 30 years.
Wesley Newton Jr. of
Montgomery died Jan. 30. He taught history at Auburn.
John Holmes of Auburn
died Feb. 11. He taught mathematics and statistics at Auburn.
Brent Banking Co. and was a member of Auburn’s Samford Society. Louise Kreher Turner of
Edward L. Patridge
of Brent died Jan. 12. He retired as president of
Auburn died Jan. 24. A retired associate professor at Auburn, she
and her late husband, Frank Allen Turner, donated 120 acres of land to the university in 1993 which is now known as the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
63
A L U M N I
C E N T E R
The Last Word
Older and wiser BY SARAH HANSEN ’11 Auburn is hard to define. How do you explain it to someone who hasn’t experienced it? On the surface, it may seem like everything that happened during my four years on campus is what Auburn is about. But Auburn is more: It’s where I found out what I was made of as well as what makes me. When I moved to Auburn for college, I had no way of knowing how many big changes would take place for me in this small town, or how the university would change during my time here. I moved into Lane Hall in the lower quad in 2007, and, coming from Jacksonville, Fla., Auburn seemed backward at first. Apple Inc. had released the iPhone earlier that year, and it seemed the rest of the world was going wireless while Auburn students still needed to plug laptop computers into Ethernet cords in their dorm rooms. Einstein Brothers Bagels, located on the ground floor of Lupton Hall, was one of the only places on campus to grab a decent cup of coffee. The closest Starbucks was in Tiger Town in Opelika. Long nights in the library taught me that sometimes the 40-minute round trip was worth it. It was a year full of firsts. My first time in Jordan-Hare Stadium was the day after I turned 18. The season opener against Kansas State was a win. More importantly, it was the beginning of my understanding of what it meant to be part of the Auburn family. The student section was electrifying. (Being in Haley Center three minutes before class, still circling the hallways of the third floor, second quadrant, looking for my classroom? Not so much. I never quite learned my way around that building.) The first go-round of college finals was different than I expected. Making it to finals week was more difficult than the final exams themselves. I had stubbornly decided to stop doing laundry about 10 days before making the six-hour drive back to Jacksonville after finals to see my parents. This contributed to a number of “special” outfits I would wear. I hope there’s no photographic evidence. Year one at Auburn made me the happiest I had ever been up to that point. I made wonderful friendships, got involved on campus and with a social sorority, and learned that a “C” in college was much like the occasional “C” in high school—it wasn’t going to kill me. The words “War Eagle” amounted to something more than the lyrics of a fight song, and, most importantly, I learned that a part of my heart would always remain in this east Alabama town. The beginning of sophomore year brought a new outlook on life as well as on campus. The old Haley Concourse was replaced by a more streamlined look. Administrators unveiled the highly anticipated Student Center, which housed new meeting places, dining vendors and—most importantly for me—Starbucks. This was also the last season at Auburn for head football coach Tommy Tuberville. The Tigers chalked up five wins and seven losses—not our best. But that didn’t stop me from screaming my
64
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
lungs out with the rest of the students during every home game. It was in spring of my sophomore year that I fell in love with journalism. After fighting my way into the dreaded JRNL 1100 course, I was determined to succeed. And I did—I was officially accepted into the major that summer. Summer in Auburn was something new and different. I got to see The Village residence hall complex evolve from work-inprogress to open-for-business during those three months in 2009. The Shelby Center for Engineering Technology, on the other hand, was somehow still under construction. I wondered if I would see it completed before I graduated. Coach Gene Chizik began a new chapter in Auburn’s football history that fall. He led the Tigers with confidence and poise; the season ended with the Tigers pulling a win at the Outback Bowl. The same year, Tichenor Hall, which had been closed for several years for renovations, reopened for classes. The dean’s office of the College of Liberal Arts, as well as the Department of Communication and Journalism, were moved there. It was nice to actually have a building that felt like it was my home base for academics. Previously, many journalism courses were held in the basement of Haley Center. Junior year was the first year that I felt confident in my classes. Journalism suited me well, but that didn’t mean I skated by without bumps or bruises. Adjusting to being an upperclassman was not easy. I could actually feel graduation around the corner, but it was still out of reach. My major grade-point average was always in the back of my mind. Many “all-nighters” took place that year. Senior year finally arrived, and I was almost done. Now I could relax, right? Nope. While the National Championship football season, sorority formals and pizza-and-movie nights with my boyfriend might end up being my main memories of senior year, it was also the semester I became an adult. While working as a student assistant at Auburn Magazine that semester, I also did my practicum for The Auburn Plainsman. I was pushed to my absolute limit every other day of the week and sometimes Saturdays. It seemed I would almost get to my breaking point, but then something weird would happen: I didn’t break. I learned that life is about pushing past the point where you want to stop. That I’d grown up during my four years at Auburn. And that I liked who I’d become. A former resident of Jacksonville, Fla., Sarah Hansen graduated from Auburn’s College of Liberal Arts in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She continues to live and work in Auburn, and now enjoys yelling “War Eagle” as an alumna.
The Auburn Family Thanks the George Petrie Society for its Support The Petrie Society, named in honor of George Petrie, emphasizes the vital importance of planned gifts that secure the future of the university. Educator, football coach, and “The Auburn Creed” author, Petrie demonstrated remarkable dedication and generosity toward Auburn University. To this day no one has ever bequeathed more to Auburn. His creed has provided unforgettable words of inspiration for generations of Auburn students, alumni, and friends. This special society recognizes donors who have followed Petrie’s example by including Auburn University or Auburn University Montgomery in their own will or estate plan.
GeorgePetrie Society
Petrie Society members are honored, and new members are inducted, at a biennial reception held in the spring. New members who were honored during the society’s April 20, 2012, induction ceremony include: William D. Abernethy David and Joanna Austin Dr. Faye Baggiano and Col. (Ret) Tony Baggiano Stephen D. Baum Dr. Mary K. Boudreaux and Mr. Calvin Cutshaw Jane Parkman Bowles Mr. Thomas Brown Drs. Bart and Michelle Bryan Mack and Rebecca Burt Captain Herbert Oran Burton Mrs. Karen Koch Carlisle Mr. Marcus Rene Clark Tim Cook Dr. Suzane Cooper Mr. Phillip O. Cowart Mary Lynda Crockett George Gardner Davidson, Jr. Mr. Darrin D. Davis Mrs. Jane F. Devine Mrs. Suzette Lauber Doepke Glenn and Kenneith Donald Rosemary Dearth Dusi and Julian Luigi Dusi Dr. Amelia Ruth Dyar and Mr. Joseph Cannon Nicole Faulk Joe and Gayle Forehand Ms. Mary Lou Foy Mr. David H. Frid Greg H. Griffin Grant and Julie Griffith Mr. Toby Eugene Gurley Dr. Jamey Haigh and Mrs. Samantha McNeilly John Austin Hamilton and Susie Painter Hamilton John Scott Henderson and Claudia Cargile Henderson Dr. Edward S. Higgins Dr. Tracy D. Hudson and Victoria Clendenon Carl M. Jeffcoat Mr. Clarence Henry Jester Andrew and Stacey Jordan Sharon and Jim Lovell Dr. and Mrs. Craig Martin Timothy A. and Angela C. Martin Dr. Donald McDonald Mr. Mark Clayton McGill and Mr. Robert Satoloe Bill and Jennifer McMahon Dr. and Mrs. Doug Meckes Mr. Robert E. Montgomery Jane B. Moore Mr. Timothy E. Moore Mr. and Mrs. David Allen Morris
Christopher R. Murvin Tim and Stacey Nama Dr. Charles and Ruth Otto Albry Joe Peddy and Susan Flach Peddy Marsha Crawford Powell and Thomas P. Powell Rev. George Robert Prater Johnny and Kym Prewitt Marcalyn and Terry Price Harry Glen Rice and Gail G. Rice Dana and Robert Robicheaux Mr. Darryl Guin Robinson Ms. Mary Jane Rojas Mr. and Mrs. David Lee Romero Judy and Michael Servidio LCDR Lee Hiter Shannon Shirley Dykes Silverman Janine M. Slick Cecil W. Sowell Dr. and Mrs. Scott Sprayberry Bob and Frances Stevenson Richard K. Straus, Sr., D.M.D Edwin Lewis Sweeten and Vicki Prisock Sweeten Steve and Laura Taylor Mark and Kelly Thomas Mrs. Lila Van De Velde Mr. and Mrs. Roger Conrad Vaughan Beth S. and John G. Veres III Patrick S. Wagoner Gary L. and Marcia A. Webb Carl and Marjorie Whatley Urban Earl Whatley Dr. Betty Lou Whitford Ron and Karla Wilkinson John Marvin Wilkinson and Donnia Wilkinson Mr. Stanley L. Wilks Ronald and Patricia Williams Larry Williamson Elizabeth Appleton Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Higdon Yon III Anonymous (7)
OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
October 26, 2007
Names reflect donors’ preferred listings.
The Hotel at Auburn University For moreDixon information,Conference please contact and Center
Donor Relations at donor.relations@auburn.edu or by calling 334.844.1322. Information, event photos and a full listing of Petrie Society members are available online by clicking “Donor Societies” at develop.auburn.edu/recognition.
Auburn Alumni Center 317 South College Street Auburn, AL 36849-5149 w w w.aualum.org
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