A centennial for Extension pg. 44 FEATURE
The real cause of cabin fever pg. 18 RESEARCH
A football camp for the rest of us pg. 24 ATHLETICS
FALL 2014 SUMMER 2014
The Eternal Optimist Adam Evans and the Culture of Fresh
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Fillet, at the speed of light What’s faster than a speeding bullet? Maybe the fillet knife of Adam Evans ’02, executive chef at Atlanta’s The Optimist restaurant and a rising star in the country’s fast-growing foodie culture. How fast does a fillet-meister work? Check out our stop-motion photo feature as part of our online bonus content at auburnmagazine.auburn.edu—look for the arrows throughout the issue to find more online content. (Photograph by Jeff Etheridge.) See more online at auburnmagazine.auburn.edu
F A L L
2 0 1 4
From the Editor
Covers and lovers SUZANNE JOHNSON Editor, Auburn Magazine
new, and often never published, photographs of both the university and the city from the earliest days to last year’s Iron Bowl victory. It’s hard to imagine anyone looking through the book and not spotting a familiar face or a familiar place. Wish you had gotten the other cover? You can see them both by visiting auburnmagazine. auburn.edu. (Look for the arrow icon throughout this issue to find which stories have more bonus coverage online.) Speaking of covers, the magazine staff is already looking ahead to our Spring 2015 issue, which we’re calling “Love on the Plains.” That’s where you come in. Did you meet your spouse or significant other while attending Auburn? We want to hear your love stories. How did you meet? Was it love at first sight or the beginning of a contentious courtship? Do you have an unusual multigenerational set of love stories, or siblings who fell in love with siblings? Send your stories to us at aubmag@ auburn.edu or via snail mail to Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849. We’ll use all the stories either in the print magazine or online. Send us a great photo, too, either a high-resolution .jpg file or a print that we can digitize and return.
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 368495149. Phone 334-844–1164. Fax 334-844–1477. Email: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2014 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 printed. 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. Back issues may be found online at www.aualum.org/magazine. To join the association, call 334844–2586 or visit our website at www.aualum.org.
POSTMASTER Send address changes to AU Records, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849–5149.
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Shannon Bryant-Hankes ’84
Covers are a Big Deal in the magazine world. We agonize over which story to feature and which image to use. We argue over what color the masthead should be, how and where the wording should go, and what stories get mentioned in the upper right corner spot. Sometimes, however, we agree not to decide. For this issue of Auburn Magazine, we chose to experiment with two covers. Did you graduate from Auburn University within the last 10 years? Then your cover features one of the hottest young chefs in the business, Adam Evans ’02, whose culinary career has taken him from New Orleans to New York and south again. Today, Adam’s winning ways with seafood make The Optimist one of the “must-do” dining experiences in Atlanta. If you’re a graduate of 2005 or earlier, your magazine cover features a classic shot of a big welcome home for the Auburn Tigers as they returned on the train after defeating Georgia Tech in 1955. We love this shot for its spirit, its rare look at a 1950s-era train stopped at the Auburn Train Depot, and, yes, for that one guy who’s ignoring his surroundings and looking straight at the camera. (If that’s you, let us know!) The story features a pair of professors emeriti whose faces would be familiar to anyone who graduated in the Auburn journalism program in the past several decades: Jack Simms ’49 and Mickey Logue ’52. The third edition of their book, Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, came out this summer with hundreds of
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Jessica King at 334-844– 2586 or see our media guide at www.aualum.org/magazine.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
EDITOR
Suzanne Johnson
suzannejohnson@auburn.edu
ART DIRECTOR
Audrey Lowry ’12 UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff Etheridge EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Derek Herscovici ’14 Ashley Selby ’14 DESIGN ASSISTANT
Diamone Scott ’14 IT SPECIALIST
James Hammond ’13 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
Bill Stone ’85 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR
Neal Reynolds ’77 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Maria Baugh ’87 John Carvalho ’78 Jon Cole ’88 Christian Flathman ’97 Tom Ford ’67 Kay Fuston ’84 Julie Keith ’90 Mary Lou Foy ’66 Eric Ludgood ’78 Cindy McDaniel ’80 Napo Monasterio ’02 Carol Pappas ’77
Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59 Allen Vaughan ’75
BLUE SKY YOUR CAREER
Would you advance within your company? Expand your authority and responsibility, take on a new challenge? Yes, of course. But how? How do you escape your routine and transform yourself?
WITH AN AUBURN EXECUTIVE MBA A Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn, tailored for you, the working executive, will round out your basic skill set, educate you in emerging business thought and practice, and equip you with the skills, knowledge, and qualifications the business world demands of its leaders. The Auburn program is a clever, flexible combination of on-campus residencies and distance technologies that allow you to continue in your job while receiving the first-class education that will send your career skyward.
Executive MBA Programs
Contact us for more info at: www.AuburnEMBA.org or 1.877.AUB.EMBA Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.
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On the cover Auburn Magazine sports two covers this issue: a 1955 football celebration outside the train station; and portrait of chef Adam Evans.
Fall 2014 F R O N T 4 From the Editor
A couple of covers and a call for couples. 10 College Street
A farewell to Tiger, a salute to Eddie Rickenbacker on the centennial of World War I, and a look at the quality of the air up there in our unfriendly skies—or lack thereof.
Remembering Lutz
26 Tiger Walk
Auburn’s first football camp for women Tigers fans; a former player gives veterans the pro treatment; saying goodbye too soon to an AU Family favorite. B A C K 49 Alumni Center
This Experiment Station barn in 1913 stood not far from what is now the President’s home.
16 Research
Delivery methods for medical care and merchandise, from drones to telemedicine. 20 Roundup
What’s happening in your school or college? Check it out. 22 Concourse
Students create art in three dimensions, and the Uzomahs keep academics all in the family.
Auburn President and Mrs. William V. Muse congratulate golden eagle Tiger after a late 1994 announcement that a new shelter would be built in the aviary behind Haley Center. An Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity campaign had pulled in $49,000 to finance the project. Holding Tiger is student handler Rodney Cox, joined by APO faculty advisor Jim Mitchell and Pat Barnes of student affairs.
A special Q-and-A with Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs and executive director, Auburn Alumni Association.
F E A T U R E S
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Timeless
Professors emeriti Jack Simms and Mickey Logue taught generations of AU journalism students. Now, with the third and most extensive revision of their classic Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, they extend their legacy to the Auburn Family. by derek herscovici photography by jeff etheridge and courtesy of au archives and jack simms/mickey logue
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52 Class Notes 56 In Memoriam 64 The Last Word
The Eternal Optimist
Adam Evans’ culinary career has taken him from New Orleans to New York, but it’s in Atlanta that he’s making his mark with his own culture of fresh. by candice dyer photography by jeff etheridge and andrew thomas lee
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Esther Ngumbi, page 60
AU students are “Living Democracy” as they take to the streets of Elba this summer. transformation.
ACES High
After a hundred years of farm and field, canning and cooking, 4-H and friendly advice, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System is still a step ahead of the times. photography courtesy of alabama cooperative extension
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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C A M P U S
N E W S
COLLEGE STREET
Fly away Auburn lost an iconic member of its family on June 18 with the death of Tiger at age 34. The golden eagle, also known as War Eagle VI, was the first to take flight over Jordan-Hare Stadium, beginning what has become one of Auburn University’s most beloved traditions. Believed to be the oldest eagle in captivity, including the last 28 years at the Southeastern Raptor Center, Tiger died from complications following cateract surgery. The average lifespan of an eagle in the wild is 28 years. Tiger’s first pregame flight took place on Aug. 31, 2000, and for the next seven years, she soared at all the home football games, pumping up the crowd to cheer on the Auburn Tigers. She retired from stadium flight in 2006 following her pregame ritual at the Deep South’s oldest rivalry, the Auburn-Georgia game. In the years since, she continued her career in educational presentations through the Raptor Center, which is an arm of Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine. During her seven years of flight, Auburn amassed a 75-27 win-loss record, including the 38-28 SEC Championship victory in 2004. “People knew about the tradition of the Auburn war eagle because of Tiger and because of what she was able to accomplish both from what she did on the field and from the hundreds of educational presentations she participated in,” said Janet McCoy, communications and marketing director for the College of Veterinary Medicine. According to Marianne Hudson, raptor specialist at the Southeastern Raptor Center, Tiger hatched in captivity in 1980 and came to the university in 1986, where she was well cared for by the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Fourteen years later, she was transferred to the raptor center, where she began her career in education, teaching scores of children and adults alike about birds of prey. “She lived here very happily,” Hudson says. “She did numerous presentations all over the Southeast up until the day she passed.” Outside the football stadium, Tiger made a name for herself on a national level when she dazzled the audience reaching into the billions by flying at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to her flight, she also made an appearance on NBC’s “Today” program the following morning. Nova (War Eagle VII), along with Spirit, an American bald eagle, now alternate flying during pregame ceremonies at home football games. They have helped carry on the tradition Tiger began. Tiger’s eye problems were not new. In 2012, veterinary ophthalmologists performed a successful cataract surgery in her right eye. In the months following that procedure, the retina detached, causing her to lose vision in her right eye. However, most likely caused by her old age, Tiger more recently developed a cataract in her left eye. Because of the risk
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Tiger faced at going completely blind, a team of veterinarians determined surgery was necessary to preserve what vision she had left. “The cataract was progressing, and without surgery a complete loss of vision was expected,” said Jamie Bellah, director of the Southeastern Raptor Center and head of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Clinical Sciences. “Tiger came through surgery and anesthesia well and progressed normally during recovery. However, a turn for the worse occurred during the night. We, like the Auburn Family, are heartbroken by her death.” Hudson said Tiger’s legacy will continue, however—both through pregame flights and educational programs. “All families go through cycles of dealing with loss and growth with each other, and the Auburn Family will mourn Tiger and move forward,” Hudson said. “We look forward to continuing Tiger’s legacy.” — Anna Claire Conrad See more online at auburnmagazine.auburn.edu
C O L L E G E
THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES that“Our data show both of these Disease-causing bacteria can linger on surfaces in commercial airplanes for up to a week, bad news in this age of global travel. Kiril Vaglenov, a graduate student in Auburn’s Department of Biological Sciences, conducted a two-year study—funded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airliner Cabin Environmental Research Center—to determine how long E. coli O157:H7 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, would survive on commonly touched surfaces under typical airplane conditions. A major airline carrier supplied researchers with material from armrests, plastic tray tables, seat-pocket cloth, window shades and metal toilet buttons.
bacteria can survive for days on these surfaces, particularly the porous material such as armrests and seat pockets,” said Vaglenov. “Air travelers should be aware of the risk of catching or spreading a disease to other passengers and practice good hygiene.” In order for bacteria to be transmitted from a cabin surface to a person, it must survive the environmental conditions in the airplane. In the study Vaglenov simulated the temperature and humidity levels typically found during commercial flights. MRSA survived the longest—168 hours—on material from the seat-back pocket, while E. coli O157:H7 lived for 96 hours on the material from the armrest.
S T R E E T
“The point of this study is not to be alarmist, but to point out to the airlines the importance of providing a sanitary environment for travelers,” said professor Jim Barbaree, director of the study and mentor for Vaglenov. “We want to work with them to minimize the risks.” The Auburn team is currently investigating how long pathogens that cause other diseases such as tuberculosis survive in an airplane environment. Vaglenov said future steps include exploring effective disinfecting procedures and testing other surfaces and materials that have antimicrobial properties to determine if they can help reduce health risks.
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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
A winning combo In collaboration with the University of Catania and the Paris West University Nanterre, the AU Mediterranean Studies Research Group in the College of Liberal Arts organized a Mediterranean Studies Symposium that took place this summer in Catania, Italy. Several Auburn faculty and students traveled to Catania to present research lectures related to the Mediterranean.
Student success JAY GOGUE ’69
AIR AHOY Auburn University is elevating its aviation program by establishing a center that will serve as a focal point for instruction, research, and support for the aviation and aerospace industries. The center will strengthen academic and research programs, recruit industry to Alabama, improve flight operations and training and collaborate with other colleges and universities, particularly in workforce development efforts. “We’re building a more robust, visionary aviation program that creates opportunities for students and fosters economic development in the state,” said Bill Hutto ’90, director of the Auburn University Regional Airport and a member of the aviation faculty in the Harbert College of Business. The center will oversee Auburn’s flight school and work closely with the Harbert College of Business on the professional
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flight management and aviation management degree programs. Students will see more opportunities to follow industry trends, changes and priorities and interact with potential employers. “Auburn will support state leaders in recruiting new aviation and aerospace industry, retaining industry already in Alabama and renewing industry through research and innovation,” said Seth Hammett ’68, a member of the new center’s steering committee and Gov. Robert Bentley’s chief of staff. The steering committee also includes former Federal Aviation Administration official John McGraw ’87, who chairs the Auburn Aviation Management Advisory Board and leads regulatory affairs at the National Air Transportation Association. The committee will provide overall program guidance and support.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
President, Auburn University Auburn’s excellent faculty and staff support students daily but, as classes were about to end for the spring semester, members of Auburn’s administration and head coaches also had the chance to encourage them as they headed into final exams. We met with students on the concourse outside the Student Center in what was called #CrushFinals. Assistant coaches and representatives from student affairs and other campus offices also were on hand to wish students well and give away items such as coffee coupons, Scantron cards, tote bags and water bottles. While the objective was to give them a word of encouragement, everyone had fun based on the online reaction, which you can check out on Twitter by searching for #CrushFinals. Auburn places great emphasis on fostering the strong sense of connection felt by the hundreds of thousands of alumni worldwide, the students, faculty, staff and Auburn community itself, collectively referred to as the Auburn Family. Important to most students when considering their university home are the results from the National Survey of Student Engagement, which reveals that students rank Auburn in the upper tier nationally for providing a supportive learning environment.
Also, results from a pioneering study known as the Collegiate Learning Assessment at more than two dozen colleges and universities around the nation show significant gains in the intellectual skills of Auburn students—more than 100 points on SAT-equivalent tests— from their freshman to senior years. Auburn placed in the top third of the institutions participating. More than 90 percent of alumni feel Auburn prepared them very well for their future, and more than 96 percent indicate they would choose Auburn
again (nationally, the average is about 82 percent). While the overall quality of the academic experience is fundamental to our mission, students are the lifeblood of the university, and placing emphasis on anything that helps, encourages or supports them in and out of the classroom enhances them, their future and the value of their Auburn degree. War Eagle!
jgogue@auburn.edu
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Over there
In late July 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria set off a series of diplomatic crises that resulted in the four bloody years of World War I. To commemorate the centennial, Special Collections and Archives, located in the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, has prepared an exhibit highlighting two of Auburn University’s World War I collections: sheet music written during the conflict and the papers of American aviator Eddie Rickenbacker. The exhibit will remain in place through 2014. Auburn University’s Digital Library also contains items from both collections. See more online at diglib.auburn.edu/collections/rickenbacker/
Fighting the Flying Circus:
The Action Figure: As America’s aceof-aces during World War I, Rickenbacker became and remains a legend, with his own action figure.
In 1919 Rickenbacker published his recollections of World War I: Fighting the Flying Circus.
An American Hero in the Twentieth Century: In 2005 the late Auburn University historian W. David Lewis published Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century.
Good-Bye Broadway, Hello France: Written in 1917, “Good-bye Broadway, Hello France” recognized the nation’s Revolutionary War debt to France.
How ’Ya Gonna Keep ’Em Down on the Farm: Published in 1918, the year the war ended, this song remained popular for years after the war.
Over There: George M. Cohan, whose statue stands in Times Square, wrote the music and words to “Over There” shortly after America entered World War I.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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THIS IS ENDOWING SUCCESS. C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Software visionaries Walt ’69 and Ginger Woltosz are known internationally as engineering pioneers. Their software breakthroughs have improved the quality of life for those with speech disabilities and have enhanced discovery and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. At Auburn University, they are known for their generous, charitable support that will continue to transform educational and research programs in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
The couple’s recent philanthropic endowment of $10.55 million — the second-largest gift in the college’s history — will support the educational needs of engineering students and the research needs of faculty, while bolstering the technical advances of the college’s research facilities. Their support also includes enhancing the current Woltosz Graduate Fellows Program and endowing a second professorship in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.
Flashback 100 years ago
75 years ago
50 years ago
25 years ago
Fall 1914
Fall 1939
Fall 1964
Fall 1989
Five new coeds entered The Tigers football In his report to the On the morning of the freshman class with team played an away Auburn University Board Friday, Oct. 20, three support because… the intention of taking a Wegame against Auburn Boston of Trustees, AU president fraternity houses were full academic course College. At this time, Ralph B. Draughon firebombed with quality of included an Auburn engineering education is load, making the total TheBC’s roster praised Auburn’s “orderly Molotov cocktails evidenced by the tremendousand successes so many of thrown out of a blue number of women one African-American dignified of compliance therunning college’sback, alumni, one of the very Chevrolet by its students at Alabama Lou and I have withbeen court-ordered ones. IHowknow my education wasHarold supported passengers, resulting in Polytechnic Institute an fortunate Montgomery. integration.” of others, so now Franklin it’s our turn to “paytheit even dozen despite the by the ever,gifts according to the had become the destruction of Alpha Ginger and I of believe in Auburn institute being opened to forward.” university’s timeline university’s firstand hope Gamma Rho’s homeour gifts will its progress women in 1892. These thatintegration, theassist game in continuing African-American student coming float. The Sigma toward the forefront education in the Chi house suffered minor women wanted to contract contained of engineering in January of that year. nation and preventing in the world. organize a basketball a clause Draughon said it was damages, and the Chi Phi - Walt Woltosz team and successfully Montgomery from “most reassuring to live in ‘69 house was left unscathed. petitioned Coach Mike playing because of his a community of quiet No one was ever Donahue for rights to use race. dignity and restraint.” apprehended. the gymnasium.
THIS IS AUBURN.
In recognition of their continued, very generous support of Auburn University, the 10 years ago Board of Trustees has honored Walt and Fall 2004 Ginger by naming the college’s central Above: From research the Cooperative facility inwas theselected ShelbyasCenterAlabama for Engineering Auburn Extension archives the first university Technology as thetoWoltoszcomes Engineering this shot from Nov. 5, 1926, of Mrs. participateLaboratory. in the World Research W. H. Jackson of Clay Food Programme’s “War County and a few of on Hunger” initiative her 3,000 white leghorn chickens. and to serve as a model to other colleges. As a result of this campaign, the Committee of 19 was formed, its name inspired by the WFP’s request that contributors donate 19 cents a day to F I C E child O F inD E V E L O P M E N T helpOaFstarving an impoverished third-world country.
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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C A M P U S
N E W S
Groovy stuff The industrial design program in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design is hosting 13 students from Shu-Te University in Taiwan as part of an ongoing international design education and cultural exchange program. The students, who will be in Auburn until October, worked with Auburn industrial design students in Taiwan earlier this summer and now are taking English as a second language courses and working with AU professor Tin Man Lau on the Groovystuff project, a furniture design competition.
Art in life
COMING TO THE STAGE The story of a young Union private who flees from the field of battle, Stephen Crane’s classic Red Badge of Courage will be part of the Auburn Department of Theatre’s 2014-15 schedule, which includes: Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (September); Nunsense (October); Vinegar Tom (November); Once Upon a Mattress (February); and Red Badge of Courage (March).
High-tech trees Although the exact species of tree that will replace Auburn’s famed oaks has yet to be determined, the literal foundation for their survival neared completion this summer at Toomer’s Corner. The future trees—scheduled for planting in early 2015—will grow in a high-tech environment that will maximize their chances for a long, happy life. Construction crews have installed a modular, underground structural system known as Silva Cells, which are designed to support large tree growth while reducing soil compac-
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tion and providing stormwater management. The project in Samford Park is the first in Alabama to use Silva Cell technology. “This system is specifically made for trees to thrive in urban environments,” said Auburn campus planner Ben Burmester. “It is quite a challenge to create adequate space for the new trees so close to a major intersection, but this technology will allow for the best root growth possible.” Silva Cells, manufactured by DeepRoot, have been installed in landscaping projects
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
around the world, including venues like New York’s Lincoln Center and Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. Each cell is composed of a deck and a frame and holds about 10 cubic feet of soil. Samford Park has multiple Silva Cells surrounding the areas where both trees will be planted. The units will create a maximum containment area for lightly compacted soil. Rigid vertical posts protrude from the bottom of the frame to support hardscapes along with the weight of any
load they carry, such as vehicular traffic. Further increasing the chances of the future trees’ survivability, crews will install a specially mixed soil at Toomer’s Corner. The mixture of sand, clay and other substances has been specially formulated by horticultural experts well-credentialed in tree transplantation. “This approach will provide the best growing environment possible for the future trees,” Burmester said.
See more online at www.auburn.edu/communications_marketing/oaks/tree_render.pdf.
The Alabama Prison Arts + Education project at Auburn University has provided visual arts classes in multiple correctional facilities around the state since 2003. A recent $55,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts helps ensure the programming will continue. The program is housed in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Human Sciences at Auburn. Under a partnership with the Alabama Department of Corrections, it offers semester-long arts, sciences and English classes in 10 correctional facilities across the state. Program Director Kyes Stevens said there are plans to reach into even more facilities in 2015. “We believe it’s important for the adult prison population to gain a quality education, and also to build a relationship with learning that will continue to grow for the rest of their lives,” she said. The NEA uses its Art Works program to support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and powerful art, lifelong learning in the arts and the strengthening of communities through the arts. This is the seventh NEA Art Works grant Auburn’s program has received since its inception in 2003. Stevens said the NEA is its largest funding source and considers the grant the backbone of the programming. The grant will fund not only programming through 2015, but also the production of the next anthology of student work. An anthology is produced and sold every two years. “Art classes provide a place for those who want to learn to come and develop critical thinking and processing skills that are not only relevant to making good art, but can also impact individuals in other aspects of their lives,” Stevens said.
THIS IS A MEANINGFUL LEGACY.
GeorgePetrieSociety for its Support
The Auburn Family Thanks the
Through The Auburn Creed, George Petrie left a legacy that defines and unites the Auburn Family. Today, the George Petrie Society emphasizes the vital importance of planned gifts — charitable commitments through wills, annuities, or trusts — and honors donors for creating a legacy for Auburn University and Auburn Montgomery through these unique philanthropic opportunities. The Petrie Society held its biennial recognition program and dinner at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center on April 11, 2014, at which time the society: • numbered 841 households, • welcomed 156 new households, and • included active planned gifts with a total value of $463 million for the benefit of Auburn and Auburn Montgomery. Contributions by Petrie Society members to the Auburn University Foundation increase scholarship and fellowship opportunities for students, support high-quality faculty and instruction, and enhance academic and student programs. To see a complete listing of Petrie Society members, along with photos of the April 11 event, go to https://develop.auburn.edu/recognition. For more information about the Petrie Society or Auburn University’s other recognition societies, please contact the Donor Relations office by emailing donor.relations@auburn.edu, calling 334.844.1322, or visiting https://develop.auburn.edu/recognition.
“Planned gifts are essential because they ensure the future of our university. By their very nature, they are forward-looking and represent donors’ recognition of the importance of ensuring the viability of our university — now and in the future.” – Jane DiFolco Parker President, Auburn University Foundation and Auburn University Vice President for Development
THIS IS AUBURN.
C O L L E G E
The
S T R E E T
Stacks
The definitive account of modern golf’s foremost architect, Robert Trent Jones, who designed courses in 42 states and 28 countries. (Gotham)
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More in the family Auburn University awarded 1,150 academic degrees on Aug. 2 during summer graduation ceremonies. The commencement speaker was retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ron Burgess ’74, who currently serves the university as senior counsel for national security programs, cyber programs and military affairs. Learn more online at http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/6068.
The latest outing in this thriller series finds the rogue warrior taking on a covert CIA operation for SEAL Team Six to unravel before a U.S. port is threatened. (Forge)
Atkins’ fourth Quinn Colson mystery thriller finds the Jericho, Miss., sheriff investigating a mysterious lynching in his hometown. (Putnam)
James R. Hansen
Richard Marcinko ’77
Ace Atkins ’94
Hansen is an AU professor of history and author of First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong.
Marcincko lives in Warrenton, Va. This is the 18th in the Rogue Warrior series.
This is Atkins’ eighth novel. He is a former journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee.
A novel of four longtime friends who, after many years apart, gather on a remote barrier island off South Carolina, where their lives will forever change. (Grand Central)
Reluctant serial killer Serge Storms and his sidekick Coleman engage in a deadly tango around the Florida swamps with a hitman who killed the love of his life. (William Morrow)
The story of Gettysburg National Military Park and how the battlefield’s preservation has changed since being taken over by the National Park Service in 1933. (Univ. of Tenn. Press)
Anne Rivers Siddons ’58
Tim Dorsey ’83
Jennifer M. Murray ’10
Among Siddons’ many novels are Burnt Mountain, Peachtree Road, and The House Next Door.
Dorsey is a novelist living in Tampa. Tiger Shrimp Tango in the 17th in his Serge Storms series.
Murray is an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
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DUST TO DUST Auburn University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics recently introduced its one-of-a-kind Magnet Laboratory and 6,000-pound superconducting magnet. The facility, housed in the physics department, will support plasma physics research for Auburn faculty and students, as well as national and international scientists who will come to Auburn to perform experimental and theoretical studies. The magnet will allow researchers to shape the structure of the magnetic field and, as a result, perform potentially groundbreaking experiments. “We have worked very hard to establish a team of collaborators. We have potential partners from Europe, from Asia, and we are continuing to build our partnerships with our U.S. collaborators. It is
our hope that by the end of 2014 to early 2015, we will provide an opportunity for the first of those collaborators to come to Auburn and begin doing experiments here,” said physics professor Edward Thomas. “This device, in its conception, in its design, is really unique. I am fairly comfortable saying there is no other experimental configuration quite like this—to explore the physics that we are trying to do—in the world.” Plasma, which is one of the four states of matter and the most abundant in the visible universe, is what makes up a bolt of lightning, most stars, and is a
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primary component of the sun. A plasma that contains electrically charged microparticles, or dust grains, can form a “dusty” plasma. The rings of Saturn and the long tails of comets are examples of dusty plasmas in nature. “Some of the things we hope to discover are how to control the growth, formation and trapping of dust. If we can control the behavior of dust, then we can see how to use dust as a tool. Only a few experiments in the world have looked at the charged, magnetized particles, and that is the primary mission of the device,” said Thomas. The Auburn University team of scientists will spend the next several months better familiarizing themselves with the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment facility and conducting experiments in the area of dusty plasma. See more online at psl.physics.auburn.edu/
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Research
Car talk With automotive industries expanding across the South, Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is working with educational and industry partners to consider establishing a research center focused on advanced vehicle manufacturing. The new Southern Alliance for Advanced Vehicle Manufacturing would be a National Science Foundation center with industrydriven, multidisciplinary research conducted by university faculty and students. “We would utilize the expertise and facilities of each university for the benefit of our industry partners,” said John Evans, the Thomas Walter Technology Management Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “They will gain real dollar savings by applying the research into their manufacturing processes.”
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Evans and a committee of Auburn engineering faculty are working with colleagues from Tennessee Tech University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville to develop the center and are talking with other Southern research institutions and transportationrelated companies as possible participants. The core research would include manufacturing systems analysis, lean production, safety and ergonomics, advanced manufacturing processes and data analysis. Evans said he has received letters of support from more than 40 automotive and industry-related companies, such as KIA, Hyundai, Honda and Mercedes. “The research will be industry-driven,” Evans said. “They will decide the areas to be researched and will direct the goals and objectives of the research. The center includes many disciplines in engineering as well as areas in business.” Auburn hosted a daylong informational session in May for educational and industry representatives to provide input into the proposed center.
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It’s a bird, it’s a plane...or not While it might seem like a scenario from a sci-fi movie, 2015 could turn out to be the Year of the Drone. In early June, online retail giant Amazon.com announced its new Prime Delivery program, which the company hopes to roll out next year, pending FAA regulation changes. Customers in some areas will be able to place an online order and have their purchases delivered via drone within a half hour. “One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today,” said the announcement. The scenario raises all kinds of logistical issues for the companies that will be joining the robotic revolution. Kevin Gue, associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Auburn, is part of a research group that has developed a roadmap, or planning document, to address changes drones will bring to the handling and logistics industry. Gue has used his research expertise in warehousing, material handling and order fulfillment to examine how emerging technologies can have a direct impact on companies now, as well as 10 to 15 years down the road. The development of the roadmap incorporated four workshops in cities
throughout the United States to assess what the industry will look like in 2025 and how businesses should be preparing now. This included conversations regarding the workforce, suppliers and planning systems involved in the industry. The overwhelming consensus was that stakeholders might be focusing too much on the present, and not spending enough time preparing for what might happen. “As the study describes, there are many challenges that individual companies will have to solve in the future, such as robotic order picking, automated truck loading and possibly home delivery by unmanned drones,” Gue said. Companies like Amazon are pioneering the use of drones through package delivery, and Gue believes the industry will undergo a rapid change as more and more companies experiment with these developing technologies. “In robotics in particular, we’re going to see a revolution in the next three to 10 years that I think is going to be shocking and exciting at the same time,” he said. “We’re going to have robots doing things that we never thought could be done. The technology is pushing us.”
Ag panorama The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is exhibiting John Augustus Walker’s “Historical Panorama of Alabama Agriculture” through Sept. 21. The exhibition is timed as part of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s 100th anniversary and marks the first time the recently conserved paintings have been exhibited in a museum.
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Call your doctor The world gets smaller as we use smartphones, tablets and laptops to communicate each day, touching every aspect of our lives. But can that technology aid in rural areas when someone needs to make a lengthy trip to see a medical specialist? Business professors from Auburn University and the University of Alabama have collaborated on research that could ease the state’s health care access problem and give rural residents an alternative to traveling long distances to see that specialist. Rafay Ishfaq, assistant professor of supply chain management in Auburn’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, and Uzma Raja, associate professor of management information systems in Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, applied supply chain and business analytics principles in research that introduces telemedicine to the public. Supply chain management involves managing all the activities that deliver products to the consumer in an effective and efficient way. Ishfaq and Raja can identify suitable locations for rural telemedicine health centers that would maximize patient/disease coverage within limited public budgets, as well as medical service offerings and technology requirements. “Telemedicine is a health care delivery mechanism for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients where doctors and patients are separated by space, but mediated through information and communication technologies,” Ishfaq said. “The use of telemedicine is typical in re-
gions with large and dispersed rural populations, much like in Alabama, where geographical, economic and cultural barriers have resulted in misdistribution of hospital-delivered health care services.” The research, “Bridging the Healthcare Access Divide: A Strategic Planning Model for Rural Telemedicine Networks,” was accepted for publication in Decision Sciences, an elite academic research journal. “We can apply supply chain principles, such as demand forecasting, to health care by replacing the products with health care services,” Ishfaq said. “The rural customers travel significant distances to get to retail stores for everyday purchases. These folks need access to health care facilities too, which are scarce in economically underserved rural areas.” Business analytics techniques can be applied to identify heath care needs in particular areas. “The rural communities of the Black Belt region have specific health care issues,” said Raja. “The ability to accurately predict the demand of health care services is critical while designing the rural health care infrastructure. The patterns of disease prevalence usually vary across various demographics—gender, age, economic status and race. We used census data for county-level demographics and health survey data from U.S. Center for Disease Control. Using business analytics techniques on these two sources of large datasets, we developed estimates for prevalence of chronic diseases in the Black Belt region.” —Joe McAdory
Gooseberry tales For more than a century, researchers have believed that sponges represented the earliest living lineages of the animal tree. Thanks to modern genomic sequencing techniques, scientists in Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics have discovered that ctenophores, or comb jellies, are actually at the base of the animal kingdom. The results have been published in the journal Nature. “The placement of comb jellies at the base of the animal tree rewrites some of our very basic understanding of how animals first evolved on this planet,” said Kenneth Halanych, the Stewart W. Schneller Endowed Chair and a professor in biological sciences. “The new genomic data overturns 150 years of scientific theories about the early evolution of animals.” Halanych and the international team
of scientists have studied the complete genome of a comb jelly, Pleurobrachia bachei, known as the “Pacific sea gooseberry.” They were able to show that the species is remarkably distinct from other animals in that the genetic mechanisms used in ctenophore nerves and muscles are different from those seen in other animals. “There is strong evidence that animal nervous systems, and maybe neurons, have evolved at least twice independently. Nerves are one of the basic features that we associate with most, but not all, animals. The fact that they may have evolved twice holds significant implications about how active life on this planet may have evolved,” said Halanych. Funding for the research was made possible by a fouryear, $810,000 grant from NASA.
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Roundup COLLEGE OF
Agriculture Eve Brantley ’08, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System water resources specialist and Auburn assistant professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, has been recognized by the Alabama Wildlife Federation as the 2014 Water Conservationist of the Year. Brantley was recognized for her efforts in building an interdisciplinary approach to watershed restoration. Bennett Bearden, director of the Water Policy and Law Institute at the University of Alabama, and one of the water industry professionals who nominated Brantley, says her emphasis on collaboration to overcome public policy and academic obstacles is one of the accomplishments that have distinguished her career. “The emerging field of watershed restoration was criticized for approaching ecosystem enhancement and restoration with an insufficient understanding of systems components and their connections,” Bearden said in nominating Brantley. “She assembled a multidisciplinary team to address some of these challenges. What they’ve learned in the course of answering these questions and implementing watershed management projects across Alabama has had profound implications
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for other Southeastern states.” COLLEGE OF
Architecture, Design and Construction Rural Studio Director Andrew Freear and professor Elena Barthel, with Andrea Oppenheimer Dean and photography by Timothy Hursley, published Rural Studio at Twenty with Princeton Architectural Press. The book chronicles the evolution of the program co-founded by Samuel Mockbee and his friend and colleague D.K. Ruth, and now directed by Freear. In addition to showcasing a large portfolio of projects, this book provides an in-depth look at how Rural Studio has thrived through challenges
and triumphs, missteps and lessons learned. Significantly, it looks to the future as the studio takes on some of its most ambitious projects yet—from the Rural Studio Farm, a model for sustainable living, to the 20K House program, aimed at creating
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an affordable home for everyone. The volume is anchored by a collection of essays from advisors, consultants, community partners, clients, and alumni, whose support has been critical to the Studio’s continued success. Former editorin-chief of Architectural Record Robery Ivy says, “Rural Studio at Twenty updates the late Samuel Mockbee’s poetic vision with Andrew Freear’s sustained, shining accomplishments. Today, when the student ethos has shifted from theoretical and abstract concerns to public interest architecture, Auburn University’s Rural Studio serves as a beacon internationally. In this excellent book, we see the place, hear the voices, witness the evolution.” RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF
Business How do health care systems in the United Kingdom deal with budget challenges or integrate information technology? Twenty Class of 2015
Physicians Executive MBA students from the Harbert College of Business recently spent 11 days in Scotland and England exploring these issues and more. “I really got to learn about— and get a good feel for—another health care system different than the one that I have practiced in for over a decade,” said Paul Richardson, owner of Carolina Internal Medicine in Conway, S.C. “There is no question that this perspective is going to make me a better leader here in my own system. For me, I think witnessing the common problems that we all face being managed from a totally different outlook will benefit me and help to shape my own strategies going forward.” Students were provided a series of classroom lectures from health care professionals, and tours of the University of Edinburgh Medical School, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, and HCA Wellington Hospital.
Stan Harris, associate dean for international and graduate programs, who made the trip, noted another issue related to current events. “Scotland will soon vote for independence,” he said of the upcoming Sept. 18 referendum. “What does that do to its tax base? They will be facing a lot of real budgetary issues.” COLLEGE OF
Education Cyber-bullying protection, bullying and school violence, and community bullying prevention are just some of the issues addressed in Auburn University’s fourth annual Anti-Bullying Summit, held in Peachtree City, Ga., in late June. Auburn University’s Truman Pierce Institute and Office of Professional and Continuing Education held the summit June 26-27 at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center. Keynote presenters included Andrew Agatston, an attorney who discussed legal issues related to bullying that affect school systems; Priscilla Cooper, vice president for programs at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, who drew on her experience working with students in Alabama’s
Department of Youth Services schools; and representatives from Rachel’s Challenge, an organization that focuses on school climate transformation and was founded by the family of the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. The program offered more than 30 sessions on topics such as cyberbullying protection; the correlation between bullying and school violence; school climate rating; community involvement in bullying prevention; diversity training for school implementation; model intervention programs, including successful programs in alternative school settings; and longitudinal data-based research on bullying. SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF
Engineering Auburn University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the University Senate Departmental Award for Excellence in Education. The award, totaling $30,000 over three years, was administered on behalf of the AU provost’s office through the university’s Biggio Center and the University Senate Teaching Effectiveness Committee. “This award for excellence in education provides a structure to foster and sustain a universitywide culture
Hunger games revisited The Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve and Nature Center held a Hunger Games Survival Skills Program in late July, built around the book and movie series. The program taught basic wilderness-survival skills, including fire and shelter building, orienteering and fundamentals of archery, fishing and tracking.
of teaching excellence,” said Donald Mulvaney, chair of the Teaching Effectiveness Committee. Initial proposals from 11 academic departments from across campus were submitted in January to the Teaching Effectiveness Committee. After a review, four departments were selected as finalists and invited to provide a full proposal development. Each department presented a plan outlining future teaching and learning enhancement activities. SCHOOL OF
Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Graeme Lockaby, associate dean of research in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has been named interim dean of the school. “Dr. Lockaby will provide excellent leadership for the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences,” said AU provost Timothy Boosinger. “He has been at Auburn for 28 years and is a nationally respected authority for his work in forest sustainability.” A national search began in July for a permanent dean. Lockaby succeeds Jim Shepard, who is returning to the faculty full time as a professor. Lockaby, who has worked at Auburn University since 1986, is director of the school’s
Center for Forest Sustainability and serves as the Clinton McClure Professor of Forestry. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry at Clemson University and his doctorate in agronomy at Mississippi State University. His research focuses on wetland biogeochemistry. COLLEGE OF
Human Sciences Auburn University has ranked among the best fashion design, merchandising and management schools in the region and country in 2014, according to a website devoted to researching fashion schools for students seeking information about programs and careers. Nationally, www. fashion-schools. org lists Auburn as the fifth best school for fashion management, sixth for fashion merchandising and 12th for fashion design. In the South, which the website defines as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, Auburn is the No. 1 school for fashion merchandising and the No. 2 school for fashion design. No university in the Southeastern Conference is ranked higher than Auburn nation-
ally or regionally. The University of Georgia is the only conference rival that comes close, finishing second in the list of top 15 fashion merchandising schools in the South. Auburn’s apparel merchandising, design and production management program in the College of Human Sciences’ Department of Consumer and Design Sciences improved in every national ranking from 2013 to 2014. The most significant improvement was in the list of the country’s top 75 fashion design schools. Auburn rose from 20th in 2013 to 12th in 2014. COLLEGE OF
Liberal Arts Alexander Richter, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics in the College of Liberal Arts, was recently featured on CNBC’s “Squawk on
the Street” with Rick Santelli and in The Wall Street Journal for his paper “The Zero
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Lower Bound and Endogenous Uncertainty.” Richter and his coauthors found that when the Federal Reserve’s policy rate equals zero, known as the zero lower bound, it creates a great deal of economic uncertainty throughout the country. Richter said the rate was reduced to zero in 2008 to counteract the national recession, but the Fed’s inability to further reduce the rate in the years since then has caused a strong negative relationship between real GDP growth and economic uncertainty. SCHOOL OF
Nursing The Blue Jean Ball, the annual fundraiser for the Auburn University and Auburn Montgomery Schools of Nursing, returns to Coach Pat Dye’s Crooked Oaks Hunting Lodge in Notasulga on Sept. 26. Since its inception in 2001, the Blue Jean Ball has attracted hundreds of
friends, faculty and students each year, and benefits students, faculty and programming initiatives in the Schools of Nursing.
Reservations must be made in advance. For more information or to order tickets, go to http://www.auburn. edu/academic/nursing/bluejeanball/ or contact Stephanie Wood at stephaniewood@ auburn.edu or (334) 844-7390. HARRISON SCHOOL OF
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Veterinary Medicine Three camps this summer offered youths the firsthand experience of being a veterinarian, giving some of them an early insight into their chosen profession.
Pharmacy Dan Surry, an education professional with more than 20 years of experience in the classroom, has been named associate dean for curriculum and assessment in the Harrison School of Pharmacy. Surry comes to Auburn from the University of South Alabama, where he was most recently a professor of instructional design and development. A United States Army veteran, Surry’s career has also included stops at the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Alabama, California State University-Fresno, the University of Georgia and the United States Air Force Academy. As the associate dean for curriculum and assessment, Surry will join the HSOP leadership team, continuing the legacy as an innovator in curriculum and assessment.
Eighty youths participated in three camps at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, coordinated in partnership with Auburn’s Office of Professional and Continuing Education and the college’s continuing education office. This year, students from as far away as Maryland attended the popular camps. All three camps were conducted by 17 second- and third-year College of Veterinary Medicine professional students, who organized, taught, and ran the camps with assistance from faculty and staff.
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CONCOURSE
Art in 3D
At the corner of Lem Morrison and Samford Avenue, beyond the Village housing, beyond the intramural fields and Old Row fraternity houses, an ordinary brown brick building sits among the low warehouses of the AU facilities department. It might not look like much, but inside, art students mold, weld, bend and create artwork larger than life. The 3-D Arts Studio Building, constructed in 2001, sits on the far edge of campus and provides classroom and studio space for art students studying ceramics and sculpture. The building doesn’t just house
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classroom space, but the Department of Art’s metal shop, woodworking studio, ceramics studio, kilns and outdoor workshop space as well. Christopher McNulty, professor of sculpture, said Biggin Hall didn’t offer the space needed for 3-D art. “When they looked at renovating Biggin, they realized, ‘Hey, we can’t really do this with table saws and welding machines and ceramics, so we’ll build a satellite building for the art department,’” he said. The art department is moving into the digital age with the purchase of a computer numerical control (CNC) router,
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which will allow students to program their designs into a computer and let the router make the correct cuts automatically. “When people think of sculpture, they think of a big statue made out of cast bronze or something carved out of stone,” McNulty said. “But sculpture has become a number of things. It can be as simple as a space with objects arranged in it. It can be light or sound. It can involve plastics. Now there are all sorts of technologies.” The art department recently received a large grant from the College of Liberal Arts to
institute digital initiatives so students can take full advantage of new technologies, including new CNC machines and, eventually, 3-D printers. The ceramics studio also installed a digital ceramic decal printer to recreate images in ceramic glaze. While beginner-level students’ sculptures tend to be small, intermediate students take full advantage of the space with much larger pieces. “One of the projects I have them do is to build something that your viewer or audience can stand, sit or climb on,” McNulty said. “It’s about structure, and so those things get quite big. Sometimes students make benches, what looks like playground equipment, and they construct and assemble
those in [the studio spaces].” Students taking classes in the building not only enjoy space to create, but some materials and machines provided by the university. The woodworking studio houses a variety of saws and power tools, and the metalworking studio just added a CNC plasma cutter. Emily Enfinger, senior in fine art, has taken multiple courses in the building. “They provide us the means of making art,” she said. “It’s not something you could do at your apartment.” For Enfinger, the building opened up opportunities for projects that a typical space couldn’t house. “I made a giant peanut out of wire and metal, and it is really awesome that I can do
that now,” Enfinger said. Students are not the only ones who benefit from the building. When reconstruction began on Toomer’s Corner, the iconic marble eagles that normally sit atop the entry gates were taken to the 3-D Arts Studio Building, where molds of the sculptures are currently being cast. The reproductions can be placed outside so the originals won’t have to suffer the elements, said Gary Wagoner, art department chair and professor of ceramics. Many of the works created in the 3-D Arts Studio Building are featured at the annual salon sale each year, raising money for the Auburn University Association of Visual Artists student chapter. —Ashley Selby
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Hire an intern A recent study found that those who are underemployed, or have accepted a job beneath their skill set, receive 15 to 30 percent fewer interview requests than job seekers who became “adequately” employed after graduation. However, college internship experience reduces the negative effects of underemployment substantially. The authors of the study, including AU professor Alan Seals, submitted resumes to 2,000 online job postings in seven cities across broad job categories. Read more at http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/5996.
All in the family Running into your brother or sister on campus is not unusual for siblings enrolled on the Plains. Bumping into your father as a fellow student? Not quite so common... and maybe even awkward. Not for Xavier and C.J. Uzomah, a father and son duo pursuing their goals through Auburn University and its Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. C.J. has been working toward an NFL career since he was 6. A prize recruit at North Gwinnett (Ga.) High School, he became the starting tight end on Auburn’s 2013 SEC championship team and scored three touchdowns on 11 receptions last season, including the dramatic game-winner in the closing seconds against Mississippi State.
His father, Xavier, is an experienced financial analyst from Atlanta who wants to climb the corporate ladder. That’s why he pursued his Executive MBA degree from Auburn. “I was a five-star EMBA prospect,” joked Xavier, a May 2014 graduate who kidded that recruiters told him, “I’ve seen the way you can handle that pencil.” Together, the father and son tackled academics on the Plains, sharing some of the same courses and professors. “It was weird at first because people were like ‘Hey, I think I saw your dad but I’m not really sure because I don’t know why he’d be here,’” said C.J. “It was a fun experience—him being able to take me out some-
times and talking about his schoolwork. It was kind of eye-opening to see how much fun he was having with his classmates.” It also was inspirational. “Seeing him going through the process—getting his picture taken in front of the Auburn sign and getting his diploma—inspires me to hopefully get my MBA from Auburn,” C.J. said. “Next year it should be me.”—Joe McAdory
MANY
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S P O R T S
TIGER WALK
RFID to AU Auburn University is now home to one of the world’s leading research centers in radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology. In June, the RFID Research Center moved from the University of Arkansas to Auburn, with research collaborations initially involving the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Human Sciences.
The pro treatment Countless parallels have been drawn between athletes and warriors headed to battle, but to Alex Lincoln ’03, former Auburn linebacker, they are one and the same. Lincoln, who lettered at Auburn during the 2000 season, serves as manager of the Eagle Fund, a non-profit charity that funds training and rehabilitation for members of the U.S. special forces. He also serves as vice president of tactical at Exos, a group of training centers established for elite athletes and military personnel. Lincoln was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers for two seasons before suffering a career-ending neck injury. After his days of football were suddenly cut short, he said he felt a loss of identity and was frustrated with his re-assimilation into the world outside of sports. During his rehab, he worked with Auburn team physician James Andrews, who recognized the difficult transition and wanted to develop a concept not only for retiring athletes, but recovering veterans. Their partnership led to the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, which works in conjunction with
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Thanks to former Auburn linebacker Alex Lincoln, the quality of training and rehabilitation programs routinely available to athletes is now being offered to U.S. military veterans home from war.
Exos’ Comeback Initiative program to develop training and rehabilitation plans for military personnel. “It was shocking to me to see what [the soldiers] did for a living and how it was all about life and death,” Lincoln said. “It wasn’t a game. They were putting it all on the line, they were unselfish, they had a servant’s heart, but they didn’t have the same resources we had at Auburn. “They didn’t have the same resources that many professional sports teams had, and I thought, ‘We have to do something about that.’” Lincoln said he felt the training and experience he received during his time at Auburn gave him the drive to put his knowledge and skills to work for others. “There was so much given to me that I knew there would be an opportunity to give back one day. I just didn’t know in what capacity,” he said. “So many people helped me along the way, all the good people at Auburn, that now I have a responsibility to give that back and pay that forward.”
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The Eagle Fund, founded in 2010 and taking its name from an Old Testament Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31, provides the financial support to send veterans through the Comeback Initiative program. The program takes the physical training and treatments standards used for professional athletes, the “pro sports model,” and makes them available to wounded service members. According to the “pro sports model,” the athlete has an integrated team of professionals working to rehabilitate him or her and return the athlete to the playing field. Veterans often have nowhere near the access or means to obtain such rigorous and integrated treatment. Thanks to the Eagle Fund, however, more than 400 men and women have gone through the program already, far more than Lincoln ever expected. “We launched the Eagle Fund with the hopes of trying to help maybe 10 people,” he says. “We’ve only been doing this for three years. Our goal was 10, and we’ve helped almost 400 people. It’s been so humbling for us to be a part of it.” The effects of the physical healing don’t just reach muscle and bone, but extend to the mind, soul and spirit, Lincoln said. The loss of identity and struggle to re-assimilate into civilian life can take a toll on a soldier’s mind and relationships, so being a part of the intensive eighthour-a-day, eight-week program can ease the transition for many veterans. “It’s been so humbling to take care of people physically and see the ripple effect that goes into their families,” he said. “The families will often call us and say, ‘Thank you for giving me my husband back. He’s not in pain now, our relationship is stronger.’ We’ve seen fathers who couldn’t physically hold their children be able to hold them for the first time.” Lincoln said his time at Auburn was the first domino in the chain of events leading to the Eagle Fund and its overwhelming success. He says he never could have imagined the program would be where it is now. “We thought we started this to heal some physical wounds, but it’s been so exponential in the impact that it’s nothing short of miraculous.”—Ashley Selby
W A L K
Gone too soon Auburn coach Gus Malzahn remembers Philip Lutzenkirchen ’12 as a “great young man who touched the lives of everyone he knew in a positive way.” The former Auburn star died in a car accident near LaGrange, Ga., early on the morning of Sunday, June 29. He caught more touchdown passes than any tight end in school history and was on the receiving end of the score that completed the Tigers’ remarkable comeback win at Alabama in 2010. Lutzenkirchen, 23, holds the school record for tight ends with 14 touchdown catches, and is second at that position with 59 catches and 628 receiving yards. He is best remembered for his go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown against Alabama, completing a huge comeback that helped send the Tigers to the national championship. He did a little dance after the score that became known as the “Lutzie,” and he accepted the good-natured ribbing that came with it. Lutzenkirchen will be remembered as one of the most popular players in recent Auburn history.
“On the field, Philip was a great player and competitor, but more importantly, he was a great teammate and friend off the field,” Malzahn said. “My thoughts and prayers are with Philip’s parents, Mike and Mary, and all of his family and friends who are grieving his passing. This is a sad day for the entire Auburn family. I find peace knowing that even though Philip was taken from us too soon, that he lived his life to the fullest, leaving a lifetime of great memories for his family and friends to cherish forever.” His former head coach, Gene Chizik, said Lutzenkirchen “was what every parent aspires their son to be.” Athletics Director Jay Jacobs called Lutzenkirchen’s death “a devastating tragedy for his family, the Auburn family and his countless friends. Today is also a profoundly sad day for the Auburn Athletics family, who loved and respected Philip not only as a great player but more importantly as a friend and the epitome of an Auburn man. I came to know Philip well and I admired everything about who he was and the way he lived his life.
“He had a strong faith, a big heart and a burning desire to help others. Philip was a bright light this world desperately needed, and his death leaves a void that can’t possibly be filled.” His stock was never higher than after the 2010 season as he considered leaving early for the NFL draft. He stayed at Auburn, although a painful hip cut his senior season short, and he had surgery after six games. The injury cost him a chance in the NFL draft, though Lutzenkirchen said he was happy he had returned for his senior season. “I heard if I had come out last year, I would have been taken in the third or fourth round. But I’ve never regretted coming back to play my senior year and getting my degree,” he said in 2013. St. Louis Rams’ general manager Les Sneed called Lutzenkirchen “a consummate pro.” Lutzenkirchen, along with Auburn teammate Emory Blake, earned a spot as an undrafted free agent with the Rams but both were released prior to the opening of the 2013 season. — Charles Goldberg
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HOTELS ARE EXPENSIVE. GAS IS EXPENSIVE. PARKING IS EXPENSIVE. TRAFFIC IS A PAIN.
BUT WE TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THAT.
BIG GAME BUS BIRMINGHAM, AL
ATLANTA,GA
BIGGAMEBUS.COM
Auburn vs. UGA
Tailgate Nov. 15, 2014
Opens 3 hours prior to kickoff • Closes 30 minutes prior to kickoff Holiday Inn • 197 E. Broad St. BBQ, chicken and traditional sides to be served. Cash Bar available. Hosted by the Greater Athens Auburn Club. Co-hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association.
To order tickets … Visit bit.ly/AuburnvsUGATailgate. For additional questions, contact Pete Chamberlin at petech56@gmail.com.
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For women only Throughout the year, Auburn University hosts a plethora of sports-related camps, welcoming the public in to learn about AU Athletics or to participate in summer athletic training programs. However, until recently, one major demographic of the Auburn Family missed out on the fun. That all changed on Sunday, June 18, when the university hosted its first football camp for women. Brett Whiteside, director of recruiting operations for Auburn football, who also worked with head coach Gus Malzahn as the football operations assistant at Arkansas State in 2012, took the lead organizing this event and was enthusiastic about what would come of it. “The theme of the 2013 team was ‘Together,’” Whiteside said. “We believe that idea extends beyond our players and coaches to the Auburn Family. All of us, including the passionate and loyal network of Auburn women throughout the country, are in this thing together.” More than 150 women filled with the Auburn spirit seized the opportunity to have their picture taken with Aubie and Malzahn, sit in on lectures totaling five hours throughout the day with the coaching staff, shake hands with current and former players, enjoy a private tour of the field and locker rooms, learn the ins and outs of Auburn’s strategy in a Football 101 session and discover what it takes to be an Auburn Tiger both on and off of Pat Dye Field. “This was an incredible opportunity for me,” says Martha Howard, tenacious Auburn fan and mother of three Auburn alumni. “I got to see everything that goes on behind the scenes to make our team what it is and see what it takes to be an athlete at Auburn.”
After a photo opp with Malzahn, the campers were greeted by Whiteside, associate head coach Rodney Gardner, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and a few more who sat in on the introduction. In addition to a meet-and-greet and lunch with the staff and some of the players, the campers got an indepth view of the facilities, from the weight-training facility and the athletes’ study areas to the indoor football field and the equipment room. They were even taught Auburn’s defensive and offensive strategies by Lashlee and Johnson themselves. However, the most popular event of the day came in a lecture by Dana Marquez, equipment manager of the only certified equipment staff in the SEC. Not only did he explain the amount of TLC that’s put into cleaning the helmets and tying shoe laces correctly, but he showed everyone the shoulder pad he designed and patented for the Tigers that only weighs 3.8 pounds when dry or wet (most shoulder pads weigh anywhere between 15 and 20 pounds by the end of the game). Whiteside said the university plans to hold the women’s camp again next summer, and any information regarding this camp will be posted at www.auburnfootballcamps.com. “We hope the enthusiasm of those who attended this year will lead to more Auburn women attending in the future.” If Howard has her way, they will. “I have told so many people about it. Now they all want me to let them know when I register for next year’s camp so they can sign up, too.” — Anna Claire Conrad
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Two true Auburn legends, Mickey Logue ’52 and Jack Simms ’49, create the ultimate labor of love—and a photographic lasting legacy—for the Loveliest Village of the Plain. b y
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Timeless Sweet Auburn! Loveliest village of the plain, Where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain, Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid And parting summer’s lingering blooms delayed.
auburn owes a debt of gratitude to young Lizzie Taylor of Jones County, Ga., who happened to be reading Oliver Goldsmith’s famous verse “The Deserted Village” when her family and several others settled former Creek Indian country to their southwest. That was in 1836, twenty years before the founding of East Alabama Male College, Auburn University’s earliest iteration and almost 125 years before the Alabama Polytechnic Institute would change the institution’s name for the last time. While many of the stories from the past 170 years have been lost, their legacy has been preserved forever in Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, the third and most comprehensive edition of the series begun by two Auburn journalism professors (now emeritus), Mickey Logue ’52 and Jack Simms ’49, almost 35 years ago.
See more online at auburnmagazine.auburn.edu
Originally conceived as a one-time project to memorialize the university’s 125th birthday, Simms said it was hard to quit once they got started. This third and final edition features 800 photos from as early as the 1830s to the present era, some of which have never been published. Simms and Logue combed the Auburn Family for private collections and family heirlooms, and dug through the catacombs of the university archives, for anything and everything they deemed essential to the story of Auburn. “To me, the oldest parts are most interesting,” says Logue. “We know how things look now. But when you see that group of country folks hovered around a radio listening to the Auburn station, poverty dripping off the picture, it’s touching. I think that’s one of the most interesting pictures in the book.”
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lthough colleagues on the Auburn faculty for decades, Logue and Simms met not in the halls of academia but in their first chosen profession, as working print journalists. After graduating with a degree in journalism from API in 1954 and teaching infantry tactics for the Army at Ft. Knox, Logue, a native of Bay Minette, worked in the sports department of the Montgomery Advertiser and the Atlanta Constitution before landing a job at the Birmingham News at the height of the civil rights era. There, he met fellow Auburn graduate Simms, who was working at the Associated Press sports office in the same building. The two would later be colleagues at their alma mater when Simms became the head of the new Department of Journalism while Logue became adviser to The Auburn Plainsman. Reared on stories of George Petrie’s football teams, Simms was well versed in Auburn lore before his family moved to town in 1938 and witnessed Auburn’s boom from the end of the Great Depres- Below: Agricultural and Mechanical Colsion to the postwar era. lege cadets gather in A student at API for a single quarter 1895 at the memorial before fighting in the Pacific Theater dur- for the 98 unknown Confederate soldiers ing World War II, Simms served as Plains- buried in Auburn’s man editor after the war and graduated Pine Hill Cemetery. in 1949, eventually working his way up in the Associated Press to become deputy general sports editor, second in command for the entire news group. (In a 2014 interview with The Auburn Plainsman, Simms called his AP job “the world’s longest title and the world’s smallest salary.”)
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It was Logue’s brother John, editor and a co-founder of Southern Living magazine, who encouraged the two to participate in a late 1970s series of commemorative books being published on college towns. In the process, the two became walking, talking encyclopedias of local lore. “Every time I talk to Jack and Mickey about the photographs I learn something about Auburn I didn’t know before,” says Auburn archivist Dwayne Cox, who worked with Simms and Logue on the third edition. “They did a lot of their research [at the university archives], but they really didn’t need a lot of help because they’ve written this book twice before and they’re familiar as anybody with the photographs we have on the town and university.” Their findings weren’t limited to archival records. “There are photographs in that book that allowed me to write a more cogent narrative of Auburn’s history,” said Cox, who’s working on a university history. “Like the students who are standing there listening to President Roosevelt’s declaration of war, or the tugboat deck houses. My book will not be a photographic history and I haven’t selected which photos I’m going to use, but in the section I wrote on World War II, I describe what those photographs show.” If Auburn’s storied military history is on full display inside A Pictorial History, from its earliest days training Confederate soldiers to field artillery training and mock-battles pitched behind Samford Hall, so is its storied football history, which is given equally careful treatment. “A good thing this book does is it shows and puts into a bigger context the importance of football to Southerners,”
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Top: Professor W.W. Hill and his crew set about the task about 1916 of increasing the electrical supply for both college and town. To create the space for a new powerplant machinery, they hauled an old engine and generator from behind Langdon Hall to the train station. Hill taught electrical engineering. Bottom: Auburn enjoyed an undefeated football season in 1913, outscoring its eight opponents 223-13 to claim a decisive win in the Southern championship race.
Cox says. “Football was seen as kind of embodying the best of America: physical courage, organization, leadership. These were the things that we needed to survive in a situation where we were under nuclear threat from the Soviet Union.” Never without a shortage of fans, Auburn’s sports seasons were often an event for the whole community and could rouse the entire town to put on a pep rally for teams going on the road. Simms, who grew up in Auburn and routinely hung around the college campus, appears in a 1938 photograph of a pep rally in Langdon Hall by accident. He was 11. “Way back in our time in school, there wasn’t a whole lot to do around this place,” Simms said. “Nobody had automobiles; you couldn’t just jump
in a car and drive to eat nine miles from campus. If we were at a basketball game or a football game that was fairly well publicized, they got a good turnout, [so] why should we leave at halftime? “What were we going to do? We were captive audiences.” The increased student body presence, particularly in close quarters like the old Alumni Gym, often made home games in Auburn nightmare scenarios for visiting basketball teams. “I remember other teams dreaded coming here,” Logue says. “Our people were sitting right on the floor and this guy from LSU said, ‘Man I hate to come to Auburn. When I’m throwing the ball from out-of-bounds there’s somebody pulling the hairs on my leg.’”
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Top: General James H. Lane and Professor O.D. Smith, acting API president in 1902, work with engineering students on surveying projects. On the back row, in the center wearing a tie, is API trustee Paul S. Haley, who served on the board from 1917 until his death in 1968. Bottom: Faculty houses typically stood near the campus and had lightning rods, wells and cow-lots. This house was occupied in 1893 by the family of John J. Wilmore of engineering. The Wilmore house stood across Mell Street from the house of Patrick H. Mell, professor of botany and geology. The Mell house fronted Faculty Avenue, now named West Thach Avenue.
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hough the first few chapters of the book are centered on distinct events (the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Great Depression) the later chapters, which make up a significant portion of the third edition, were more complicated. New construction projects, traditions and people came to replace the old as Auburn marched forward through the second half of the 20th century and beyond. Though not every photo from every event could fit inside the book, Simms and Logue were determined to make sure the highlights and most memorable dates were represented. “Almost anything you can put your finger on, Auburn did
at one time or another,” Simms says. Above: Erosion was a prob“We get a big kick out of reading first lem in 1926, as Otto Brown of the Alabama Extension inaugural, then after they’ve done it Service could attest. In once, it’s a tradition and after 10 years, 1927, the university began experimenting with planting it’s in antiquity.” pine trees to control erosion, Logue, who wrote the narrative although it might not have that guides the story along, wrote spe- been enough to help this cial sections on particular controver- dried-out field near campus. sies like the mid-season resignation of Terry Bowden, Auburn’s multiple NCAA sanctions, Harold Franklin’s fight to enter Auburn and the departure of controversial theology professor Charles Curran in 1991.
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Above: Grocer John Turner Hudson, left, and butchers Jack Tamblyn and William M. Moore were among the merchants who helped many Auburn residents survive the Great Depression. Right: John. M. Thomas (center) built the Thomas Hotel in 1889-1900 near main street about half a block from Toomer’s Corner. He moved from Georgia in 1878 at his wife’s suggestion so that their children could be educated in Auburn.
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Top: In 1926, this barbershop in downtown Auburn was a popular spot to get a 25-cent haircut and read the newspaper. In the summer of the early 1930s, the town’s three barbershops got into a price war, and the cost of a haircut dropped to 15 cents, then a dime, and leveled off at a nickel. Left: This train wreck, which likely took place around 1897, would have been located only a few hundred yards from Gay Street.
Though certain controversies might feature more prominently in the later chapters, Logue points to the departure of Auburn president Spright Dowell in 1928 as one of unsung importance. Dowell refused to divert funding from the cashstrapped university to the football team, ending their conference reign just as Alabama was going to the Rose Bowl. Bradford Knapp would replace Dowell and, later, Luther Duncan, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, would replace him. Neither questioned the sport’s impact on the university. part from the Auburn archives, private collections were the most important sources for the book, say Logue and Simms. Many of Auburn’s oldest residents and their descendants were asked to help identify the faces in many of the photo-
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graphs, a task Simms called the most time-consuming part, especially in photos dated before World War II. “We have photographs of people where we thought we knew who the guy was by comparing his picture to other ones,” Simms said. “We narrowed down our options, then we looked him up in The Glomerata and it wasn’t him. If we knew this was the guy we’d try to make an educated guess, but we sometimes said ‘believed to be.’ I told Mickey it’s not gonna make a whole lot of difference because none of these people are around to complain anymore.” Among the pages are famous residents like Miller Reese Hutchinson and Leila Terrell, historic landmarks like “The World’s Tallest Bottle” hotel on the corner of Highway 280 and North College, classic lineups from the Auburn football team, and everyday scenes from a small Southern town throughout its early years.
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Top: Founding Auburn Circle editor Thom Botsford told an interviewer in 1974 that “it’s supposed to inform, entertain, and maybe even depress the reader a bit...The Circle, if it survives, will eventually embrace the full spectrum of thought: religious, political, cultural. We welcome controversy, we love it.” Above: Not many remember Auburn’s 19-15 loss to LSU on Sept. 21, 1996, but everyone remembers the sight of the old Sports Arena going up in flames across the street from the stadium. One reporter quipped that it was the largest crowd ever to watch a fire in Alabama. Left: The greatest pair of backs to run “between the hedges” on a single afternoon left Sanford Stadium in Athens smiling after Auburn’s 33-13 victory over Georgia in 1979. James Brooks, left, gained 200 yards and Joe Cribbs 166.
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Top: Tiger, War Eagle VI, takes flight over Jordan-Hare. Above: The Auburn Grille opened near Toomer’s Corner in 1936 and closed in 2004. Left: Four Auburn astronauts witnessed the Tigers’ 1988 victory over Mississippi State, 33-0: James S. Voss ’72, Kathryn C. Thornton ’74, Jan Davis ’77 and the late Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield ’54.
“I think it’s a journey where we couldn’t help ourselves,” Simms says. “We had to do this. It’s a dedication to the people and to Auburn, and I think that’s maybe part of the Auburn spirit that we have and other schools don’t. We’re real proud of this third edition and we think it’s as good as it could be.” Simms considers this edition of the book his and Logue’s legacy to the place they’ve called home for so many years. It’s a recognition that the Auburn roots go deep and spread wide. Jerry Brown, editor of the The Auburn Plainsman in 196667 and the first to receive one of the paper’s Pacemaker Awards, later himself became journalism department head at Auburn
and eventually the dean of the College of Journalism at the University of Montana. Upon receiving a copy of the book, he wrote a letter to Logue: “As I close the book, I thought that Auburn, like Old Man River, will keep rolling along,” Brown writes. “You have chronicled the past and anticipated the future with skill and affection, letting thanks, not sentimentality carry the story.” For more information on Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, visit www.auburnpictorialhistory.com.
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Chef Adam Evans ’02 might be a ‘lovable goofball’ with a taste for Auburn football, but he’s also the executive chef at what many consider one of America’s greatest restaurants, The Optimist.
adam evans refuses to wear a starched, white toque, or chef’s hat. “I never have, and I never will,” he says, grinning with a touch of wicked. Instead, he opts for a navy ballcap embroidered with the injunction to “Be Optimistic,” a reference to the celebrated Atlanta restaurant where he serves as executive chef, but also a statement of his informal aesthetics and sunny outlook. Just six months after The Optimist opened in 2012, Esquire magazine hailed it as the best new restaurant in the country, and the seafood establishment, which gets its playful name from a child’s dinghy, since has consistently reeled in other accolades, including the cover of Bon Appetit; a listing in the top 70 “Hot Tables” in the world by CondeNast; and nods from the James Beard Foundation. In an era that exalts swaggering chefs as pop culture’s new “rock stars,” critics and foodies treat Evans like Jimi Hendrix. No small accomplishment for a young chef who never went to culinary school. Evans, 32,
graduated cum laude from Auburn in 2002 with a degree in psychology. “When I walked into my first summer job in a restaurant, I didn’t even know how to use a knife,” he says. He is a quick study, though. He had puttered around the kitchen and watched his mother bake biscuits while he was growing up in Muscle Shoals—at least when he wasn’t casting a line into the Tennessee River. “In our house, the rule was that you either cooked or you had to do the dishes,” he says. “To this day, I hate doing the dishes. So I would experiment with ingredients with my mom, and she insisted that our family sit down together to eat dinner. I’m glad she did that now. “Also, I couldn’t go for long without a fishing pole in my hands. Still can’t.” As it turned out, those early influences of farmfresh Southern staples and catches of the day—along with good timing, an appetite for learning and an indefatigable work ethic—would help position Evans at the forefront of national trends in cooking.
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really, it all started with that element basic to life: water. The area in northern Alabama collectively known as The Shoals is an angler’s paradise, offering up game fish such as smallmouth bass, blue catfish, sauger and species not found in other Alabama watersheds. Evans’ father worked as a water chemist for the Tennessee Valley Authority, and fish camps and summer outings in the Gulf formed the backdrop of his upbringing. “It was only after I’d left that I started to realize what an extraordinary place Muscle Shoals is, with its music heritage and reputation for producing unusual, creative people,” says Evans, who counts Florence-based designer Billy Reid as a friend and collaborator in special events. Evans—a slender guy with the Celtic coloring of russet-red hair and aquamarine eyes—was the middle child of three boys, all of whom eventually graduated from Auburn (brother Jason graduated in 2000 and Ben in 2005). “I took a couple of psychology classes and got hooked,” Evans says. “I liked trying to understand why people do what they do, and I consider that one of the best decisions I’ve made because I use it every day. A kitchen brings together so many different personalities, under intense pressure and time constraints, so why wouldn’t I use what I learned about social dynamics?” His love for food, sports and music—that triumvirate of the South—deepened during his time at Auburn, when he worked as a team manager during the Cadillac Williams era. One summer, Evans went west to work in a Wyoming resort (“I gravitated to the kitchen there”) and then, after graduation, he signed on at The Grand in Point Clear, where he found a mentor in chef Seth Hargett.
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“I told him you didn’t have to go to culinary school, but you have to be committed to learning and working hard,” recalls Hargett, who began assigning homework to Evans from Larousse Gastronomique, the ultimate, authoritative compendium of cookery since 1938. “It’s an overwhelmingly thick book that holds pretty much everything you would ever need to know in any kitchen,” Evans says. “Sometimes I would think: I’m out of school, so why am I doing homework now? But I was genuinely interested in the subject, so much that now I own at least 300 cookbooks. They’re like novels or songs—you discover something new in them when you revisit them five years later.” Evans’ entry into the food world might have been somewhat autodidactic, but he has covered most of the geographic bases. Eventually, at Hargett’s urging, Evans lit out for the next inevitable stop in his picaresque education: The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group in the Big Easy. “I connected with Gerard Maras, the coolest, most knowledgeable, old-school New Orleans guy, who was very patient and generous with someone like me,” Evans says. “One highlight of that experience was when we tasted the crawfish bisque. It was the most full-bodied, flavorful spoonful of soup I’ve ever had. I was reeling. You know what he said, though? ‘Now make this recipe at least 100 more times to get it perfect.’” Together, they opened Ralph’s on the Park, still one of New Orleans’ favorite bites. “He gave me his recipe book,” Evans says. “He also taught me that there should be no secrets in cooking, that the emphasis should be on developing a supersound technique, such as braising done well.”
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the wrong foot with each other, and then he asked me for a job.” Evans worked a shift gratis, as a sort of audition, and quickly won his way into Wise’s good graces and rose through the ranks to sous chef. “I could pile more and more work on Adam, and he would do it and then turn around and ask for more and more work,” Wise says. “He has an unbelievable work ethic and wonderful people skills.” Evans speaks wistfully of those crucible-like years in the city. “You had to be fast on your feet, and it was mentally taxing work,” he says. “The kitchen there was a sort of culinary school in itself, with separate stations for fish and meat and grains and vegetables and even a station where mushrooms were roasted individually. There was something about my coworkers there—we all clicked and worked well together, and Damon inspired us to keep taking our work to the next level. When we got off work, I would cook them fried chicken and greens; Southern food had not become trendy there yet. I was definitely the only one in the kitchen from Alabama.” On the occasions when Evans left the kitchen, he was usually pushing a giant cart to Union Square Greenmarket, the country’s second-largest farmers market. “I could pick out whatever I wanted, and that was heaven,” he says, “and I built up relationships with the farmers.”
Above: One of Evans’ popular appetizers at The Optimist is the charred Spanish octopus with garlic scape salsa verde, spiced yogurt and pine nuts. The restaurant is housed in a former ham-aging house.
Evans spent four years there and left just a couple of months before Hurricane Katrina flooded the building where he had lived. He toured Europe to investigate French and Italian cuisine; went to Martha’s Vineyard to work on an oyster farm; and then set his sights on New York City. “The first time I saw that skyline at dusk I knew I wanted to live there, but I was in for a reality check,” he says. “I thought I had a fairly good base of knowledge, but I quickly realized the other people there are working at such a high level.” One day, he wandered into the kitchen at Craft, owned by chef Tom Collichio of TV series “Top Chef” fame. “It was before the dinner hour, so the restaurant was closed to the public, and everyone was in chef’s whites. I suddenly see this guy in plain clothes, talking to one of my employees,” recalls Damon Wise, who was the restaurant’s chef de cuisine at the time. “I said, ‘Who are you, and how did you get in here?’ We got off on
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after five years, Evans was dispatched to Atlanta to open Craftbar as chef de cuisine. “Atlanta is not an easy market to break into,” notes Hargett. “There’s a very small group of restaurant people there, but Adam is personable and great at using contacts and forming relationships.” When Craftbar closed, Ford Fry came calling. The Texas-born chef-restaurateur was building his Rocket Farm Restaurants Group. “Word on the street was that there was this talented, up-and-coming chef in town who had great people skills, so I invited Adam to meet me for coffee. I knew right then that I wanted him on my team, somehow,” Fry says. “We have the same vision for what a dining experience should be for guests, and how a kitchen should run.” In fact, they even agreed on what they disliked: over-thetop pretense; fussy, froufrou concoctions; and temperamental chefs who hurl cleavers. “Adam’s Auburn education in psychology gives him a distinctive kind of intelligence for this line of work,” Fry says. “He’s an unusually well-balanced, wellrounded thinker with good people skills, and that’s what I was looking for. He was innovating with vegetables when so many chefs were focusing on starches.” Also worth noting: neither man’s bicep is tattooed with a radish or other foodie iconography. “So cliché,” Evans says, wrinkling his nose. Adds Hargett, who tailgates with Evans at Auburn football games: “Adam is not the stereotype of the arrogant chef who takes himself too seriously. In fact, part of the secret to Adam’s success is that he is a likable goofball who delights in what he does, like a big kid.” So Evans arrived at a propitious time in Atlanta, when the city’s gaudy excesses had been tempered by the economic recession. There was talk of a “New Sincerity” movement in eateries—high quality, seasonal, locavore ingredients, prepared with
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a simple yet refined technique, and décor in warm woods and clean lines. The Southern Foodways Alliance was burnishing the image of traditional regional fare, and critics observed that Atlanta finally was maturing as a food capital. They generally credit Rocket Farm with popularizing the farm-to-table movement, which Evans regards as a conceptual redundancy. “I still don’t get what ‘farm-to-table’ means,” he says. “Maybe because I’ve had the luxury of never working in a place that did things differently, but any real chef, anywhere, is going to rely on the nearest market-fresh ingredients.” He sighs and shrugs. Fry decided that Evans’ background suited a seafood-centric establishment, and the two began comparing notes on every detail; Evans was entrusted with complete control of the menu. Other scenesters were staking out Atlanta’s dilapidated, industrial Westside, so the duo settled on an airy old ham-processing plant for The Optimist. The transformation into a nautical-chic emporium with an oyster bar proved dramatic, with its high ceiling suggestive of a boat. “I keep my ear to the ground, and I kept hearing buzz about this new seafood place, but I was skeptical because it was located
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in land-locked Atlanta,” says John Mariani, dining critic for Esquire. “Still, I decided to check it out, and when I walked in, I was blown away by the sheer handsomeness of the place. I knew then that I would at least give it the award for best design. Then the food began coming, and I thought: This kitchen knows how to prepare seafood, and it is the best new restaurant, period.” His review reads like a love letter: “A soaring, convivial spot, The Optimist has a hopping oyster bar shaped like a surfboard, a first-rate cocktail program and seafood cooked with old-school expertise over a wood fire. … The Optimist is far more than a resounding local success: It is an overnight totem of all that is wonderful about American food today.” Evans blushes slightly at the memory. “That was wonderful, as was the Bon Appetit award, but probably my proudest moment so far was in Florence, when I prepared octopus for the local premiere of the documentary about the Muscle Shoals music scene. That might be the best night of my life, so far. “Still, what I really, really want to do is cook a special dinner for Auburn’s football team and coaches. That would be my ultimate dream come true.” Any of you guys hungry?
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From canning jam to adapting Google Glass for crop assessment, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has kept pace with the times for more than a century. b y a s h l e y s e l b y
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of change When the dust settled and the last shot of the Civil War had been fired, the South was left to survey the damage. Crops had been destroyed. Homes were razed. Husbands, brothers and workers numbering 620,000 lay dead on the fields of places with names like Antietam, Harper’s Ferry and Gettysburg. The end of the Civil War rang in the new era of Reconstruction, which found surviving farmers in a desperate situation. While the war still raged, Washington was looking ahead. The Morrill Act, a piece of legislation set in motion in 1862 and signed by Abraham Lincoln, granted each state 30,000 acres of land per House or Senate member for funding educational institutions that became known as land-grant schools. East Alabama Male College, the precursor to Auburn University, was struggling to survive financially after the war. Because of Morrill’s legislation, control of the college was transferred to the State of Alabama and the newly renamed Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama became the state’s first land-grant university, offering practical education in agriculture and engi-
Photos courtesy of Alabama Extension
neering in addition to the usual academic subjects. Still, there needed to be a way to bridge the gap between the practical research taking place at land-grant schools and the people—farmers and homemakers and manufacturers—who would most benefit from it. On May 8, 1914, the answer came in the Smith Lever Act, establishing a network of cooperative extension offices that would deliver new knowledge stem-
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ming from the universities to the public in the form of publications, demonstrations and workshops. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, home-based at Auburn, has since had agents in every one of Alabama’s 67 counties. “Extension was rooted in our land-grant tradition of providing science-based information to citizens so they could make wise decisions that will better their economy and their quality of life,” Gary Lemme, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says. “That mission hasn’t changed in 100 years. The issues our citizens are dealing with have changed, but the mission has not. We’re a network that’s committed to people throughout their lives.” Here’s a quick look at ways in which ACES has kept up with our changing world.
FOR THE KIDS then: Corn and Tomato Clubs, circa 1909. Young boys were taught to cultivate and grow their own corn for prizes and awards, while girls were taught to grow and can tomatoes. It was hoped the kids would then take the new farming techniques they’d learned and teach their parents, who’d proven more resistant to change. now: The corn and canning clubs of the early 1900s have grown into the massive organization of 4-H (representing the four development areas of head, heart, health and hands). In 2014, more than 107,000 children ages 5-18 in Alabama were involved in 4-H through programs like annual livestock shows, Operation Military Kids and Just Move! Alabama. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System recently launched the Centennial Youth Initiative, which pledges to assign more local agents and increase youth involvement across the state in disciplines such as robotics and rocketry. FOR THE WORKING COMMUNITY then: Opportunity Schools were held at local high schools across the state two nights per week, providing a chance for working adults to hear talks about farming issues and homemaking as well as instruction in basic academic subjects such as math, writing and English. now: Today’s ACES outreach is tackling unemployment, with individualized job coaching, workshops in résumé skills and courses to help unemployed members of the community market their skills and find a job. When a plant in Lawrence County laid off 120 employees in 2013, for example, ACES programs helped 40 percent of those unemployed find new positions. FOR THE POCKETBOOK then: Curb markets were one of the ways ACES helped people survive during the Great Depression, giving women in particular a way to sell their farm and home goods directly to people in the community without a middleman. The first curb market in the state was located in Gadsden. now: Entrepreneurs get invaluable training through extension programs these days, with help in running their businesses and making wise financial decisions. Annie’s Project, for example, was designed for women in agriculture to better manage their farms and adapt to risks and disasters associated with farming. Because senior citizens are often the targets of identity theft and credit card fraud, extension agents visit senior groups to explain the importance of shredding documents and ways to avoid financial scams. FOR DISPENSING ADVICE then: The dreaded boll weevil was the “big-bad” of early agriculture programs, with local extension agents reaching out to the farmers in their communities with practical advice and consultations. It also set the tone for future extension projects;
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local farmers didn’t appreciate outsiders coming in to dispense wisdom, but they would listen to the extension agents from their own communities. now: The old face-to-face interactions with agents have changed to FaceTime interactions, allowing agents to work remotely and with more individuals. New technology has allowed the extension to have wider influence through a collection of gardening apps, videos, webinars and podcasts accessible from any smartphone, iPad or Google Glass. Like pictures? ACES even has Pinterest boards dedicated to different topics in gardening and horticulture. FOR THE DINNER TABLE then: During the 1920s and on into the Great Depression, the extension system offered canning demonstrations to help citizens of Alabama survive the food shortage. Agents traveled to communities for club meetings, where they taught women how to preserve and can their produce and meat in order to maintain a balanced diet throughout the year now: Stretching the food dollar has gone commercial. In Chilton County, an abandoned schoolhouse has been transformed into a commercial kitchen. The Chilton Food Innovation Center allows local farmers and entrepreneurs to rent the space and use professional processing equipment to mass-produce their recipes for commercial sale. Auburn University provides nutritional analysis for the products, as well as pH and water testing for the facility. FOR THE GREATER GOOD
real sources of disease, such as poor food storage or lack of proper sanitation. now: ACES has brought nutrition education into the digital age with the launch of Body Quest, an iPad-based curriculum for first- through third-graders in Alabama. Over the course of 17 weeks, children are introduced to six “Body Quest Warriors,” including Muscle Max, Fiberlicious and Super Slurper, who help them make good nutritional choices and encourage active play. Weekly vegetable and fruit tastings help students learn about and try new healthy foods.
then: When America entered World War II, the extension service encouraged personal home gardens, called victory gardens or war gardens, in an effort to individually feed American households so larger food supplies could be sent to the Allied forces on the front. Nearly one-third of all vegetables in the U.S. during wartime came from personal victory gardens. now: The City of Auburn is working with ACES water resource specialists to develop low-impact development strategies in an effort to improve water quality in lakes, streams and rivers. The new systems allow water to move more slowly through the soil, providing nutrients to plants and improving soil quality, before running into the city’s gutters and waterways. FOR BETTER HEALTH then: In the early years of extension, rural areas still blamed curses for causing disease, with myth-based “cures” that caused more harm than good. Demonstration agents visited communities and gave instruction on proper hygiene and the
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THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT SHAPES A LIFETIME. THIS IS VICKIE
applying her degree in human development and family studies by working with children in the Harris Early Learning Center in Birmingham. Vickie Orr Wiley ‘93
THIS IS CHRIS
researching crocodiles on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast for his dissertation in biological sciences. Working with Dr. Craig Guyer, he seeks to understand the malebiased ratio of crocodiles and the increase in attacks on humans. Chris Murray, PhD candidate
auburn.edu/thisisauburn
THIS IS LORENDA
BillStone@auburnalum.org
working for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate aviation incidents around the globe. Her recommendations and reports improve the safety of air travel. Lorenda Ward ‘90, ‘92
Auburn University prepared you for a career with a solid foundation, meaningful experiences, and powerful connections. Where has your Auburn education taken you? Share your images, stories, and posts with us by tagging @AuburnU or using the #thisisauburn hashtag. Or, you can email us at thisis@auburn.edu. You may be featured in our next Auburn University ad campaign.
THIS IS AUBURN.
ALUMNI CENTER
War Eagle, friends! BILL STONE ’85
President, Auburn Alumni Association
Calendar LOOKING FOR WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS TOURS?
See the listings on Page 51. ALL TIMES CENTRAL. Aug. 30 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
It really is great to be an Auburn Tiger! Over the past summer, I’ve been blessed to participate in all 10 Tiger Trek events with Coach Malzahn. What a great opportunity to visit with many of you, from 1,500 of our friends in Birmingham to the biggest group ever in the Wiregrass. To the more than 5,000 Auburn family who attended, thank you for your hospitality, passion and support. I want to say “THANK YOU” and “WAR EAGLE” to Coach Gus and Kristi Malzahn, and to Jamie Croley, for the commitment you made to Tiger Trek this year. The Auburn Family appreciates you, and is proud that you call the Plains home. Also, we were able to surprise some of you by bringing new men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl along for a few stops. Please join me this season as Coach brings “AUBURN FAST” to the court! As you read this column, another generation of Auburn students will have joined the Auburn Family, both as 2014 alumni at the commencement of Aug. 2, and as the incoming freshman class of 2018. I look forward to the impact these young people will have on our family. Now, as we look to the fall, the change in seasons also brings us another change. Dr. Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of your Auburn Alumni Association, has announced her retirement. Dr. Shaw, Debbie, as I am blessed to call her a friend, has served Auburn University for more than 30 years. Debbie’s contributions include teaching, student affairs, student activities, career services, academic support and many more roles. Also, Debbie served as the advisor for the Aubie program for 20 years. Her honors while at Auburn include the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the Pamela Wells Sheffield Award, Most Outstanding Panhellenic Advisor in the Nation, NASPA Region III Bob Leach Award
for Outstanding Service, and the National Freshman Advocate Award. Since 2003, Debbie has led alumni affairs and the Auburn Alumni Association. She is a past president of the Alumni Directors of the Southeastern Conference, a past president of the National Educational Alumni Trust, a past national vice president of Phi Mu, and a current national board member of the Council of Alumni Association Executives. Under Debbie’s tenure, the Auburn Alumni Association reached superlatives such as: highest membership, over 50,000; largest scholarship endowment, over $5.5 million; tripling the number of Auburn Clubs awarding annual scholarships; and leading our Alumni Association to the best relationships ever with our constituents, including members, students, faculty, athletics, trustees and the Auburn community. But, most importantly, Debbie is an AU graduate, with a master’s and a Ph.D. On behalf of our entire Auburn family Debbie, GOD SPEED, WAR EAGLE and THANKS! With fall comes another football season as well. Let’s remember that to be an Auburn man, or an Auburn woman, comes with responsibility. As Dr. Petrie tells us: I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all. I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by “doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God.” And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn, and love it! War Eagle, and God Bless,
Auburn vs. Arkansas, 3 p.m. kickoff. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens at noon, three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, the tent offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www.aualum.org/tent. Sept. 6 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. San Jose State, 6 p.m. kickoff. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens at 3 p.m., three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, the tent offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www.aualum.org/tent. Sept. 18 AUBURN AT KANSAS STATE
Thursday night game, 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The Kansas City Auburn Club is hosting a bus trip to the game. For information, see the club’s page on the Auburn Clubs website at www.auburnclubs.org. Sept.27 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech, TBA. HOMECOMING. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Check your local listings for kickoff time. The tent is located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, and offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www.aualum.org/tent.
BillStone@auburnalum.org
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Calendar Oct. 4 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. LSU, TBA. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Check your local listings for kickoff time. The tent is located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, and offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www. aualum.org/tent.
Changing times
Oct. 11 AUBURN AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
TBA. Consult your local listings for kickoff time Oct. 25 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. South Carolina, TBA. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Check your local listings for kickoff time. The tent is located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, and offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www. aualum.org/tent. Nov. 1 AUBURN AT OLE MISS
TBA. Consult your local listings for kickoff time. Total Sports Travel is hosting a Tiger Tailgate at The Lyric in Oxford, three hours prior to kickoff, with full meal and cash bar. $60. For information, visit http:// totalsportstravel.com/school/auburn-university. Nov. 8 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. Texas A&M, TBA. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Check your local listings for kickoff time. The tent is located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, and offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www. aualum.org/tent. Nov. 15 AUBURN AT GEORGIA
TBA. Consult your local listings for kickoff time. The Greater Athens Auburn Club and the Auburn Alumni Association will be hosting a tailgate in Athens at the Holiday Inn, 197 E. Broad St., three hours prior to kickoff and closing 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Meal and cash bar. For information, visit bit.ly/AuburnvsUGATailgate.
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A familiar face on the Auburn University campus for more than 30 years will be starting a new phase of her life at the end of the year. Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs at Auburn University and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association, announced her retirement after a more than 30-year career with the university. She will step down on Feb. 1. Shaw joined the Office of Alumni Affairs in 2003, shepherding the office that serves as a bridge between the university and more than 220,000 Auburn alumni, as well as the Auburn Alumni Association, a donation-based membership 501(c)3 organization comprising some 44,000 Auburn University alumni and friends. The association has one of the highest percentages of members among its university alumni in the Southeastern Conference. “Debbie’s energy, enthusiasm and ideas touched the lives of countless students and alums through the years,” said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. “Her career is one dedicated to the betterment of Auburn and the Auburn family, and we appreciate all she has accomplished.” Over the course of her tenure in alumni affairs, relationships and collaborations between the university and its alumni have significantly improved, with the association leading the way in new partnerships that
have benefited the entire university and Auburn community. The scholarship endowment funded by the association has increased by several million dollars as Shaw set a priority on raising money for student tuition awards through special projects such as the engraved pavers at the entrance of the Auburn Alumni Center, commemorative bricks from Toomer’s Corner, and collectible items made from the beloved oaks at Toomer’s Corner. Shaw began her professional career in student affairs at Auburn, working the next 20 years in housing and residence life, admissions, student activities and leadership, freshmen orientation, Greek life, and student union operations and programs. While in admissions in 1984, she began AU Student Recruiters, a student-led recruiting organization which assisted admissions counselors in recruiting top students to Auburn. Shaw was asked to develop Auburn’s first academic orientation course for freshmen in 1991, “The Auburn Experience,” where she co-authored a textbook by that name and taught the course for several years. Shaw was then asked to lead the development of a new summer orientation program, Camp War Eagle, of which she served as director for the program its first five years. In addition to other student-relation activities, Shaw also served as advisor for the Aubie mascot program for 20 years. She holds an undergraduate degree from The University of North Alabama, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education administration from Auburn. Details concerning a search for a new vice president for alumni affairs will be announced later this year. Auburn Magazine had a chance to catch up with Shaw shortly after the announcement was made: What surprised you the most when you first moved from student affairs to alumni affairs? AM:
DS: Working closely with students pro-
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Calendar vides opportunities to develop relationships that can last a lifetime. Little did I know at the time that relationships formed with many alumni can be just as strong, and often more so. I feel like my Auburn family is quite large.
DS: All alumni associations face the similar challenges in the future—finding ways to connect and engage young alumni, keeping up with technology so that we can communicate with alumni most effectively, and making sure membership remains of value.
AM: What is the biggest change
AM: What person has influenced
DS: There is no longer a “typical” Auburn student. Students now come to us with much more diversity, and that’s a good thing.
DS: Without a doubt, Dean Jim Foy. Having arrived at AU in 1982, I did not have the pleasure of having him as my dean (he retired in 1978). However, when I became director of Foy Student Union and student activities in the ’90s, I reached out to him because I wanted him involved in what we were doing. He still lived only a mile from campus. Dean Foy quickly became a mentor and close friend, and we kept a special relationship until he died in 2010.
you’ve seen at Auburn during your years here?
AM: What do you love most about
Auburn? About Auburn people?
DS: I love our small college town. I love that we are a land-grant college. I love that “War Eagle” is said sincerely and a lot. I love the extremely strong loyalty alumni feel toward AU. I love that people care about one another. I love downtown Auburn. I love that alumni association members wear their membership pins often, and with great pride. AM: What has been your biggest
challenge?
DS: When I first became executive director of the alumni association in 2004, there was quite a bit of unrest between the alumni association and the university. I did my best to stay focused on doing what was in the best interests of the school we all loved. While it was a challenging time, with the leadership and guidance of the association president at the time Owen Brown ’64, things began to change for the better. We have had some very strong and active alumni board officers and directors who stayed true to their beliefs yet knew how to productively work with the university administration. I am probably most proud of how positive the relationships have been for the past several years. I like to think I had a small part in making things better. AM: As you look into your crys-
tal ball, what would you say are the biggest challenges facing the alumni association in the coming decade?
you the most in your years at Auburn?
AM: What are two or three of
your favorite Auburn memories, and why are those special to you? DS: Nothing will beat the first home game in Jordan-Hare Stadium against Alabama in 1989—the stadium was just electric (although the Iron Bowl of 2013 sure comes close). Starting the first Camp War Eagle in the summer of 1994 at the beautiful campsite of the 4-H Center in Columbiana will always be a great memory, as well as the first CWE on campus in 1995. But advising Aubie for so many years brought me the most laughter—the special relationships formed with “friends of Aubie” throughout the years have continued to the present day. AM: It’s almost impossible to
imagine you not being a part of Auburn moving forward. How will you remain active with the university? DS: Auburn has been a great part of my life for over 30 years. I plan to remain in the loveliest village and support the university any way I can. I am excited about continuing in a part-time role directing the War Eagle Travelers program, which I have led for the past year. So for a good time, call me to travel with Auburn!
Nov. 22 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT/HOME GAME
Auburn vs. Samford, TBA. The Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours prior to kickoff, and closes 30 minutes before kickoff. Check your local listings for kickoff time. The tent is located on the Wallace Center lawn, steps away from the west stadium entrance, and offers food, a big-screen TV, visits from Aubie and the band, and more. www. aualum.org/tent. Nov. 29 AUBURN AT ALABAMA
TBA. Consult your local listings for kickoff time. BOOK AHEAD FOR WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS!
In addition to the trips listed below, we have more than 30 tours being offered in 2015. Check out our website at www.aualum.org/travel for further information on all of our trips! Jan. 8-16, 2014 CUBAN DISCOVERY
Through a People-to-People exchange, the Caribbean’s largest island is open for an educational adventure for American travelers. Why not do it with Auburn? Limited to 25.
Jan. 18-24, 2015 WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE
Limited to 15 travelers for a more personal experience, join expert guides to scout for wolves in the best wolf-watching habitat in the country. Experience Yellowstone in its winter incarnation and see herds of resident bison, elk and other animals. Feb. 2-23, 2015 MYSTICAL ANDES & MAJESTIC FJORDS
Take a 20-day luxury cruise around the southern tip of South America to Buenos Aires, stopping in captivating ports along the way. Two-for-one cruise fares including airfare plus a $4,000 early booking savings per stateroom.
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Class Notes
It’s tent time!
GOT NEWS? Auburn Magazine 317 S. College Street Auburn University, AL 36849-5149, or aubmag@auburn.edu Life Member Annual Member
’50-’59 Robert W. Britt ’56 served
as chief of forestry for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, D.C., from 1963-67. He retired from Eglin Air Force Base in 1987 after 20 years of service as chief of the national resources division.
’60-’69
Football season is around the corner, which means it’s time to get ready to attend the Alumni Hospitality Tent and party with fellow Tigers fans on home gamedays. Held on the Wallace Center lawn, across from the west entrance to Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Alumni Hospitality Tent opens three hours before kickoff and closes thirty-minutes before kickoff—just in time for you to catch the eagle’s flight. Members of the Auburn Alumni Association enter free (wear your membership pin!); guest admission is $5 for the first guest and $10 for additional guests. Children 3 and under are admitted at no charge; admission for children ages 4-12 is $5. You spoke, and we listened! Hot dogs are back this year, along with other food, a big-screen TV for monitoring other SEC games, visits from Aubie and the birds of the Southeastern Raptor Center, giveaways and more. For information, or to learn about our Exclusive Member Tailgates (where we set everything up for your private tailgate), visit www.aualum.org/tent. Need a place to park for home games? For information on purchasing reserved parking at home games behind the Auburn Alumni Center at the corner of Gay Street and Miller Avenue, call 334-844-2586. Money for parking goes to benefit the Auburn Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment.
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John Reichley ’62 was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2013 by the Leavenworth (Kan.)/ Lansing Chamber of Commerce. He was an active-duty Army cavalry officer for 20 years, including a year in Vietnam, and after retiring in 1983 he became an Army civilian at the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for 21 years. He is a fellow in the Company of Military Historians; member of the president’s council, volunteer and tour guide at the National WW I Museum in Kansas City, and was one of the first two certified tourism ambassadors in Leavenworth County. He and his wife, Judy Reichley ’63, enjoy retirement in Leavenworth. Charles R. Moody ’64 received the 2011
Southern Region Hall of Fame Award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. He lives in Centre. Mary Dixon ’66 earned
her master’s in liberal studies from Georgetown University in May. Her thesis, The Artisanal Nuke, will be published by the USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies, Air University, later this year. Harry Moore ’67 published two poetry chapbooks and was selected as the 2014 recipient of the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award for Poetry. He and his wife live in Decatur.
’70-’79 John Floyd Jr. ’70
received the 2014 Meritorious Service Award from the American Horticultural Society for his contribution to American gardening research, practice and conservation. He lives in Trussville. Jean Miller Hood ’70
was recently sworn in as mayor of the town of Cinco Bayou, Fla. She is a retired educator and lives with her husband in Okaloosa County.
and a California Board of Legal Specialization certified tax specialist. Michael von Spakovsky ’74, director of the
Center for Energy Systems Research at Virginia Tech University, received the James Harry Potter Gold Medal for his achievements and distinguished service in the science of thermodynamics and mechanical engineering. His research interests include approaches for the integrated synthesis, design, operation and control of stationary energy and high-performance aircraft systems. Lee Webb ’75 was named vice president of broadcasting of Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul, and host of the daily radio program “Renewing Your Mind.” He lives in Sanford, Fla. James A. Edwards ’76
was a featured speaker at the Orange County (Fla.) Bar Association’s recent program on advanced legal writing. He is a civil trial lawyer with Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe Attorneys. He also was selected as a 2014 Florida Super Lawyer. James P. Warren ’76 is
Curt Harrington ’74 of
Long Beach, Calif., has been confirmed by the California Bar board of trustees to assume the chair of the state bar’s California Board of Legal Specialization. He is a high-tech patent attorney
the S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. He recently edited a new book, The Road to the Spring: Collected Poems of Mary Austin, published by Syracuse University Press.
shop A L U M N I
C E N T E R
for your
auburn fan here. We
have the best for your best.
Shop with your Auburn Alumni Association for Auburn fan gifts. We only recommend the finest Auburn products, from stationery and jewelry to mahogany diploma frames. We have the perfect Auburn gift for them!
www.aualum.org/shop Find out more ... To find out more about your membership discounts, contact:
334-844-2960 aualumni@auburn.edu
Join the Circle The circle of excellence was created to increase the endowment for the Auburn Alumni Association Endowed Scholarships, the only scholarship program at Auburn University designed to specifically support the eligible children of life members. We invite our fully-paid life members to continue to help us increase this endowment by joining the Circle of Excellence Membership Society.
For more information on this exclusive membership society call 334-844-2995 or visit aualum.org/scholarships
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Class Notes ’80-’89 Neal Saxon ’80 retired
after 34 years practicing pharmacy.
Winderweedle, Haines, Ward and Woodman. Sonya Wilson Jenkins ’92 was named chair-
George Spofford ’82
has been named a Super Lawyer out of the Tampa, Fla., office of GrayRobinson. Lynda Lanning ’84
received the 2013 Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service and the 2012 National Institutes of Health Director’s Award in recognition of leadership and execution of a translational science project that gained approval for a new treatment for pneumonic plague. She is a toxicologic pathologist in the Office of Regulatory Affairs of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Disease. She lives and works in Maryland. Jan Ziglar Eunice ’86
is a retired public educator with the Eufaula City Board of Education. She performs as a flute soloist for the community and is on sabbatical from private flute and piano music instruction. Scott Wedge ’89 was married to Beth Spears on April 9. They live in Rogers, Ark.
’90-’99
54
woman of the board of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Warner Robins, Ga. She is the first African-American woman to serve as the board chair of her local chamber.
ePortfolio enlightenment Six students and faculty members were selected to showcase AU’s work with ePortfolios at the national conference of the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and EvidenceBased Learning in Boston. Participating were Christopher Keirstead of English, Lesley Bartlett of university writing, Abhijeet Deshpande of civil engineering and Gary Wagoner of art, along with students Megan Lankford and Heather Stuart. To learn more about Auburn’s ePortfolio Project, visit https://fp.auburn.edu/writing/eportfolio-project/.
He lives in Burbank, Calif. Stacy Mote ’98, an environmental scientist and consultant, recently opened her own health coaching company in Phenix City. She also became an affiliate with Chalene Johnson and Lebert Fitness. Albert E. “Bo”
Adrian Bouchillon ’94
and Kathryn Yarbrough Bouchillon ’98 announce the birth of a daughter, Gabrielle Adrian, on March 17. Gabrielle joins a big brother, Avery. The family lives in Mableton, Ga.
serve as vice president of advancement at the College of Coastal Georgia. She resides in Brunswick, Ga.
announce the birth of a son, Jackson Cruise, on April 17. The family lives in Titusville, Fla.
Jason Morehouse
Harrison ’07 and her
’02 works on one of
husband, Nate, announce the birth of a son, Nathan “Luce” Harrison IV, on March 24. The family lives in Alpharetta, Ga.
Bryn Campbell
Chevron’s offshore oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. He was recently interviewed for an article in Fortune magazine. He lives in Covington, La.
Rivera ’98 and Stephanie
McPherson were married on March 29. The couple resides in Madison, where he is a dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon. Samuel Jason Hare
Philip Amthor ’08 and Taylor Stewart Dobbs ’02 and her husband,
Matt, announce the birth of a son, Parker Harrison, on April 14. He joins a big brother, Anderson. The family lives in Auburn.
’99 and his wife, Julie, Heather Bingham Smithson ’95 and Christopher Smithson ’02
announce the birth of a daughter, Charlee Lynne, on July 28, 2013. Christopher is a co-owner and practitioner at The Pet Dentist of Tampa Bay, Fla., and Heather works part-time as a veterinarian. Christopher Campanotta ’95 and Scott Ford were
married on May 5. They currently reside in Birmingham. Kelly Voyles Kardian ’96 recently became the
owner of Spiffy Stuff, a to-the-trade design center in Atlanta.
Jere F. Daniels Jr. ’90
Clay Renfroe ’97 is
was appointed to a twoyear term on the Winter Park (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He practices real estate law with
line producer for the television show “Sophia the First,” and recently received an Emmy nomination for his team’s work on the program.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
announce the birth of a son, Jacob Reed, on April 13, 2013. He joins a big brother, John Reynolds Hare. The family lives in Auburn. Jeffrey S. Neumeyer ’99
was recently recognized on the 2014 Financial Times “Top 400 Financial Advisors” list. He is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Atlanta.
’00-’09
Brad Neighbors ’03
and Heather Fillmore Neighbors ’04 announce the birth of a son, Graham Bradley, on Dec. 12, 2013. He joins a big brother, Parker. The family lives in Mountain Brook. Hunter Hodges ’05 and
Shelley Scarbrough were married on March 22. They currently reside in Boise, Idaho.
LCDR Erik Stinson ’00 has been serving with Strike Fighter Squadron 213 on board the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush, where he is an F/A-18 pilot along with Lt. Justin Porter ’08. Recently, Stinson transferred to Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, and is looking forward to football season on the Plains.
Alicia Lewis ’06 joined
Elizabeth Weatherly ’00
Lauren Hamed ’07 and
has been appointed to
her husband, David,
the Greenspoon Marder law team as a member of the land use and zoning practice group. She lives in Atlanta. Seth Clark ’06 and Tiffany Clark ’06 an-
nounce the birth of a son, Preston Mac, on Jan. 15. The family lives in Daviston.
Sara Chandler were married on Nov. 16, 2013. They currently reside in Birmingham.
book with the University of Tennessee Press, On a Great Battlefield: The Making, Management, and Memory of Gettysburg National Military Park, 19332012. In the book, she examines the Gettysburg battlefield itself, rather than the battle that took place on it more than 150 years ago. Murray is an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Craig Stephen Wade
Ashleigh T. deMoll
’12 of Kathleen, Ga., and
’08 earned a doctorate
Kelsey Elizabeth Johnson
of osteopathic medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Georgia campus. She has accepted a four-year residency program at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, N.J.
’13 of Mobile were mar-
ried on Aug. 10, 2013, in Auburn. They live in Mobile. Leisa Cool ’13 and Bret
Thompson were married on July 13. They reside in Birmingham.
Justin Shugart ’09
and Amy Young ’12 were married on June 28. They currently live in Birmingham. Blair Franklin ’09 and Jamie O’Brien were married on May 3. They currently live in Birmingham.
’10-’14
Chelsea Vines ’14 and
Jonathan Young were married on May 17. They currently live in Clarksville, Tenn. Clay Miller ’14 and Ashley Selby ’14 were
married on Aug. 9. They currently live in Auburn. In Memoriam
Trey Darnell ’10 was
recently recognized as a graduate of the Young Leaders Council of Williamson County, Tenn. He is a building information modeling specialist with Hoar Construction in Franklin, Tenn. Jennifer M. Murray ’10 has published a
JAMES LEON BURLESON SR. ’39 of Panama
City, Fla., died on May 11. Serving in the Pacific during WWII, Burleson later moved to Dothan, where he developed real estate for subdivisions and Methodist churches.
A L U M N I
In Memoriam KATE EILEEN JONES BROWN ’41 of Green-
ville died on April 29. A member of Kappa Delta sorority, she was an elementary school teacher.
General Electric and was named one of three Distinguished Auburn Engineers in 1986. JOHN E. PITTMAN JR.
C E N T E R
It’s time for the Alumni Hospitality Tent and Exclusive Member Tailgates
’43 of Enterprise died JOHN ALBERT
on Dec. 23.
QUENELLE ’45 of Syl-
acauga died on March 24. An Army veteran, he enjoyed a career with Avondale Mills and retired as vice president of human resources after 34 years. WILLIAM O. LIP-
WYNONA PARKER PORCH ’43 of Union
Grove died on April 6. She worked with 4-H Clubs around Alabama during World War II and enjoyed a career with Air Engineers in Birmingham.
SCOMB JR. ’42 of
Decatur died on April 25. A World War II veteran, he worked in sales management in Texas, Iowa, Illinois and Alabama. MARY DEAN FRENCH
ERNEST LINWOOD REED ’43 of Fort Walton
Beach, Fla., died on March 19. A U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force veteran, he practiced veterinary medicine for 30 years.
COX ’43 of Pensacola,
Fla., died on April 26. Cox was president of Pensacola Refrigeration Supply Inc. and previously served as president of the Women’s Club of Pensacola and as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association, the Pensacola Museum of Art Guild and many more organizations. CAMERON G. GRAMMAS ’43 of Hoover, died
on Feb. 11.
J. DAVID SCHAFFER ’44 of LaGrange, Ga.,
died on Oct. 16, 2013. A Korean War veteran, he practiced veterinary medicine in South and Coastal Georgia.
Want a hassle–free, hurry up, no huddle gameday experience? Auburn Alumni Association members enjoy free entry to the Alumni Hospitality Tent prior to home football games. Members can reserve our Exclusive Member Tailgates. Located on Wallace Center Lawn, just steps away from Jordan–Hare Stadium’s west entrance gate.
JAMES WHITFIELD WAITZMAN ’44 of
Birmingham died on Feb. 1. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served as president and chairman of the board of Tractor and Equipment Co. and national president of Associated Equipment Distributors.
We’ll see you there!
www.aualum.org/tent
ROBERT HARDING HARRIS ’43 of Atlanta,
Ga., died on Jan 21. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He enjoyed a 38-year career with
ELLEN WILLIAMS BALL ’45 of Auburn
died on Feb. 24. She worked as a legal secretary, bookkeeper and an administrator at Frederick’s Funeral Home in Opelika.
To learn more Call 334-844-2985 or email alumnitent@auburn.edu. Exclusive Member Tailgates are selling out fast. Get yours today!
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
55
A L U M N I
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Beautiful dreamer
SNAPSHOT
Where one road ends, another begins. At the end of one journey, Auburn graduate Esther Ngumbi is already embarking on another that will touch on thousands of others. “I’m a dreamer,” Ngumbi said. “Some people say I’m a big dreamer, but I’m a person who dreams big for the community.” Ngumbi received her Ph.D in entomology from Auburn in 2012, becoming the first person from her small village in Kwale County, Kenya, to receive a degree in higher education. Earning her Ph.D was “a dream” she said, but one that she recognizes is not possible for everyone, particularly from her homeland. Ten years from now, I don’t want to still be the only person with a Ph.D.,” Ngumbi said. “To me, my life is complete but not complete, because I keep on
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
thinking of my peers, the children in my community and in the communities all over Africa. I think how can I make them have a future like me and achieve what they want through education.” Between researching plant growth cycles and agricultural blights around the world, Ngumbi organized efforts to bring greenhouses to Kwale County and improve local farming cycles. A member of the Clinton Global University Initiative, Ngumbi also helped cofound the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) partnership with Auburn University in Kenya, serves on the board of directors for the Caribbean Education Initiative and has been invited to the Chicago Council’s Global Food Security Symposium since the summer of 2010. “I’m all over, but I believe in a holistic kind of development,” Ngumbi said. “There’s no single bullet to fix every-
thing, but then I happen to kind of embrace everything and use everything I learn to give back. I’m exposed to a lot of knowledge, agriculture-wise, educationwise, so I kind of just bridge my home and the developed world.” The roots of Ngumbi’s interest in science and the environment go back to her youth in Kwale County, near Kenya’s southeast coast. After watching insects and unpredictable weather ravage her and her neighbors’ crops year after year, Ngumbi resolved to find a solution to help community. “I grew up farming and I grew up watching my neighbors farm, and I know that small-hold farmers work very hard. It’s just that they lack the real technologies. They lack the insights and resources and someone to guide them through so they get most of what they plant.” The daughter of schoolteachers, Ngumbi has always understood the value of education and its power to transform lives. With the help of her community, in 2012 Ngumbi founded Faulu Academy in Kwale County, Kenya, building its first one-room classroom out of mud and trees, where her parents and other volunteers often teach for free. Today, Falau, which means “to succeed” or “to flourish” in Swahili, is a full multi-building compound with more than a hundred students enrolled in grades one through five. “I do a lot of things, I kind of feel like I’m all over but these are all things that I care about and I care about them because I grew up in a community where we didn’t have enough role models and people who are doing well, people who are achieving stuff that could be a source of hope,” Ngumbi said. “I won’t rest until every small-scale farmer is happy and wakes up wanting to go to the field and the field is able to feed them, their children. I want them to just be happy like I am when I come to my lab.” — Derek Herscovici
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A L U M N I
C E N T E R
In Memoriam SUSAN GOODWIN DELONY ’45 of Tuscumbia
died on March 17. She served as an instructor at the University of North Carolina, assistant professor at Montana State University, assistant dean of women at Auburn University and dean of women at Clemson University. WILLIAM CARL VOIGT JR. ’45 of
SNAPSHOT
Fashionista When Christy Carlisle Smith entered Auburn University as a freshman in 1999, she never thought her career would lead her to the world of fashion. She enrolled in the College of Science and Mathematics and her plan was to become a doctor. Then she signed up for an art class as an elective the summer after her freshman year at Auburn, and everything changed. “I fell in love with it. I was just really impressed with what I could accomplish,” she says. “I didn’t imagine myself as a creative person, and that just sparked my interest. I was thinking to myself, ‘What can I do to go into a business where I can actually use both, use the math and the science and the artistic creativity?’” She found her answer in Auburn’s apparel merchandising, design and production management program. Despite not knowing how to sew, Carlisle Smith switched her course of study and graduated in 2003 following a 10-week internship with Kay Unger in New York City. During the internship, she was offered a full-time position and over the course of 10 years, worked her way up to the role of senior designer. “It was a small company, so I stepped up for everything I could in every department, learning all kinds of different responsibilities,” she says. After 10 years in a highly creative design position, Carlisle Smith is switching gears and using her business experience to serve as CEO of the newly formed Southern Fashion House, the parent brand of fashion lines including Judith March, Jaquis + Janis and Deja Vu. “When [Southern Fashion House] came up down in Florida, I felt confident that I knew what I needed to know through Auburn and my experience at Kay Unger, so I dove in head-first,” she says. As CEO, Carlisle Smith has a hand in it all: public relations, marketing and business practices. She says she enjoys getting to now use what she calls “the rational side of her brain” to still work with and guide designers.—Ashley Selby
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Mountain Brook died on Feb. 15. A U.S. Navy veteran, he enjoyed an engineering career and was president of VoigtEngland Co. CHARLES MCDOWELL LEE SR. ’46 of Auburn
died on April 17. A World War II veteran, he served as mayor of Clio, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives and secretary of the Alabama Senate.
World War II in the Pacific and Midway Island, discharged at the rank of major in 1946. He was owner of his own construction company, Walter W. Dean Inc., that built commercial projects throughout the state of Alabama. After retiring from construction, he spent two years in Saudi Arabia as an engineer and consultant. BENJAMIN EDGAR KIDD III ’47 of Birming-
ham died on March 13. A World War II veteran, he founded and served as president of Electrical Specialties Product Co. in Montevallo. STEVE POWELL ’47
of Fairhope died on Feb. 17. A World War II veteran, he worked at E.I. DuPont and Marshall Laboratory. GLENN PERRY DEAL
LEON W. CUNNINGHAM ’47 of Columbus,
Ga., died on June 8, 2013. Professor emeritus of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Cunningham served as chairman of the biochemistry department and contributed more than 100 papers and seven books in the fields of protein structure, enzyme mechanisms and glycoproteins. WALTER WOOD
SR. ’48 of Taylorsville,
N.C., died on March 25. He enjoyed a long career in veterinary medicine in North Carolina. LIONEL L. LEVY ’48
of Los Altos, Calif., died on Jan. 1. A World War II veteran, he was honored with the H. Julian Allen Award and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for his essential scientific contributions to manned space flight.
DEAN SR. ’47 of Tus-
caloosa died on Feb. 7. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he served in
was a World War II fighter pilot. WATT ANDY “DUB” ELLIS ’49 of Centre died
on Feb. 26. He was the owner of Ellis Brothers Inc. and Sure-Grow Seed Co. He was also selected to the Agriculture Hall of Fame at Auburn University. JOSEPH EDMOND HALEY ’49 of Auburn
died on April 5. A World War II veteran, he worked for Joslyn Engineering. LUTHER SCOTT “SCOTTIE” HERRON JR. ’49 of
Birmingham died on Oct. 3, 2013. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was an active resident of Huffman and worked for Southern Co. Services until his retirement in 1977. He also worked for Gene Johnson and Associates for several years. He was an avid golfer and a member of Grayson Valley Country Club. JAMES “JIM” N. MCGOWEN ’49 of Auburn
died on March 7. A member of the football team at Auburn, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He also served on the board of directors of Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army in Mississippi. JEPTHA EDWARD MOODY ’49 of Scotts-
WALTER S. PARKER JR. ’48 of Notasulga
died on June 4. He
boro died on Jan. 27. A lifelong resident of Jackson County, he
Peanut prof Austin Hagan, professor and extension plant pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, was named a fellow of the American Peanut Research and Education Society. The honor, the highest the organization bestows, is in recognition of Hagan’s contributions to the peanut industry and to the society throughout his 34-year career at Auburn. The society supports comprehensive research and extension programs designed to improve the inherent qualities of peanuts and give consumers wholesome, reasonably priced peanuts and peanut products.
served as the chairman of the board as well as CEO of Jacobs Bank of Scottsboro until his retirement.
on May 11. He enjoyed a long career in sales and served as president of the Birmingham Automobile Dealers Association.
GRADY RIGGINS PARKER SR. ’49 of
Montevallo died on Jan. 26. A World War II veteran, he earned two Purple Hearts during combat. He enjoyed a long life of community involvement and earned Montevallo Citizen of the Year in 1984 and Civic Leader of the Year in 2004. WILLIAM STRANGE ’49 of Birmingham died
LEMONE YIELDING ’49 of Tuscumbia died
on May 3. He served in multiple leadership roles in the medical schools of the University of Alabama, University of Texas and University of South Alabama. EARL “JIM” CONAWAY ’50 of Wilming-
ton, Del., died on April 22. Conaway was the top graduate in Auburn University’s engineering
school. He worked for the DuPont Co. his entire professional career and was instrumental in the design, construction and operation of the Savannah River Plant Project. Conaway spent the majority of his career in the atomic energy division, developing the nation’s defense program.
las, Texas, died on April 22. A Navy pilot during World War II, Dryden was an award-winning architect in Dallas for 45 years in addition to designing buildings for Baylor University and serving as the consulting architect for Southern Methodist University. HERMAN EDWARD
CARL DENNIS ’50 of Auburn died on March 9. A U.S. World War II veteran, he worked with the Alabama Cooperative Extension for more than 34 years. HORACE EWING DRYDEN JR. ’50 of Dal-
BALL ’51 of Lafayette,
Colo., died on April 16. He worked with the CIA before beginning a lifelong career with the U.S. Forest Service, and devoted countless hours to the St. Francis Center in Denver and Habitat For Humanity.
A L U M N I
JOE GRAHAM ’51
of Birmingham died on Feb. 3. A World War II Navy veteran, he was a longtime resident of Albertville and donated the land for Graham Park.
C E N T E R
BILLY SEALE ’51 of Dallas, Texas, died on April 17, 2013. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he enjoyed a career in homebuilding and land development before his retirement.
ROBERT L. JACKSON
CORNELIUS WHIT-
’51 of Pensacola, Fla.,
TELSEY III ’51 of Ope-
died on March 11. He served as vice president of the dredging division at the Arundel Corp.
lika died on April 16. An Army veteran and member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, he established his own law practice and served in many elected positions within Lee County.
HYLYARD L. LANIER JR. ’51 of Opelika died
on April 2. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked in textiles for West Point Pepperell.
HERSCHELL BASS SR. ’52 of Opelika died
on Jan. 15. He was a
Visit our booth in the Auburn Hospitality Tent August 30th & September 6th
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a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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New veep in town Bobby Woodard has been named associate provost and vice president for student affairs at Auburn. He was most recently the associate vice chancellor for student involvement and leadership at East Carolina University. Woodard, who began his new position on Aug. 4, has more than 15 years of experience as a student affairs director and educator and has managed a variety of student affairs units.
In Memoriam longtime employee of the Opelika-Auburn News. MARY CHARLES
Hospital, and in 1996 was appointed to the Auburn University Board of Trustees.
PRICE DENNIS ’52 of
Auburn died on May 17. A resident of Auburn since 1968, Dennis worked in secondary and adult education. MELISSA WOOLF WADE ’52 of Mechan-
icsburg, Pa., died on Dec. 4, 2013. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority and most recently worked in an Episcopal church school.
GEORGE S. LEATHERBURY ’54 of Mobile
died on Oct. 10, 2013.
JULIAN C. CORNWELL
died on Jan. 22. He served as a paratrooper during World War II and practiced veterinary medicine for 40 years. JOSEPH R.
BOBBY EUGENE TID-
GERALD MORSE MOSE-
Hill died on May 6. A U.S. Army veteran, he served as an English and music teacher as well as a football coach at schools in Alabama and Florida.
LEY ‘57 of Huntsville
ERICK WILLIAMS ’54 of
Rockford died on Aug. 15, 2013.
of Magnolia, Miss., died on Feb. 24. He practiced veterinary medicine in his own clinic, Magnolia Veterinary Clinic, until his retirement.
ville, Va., died on June 2, 2013. She taught fifth grade for 30 years at Carlisle School. ROBERT M. WILBANKS SR. ’55 of Lanett
died on May 4. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he enjoyed a career with WestPoint Pepperell.
MCDONALD ’53 of
Madison died on July 6. He served as a state senator and executive director of the Alabama Farm Services Administration. In 1995, he was appointed by the Huntsville City Council to serve on the governing board of Huntsville
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TLE ’56 of Peachtree
City, Ga., died on May 6. A U.S. Navy veteran, he enjoyed a career as manager of information systems with Westinghouse and Galion Iron Works. JAMES R. DIAMOND SR. ’57 of Mobile died
on May 1. Earning degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology and South Alabama in addition to Auburn, Diamond was instrumental in the construction of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
BARNES ’56 of Fort
Valley, Ga., died on Jan. 27. He served as an Army aviator and retired from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant-colonel. He loved music and participated in the Heart of Georgia Barber Shop Chorus, Middle Georgia Concert Band and a saxophone quartet.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
died on March 14. He worked as an aerospace engineer with NASA. CARL EPTING
MONDS SR. ’57 of
Cobb County died on April 22. A member of South Cobb High School’s first graduating class, Hammonds would use the medical training he received at Auburn and Emory to create Cobb General Hospital, where he would serve Cobb’s health care commu-
JR. ’58 of Birmingham
died on Feb. 23. He served in the Army ROTC and attended the U.S. Naval Academy. He enjoyed a 45-year career with St. Regis Paper, Champion International and International Paper. WILLIAM WALLACE RHODES ’58 of Thom-
Alexandria, Va., died on April 3. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a general and 30th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff from July 1991 until his retirement in 1995 after 38 years of active duty. Among his many medals and honors were the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and Distinguished Service Medals from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
aston, Ga., died on June 5, 2013. He enjoyed a long career coaching high school sports and serving on the Thomaston City Council.
’57 of Grand Bay, Ala.,
died on May 21, 2012. He enjoyed a career in the shipbuilding industry for 37 years. WILLIAM CLAYTON BARGREN ’58 of Tam-
pa, Fla., died on Nov. 19. He had a career as an entomologist. BOBBY FRED BRYAN ’58 of Huntsville died
HUGH JAY WILLIAMS ’59 of Orange Beach
died on March 6. JAMES ROBERT
THEODORE P. CRANE
MUNDY JR. ’57 of
MELVIN D. SAUCER RICHARD LEE HAM-
FLETCHER HARGETT ALBERT CLYDE
JERRY MELVIN WHIT-
CAROLYN JONES ROSSER ’55 of Martins-
Roads died on March 16. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked for NASA until his retirement.
March 2. She worked as coordinator for the Etowah County Extension Service until her retirement.
ROBERT RONALD
WILLIAM “BILL” FRED-
on Feb. 1. An electrical engineering graduate, he worked on missile programs in Huntsville.
’57 of Southside died on
WHITLOCK ’56 of Camp
Navarre, Fla., died on May 5. He enjoyed a long career at Eglin Air Force Base until his retirement. MUSE EUGENE MANN
CELESTE H. MARTIN
died on April 11. He retired as vice president of the Dairy Fresh Corp.
LLEWELLYN ’53 of
’53 of Owens Cross
died on Jan. 25. He was the owner of Adsing Manufacturing and worked as a general contractor. He was coordinator of Cherokee County’s Carpenters for Christ.
nity for more than 40 years.
MORE ’54 of Chickasaw
JACK NUNNERY ’55 ’53 of Moore, S.C.,
ROBERT “BOB” BISHOP ’56 of Centre
CORCORAN ’60 of Me-
tairie, La., died on May 13. Corcoran served as a lieutenant-commander in the Navy as ship’s surgeon on the U.S.S. Independence before practicing with the Browne-McHardy Clinic for 25 years. He also served as associate professor of clinical surgery at the LSU School of Medicine and as chief of surgery at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie. SANDRA SAXON TRAYWICK ’60 of
EUGENE H. SYLVESTER ‘58 of Dothan died on
Jan. 18. A Mason and member of the Shriners, he was employed in the computer management industry for 32 years prior to his retirement in 1994. JOHN RUFUS HODGES ’59 of Columbus,
Ga., died on Feb. 23. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked at WRBL and retired as an insurance agent with Franklin Life Insurance Co. AUGUSTUS JOSEPH STAUB III ‘59 of Tupelo,
Miss., died on Jan. 26. He enjoyed a long career in architecture, serving as past president of the Mississippi Architectural Foundation and the Mississippi State University School of Architecture.
Opelika died on Feb. 8. She enjoyed a long career at Saxon Oil Co. and served on the board of directors at Keep Opelika Beautiful. WILLIAM ALBRITTON ’62 of Athens died
on March 11. An Air Force veteran, he taught electrical engineering and served as president for Amtec Corp. JAMES ROBERT HOLLINGSWORTH ’62
of Birmingham died on Jan. 21. An Air Force veteran, he was a member of Delta Chi fraternity. He worked in every official capacity in the Alabama and Southeastern telecommunications associations. SANDRA RILEY STEPHENS ’62 of Marietta,
Ga., died on April 4.
REFUEL YOUR In Memoriam CAREER WITH THE BEST, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
Notice of
Force and enjoyed golf, died on April 14. He Auburn University was a U.S. Army vetdied on April 7. He football, weekly Bible eran who served in the worked for Alabama study and volunteering Korean War. Power Company until at the Montgomery MBA Programs at Auburn University his retirement. The Executive MALCOLM M. ARGO Archives. JAMES DONALD can fuel your career without grounding your schedule. III ’66 of Birmingham SASSER ‘67 of Decatur JOE MORRIS WILLIS died on Feb. 22. He GEORGE TROUP died on April 17. among best by the Financial ’63 of Alexander Ranked City workedthe andworld’s expanded BRAZELTON III Times ’67 of The board of directors of the Auburn died on Jan. 12. A histhe family’s electrical Auburn died on May THOMAS GARY Alumni Association approved earlier this of London, programs feature a uniquely flexible Vietnam War veteran, distributioncurriculum and carbondelivery 1. Heand worked VOYLES ’67 of Clanton year that membership “dues” would be blend of advanced shortas vice he served as a pilot brush business. After president of personnel at died on Jan. 18. He referred to as membership “contributions” campus visits. with Delta Airlines for retirement, he traveled Golden State Foods. was the pastor of three to more adequately reflect the act of givTake yourthroughout career tothe new 31 years. U.S.heights. churches in Chilton ing and provide clarity that a portion of and Mexico competing LINDA GAIL EDCounty for 25 years. the contributions would be considered taxContact in usbridge for information BARBARA YOUNG and cribbage at: WARDS DEAN ’67 of by O theF giver. board Cdeductible OLLEGE B U SThe INE S S of direcLYONS ’65 of Hoover tournaments. Columbus, Ga., died on JAMES A. WILSON tors is requesting a change in the bylaws or 1.877.AUB.EMBA E xour e c utorganization i v e M B A Prto o grreflect ams this word died on Feb. 16.www.AubEMBA.org A May 13. She worked JR. ’67 of Tampa, Fla., of member of Alpha Chi WILLIAM RAYMOND for Aflac Insurance for died on May 5. He enchange. This vote by our membership will Omega sorority, she “RAY” BEAN ’66 of 34 years. joyed a long career as a be takenbusiness.auburn.edu at the annual association meeting served her communiMontgomery died on physician at St. Joseph’s on Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. in the Auburn Alumni ty through memberJan 18. He was a 30MYRON ERIC HARHospital. Center. For details on the bylaws change, Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer. ship in the Shades year member of the Air MON ’67 of Notasulga please visit www.aualum.org. THOMAS LEE MCAL-
ILEY ’63 of Westover
Mountain Women’s club and Hoover Historical Society, among other organizations.
C E E N N T T E E R R C
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II
A U M M N N II A L L U
bylaws change
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In Memoriam JURGEN MANFRED ARNDT ’68 of River-
side, Calif., died on March 17. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. JAMES THORNTON “JIM” BOYD JR. ’69 of
SNAPSHOT
First in flight Former NASA astronaut Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield Jr. ’54, who served as commander of space shuttle Discovery’s maiden mission and flew on three shuttle flights, died on July 17 after an illness. He was 80 years old and lived in the Houston, Texas, area. A native of Birmingham, Hartsfield received his commission through Auburn’s Reserve Officer Training Program before entering the Air Force in 1955. He joined NASA in 1969, the first in a tradition of Auburn-educated astronauts. He was part of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 16 as well as for the Skylab 2, 3 and 4 missions. Hartsfield retired from the Air Force in 1977 as a colonel with more than 22 years of active service. He remained at NASA as a civilian astronaut. He helped develop the shuttle entry flight control system and its interfaces. He served as backup pilot for STS-2 in 1981 and STS-3 in 1982, space shuttle Columbia’s second and third orbital flight tests. He was the pilot of Columbia on STS-4 in 1982, the final flight test of the shuttle program. Hartsfield then commanded Discovery’s first flight on Aug. 30, 1984, and later commanded a 1985 flight aboard Challenger. On his three flights, Hartsfield logged 483 hours in space. Hartsfield’s numerous decorations and awards include the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal and the General Thomas D. White Space Trophy. He was inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983. He received NASA’s Distinguished Service Medals in 1982 and 1988, NASA Space Flight Medals in 1982, 1984 and 1985 and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal. In 1999, Hartsfield received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Auburn Alumni Association; he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Auburn University in 1986. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Dallas, Texas, died on April 29. A decorated member of the Air Force and veteran of the Vietnam War, he served the Richardson Fire Department for 25 years until his retirement in 1999. JAMES M. “JOHNNY” JOHNSON III ’69 of
Shalimar, Fla., died on May 7. A U.S. Army veteran, he enjoyed a long career in banking.
Russell County Habitat for Humanity. JOHN MICHAEL GWIN ’71 of Chapel
Hill, N.C., died on April 25. Besides a prolific career as professor and lecturer, Gwin worked as consultant for the World Bank, the Allied Irish Bank and several Fortune 500 companies.
’69 of Enterprise died
BILL OLIN LENDERMAN JR. ’71 of Warner
Robins, Ga., died on May 19. He enjoyed a 20-year career with the U.S. Air Force and later worked as an instructor pilot at Northrup Grumman.
died on Oct. 29, 2011.
Hoover died on Feb. 8. A Vietnam War veteran, he had a long career in telecommunications in Birmingham and Baton Rouge, La. WARREN HAMPTON WALLACE ’69 of
Sanford, N.C., died on Jan. 19. CLIFFORD W. CLEVE-
SR. ’71 of Semmes
died on March 18. A U.S. Navy veteran, he enjoyed a long career in the nuclear industry.
RICKEY ALAN HUFFSTUTLER ’70 of
Phenix City died on Feb. 18. He served as president of the Phenix City Rotary Club and
Signal Mountain, Tenn., on July 3. Founder of Tennessee Financial Planning, he was an active member of the Auburn Alumni Association, and at the time of his death was serving as president of the Chattanooga Auburn Club. WILLIAM A.
of Atlanta, Ga., died on Feb. 27, 2008. He enjoyed a 30-year career at the Southern Co. DONALD JOSEPH BRANTON ’74 of
GARY BURL TORBETT ’71 of St. Louis,
Mo., died on April 15. An Army veteran, he worked for Telephone and Data Systems in Alabama, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
LAND ’70 of Prattville
died on March 28. He practiced law for 40 years.
JOHN ROBERT
MCLAUGHLIN JR. ’73 DAVID POWELL SISK
STANLEY JR. ’69 of
April 26. A member of the Auburn football team, he returned two blocked punts for touchdowns in the 1972 “Punt Bama Punt” Iron Bowl. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and later enjoyed a long career in the automobile industry.
RIS ’71 of Sylacauga
on April 11. JOSEPH ALEXANDER
’73 of Tuscaloosa died on
MCANNALLY ’73 of
WAYNE HANNA MORDUANE ALAN NEWBY
DAVID ALLEN LANGNER
EARL R. REINKE JR. ’72
of Evans, Ga., died on April 26, 2009. An Air Force veteran, he served as a Pentagon planner, instructor at the Air War College and a director of resource management at Lackland AFB.
Dothan died on May 9. He had a great love of animals, the veterinary profession and Auburn. JEAN CUMMINGS FLOWERS ’75 of Colum-
bus, Ga., died on May 1. A member of Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Alpha Theta honor fraternities and Pi Beta Phi sorority, Flowers served as a sports medicine librarian at the Hughston Foundation in Columbus. JAMES L. BOHLI ’76
of Bay City, Texas, died on Aug. 13, 2012. He
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It’s constitutional Erica Marie Vatella, a master’s candidate in secondary social science education at Auburn, was recently awarded a James Madison Memorial Foundation Fellowship, which assists teachers earning a master’s degree with a focus on Constitutional studies. The fellowship is funding up to $24,000 of Vatella’s graduate studies.
C E N T E R
s p e c i a l a dv e rt i s e m e n t
Meet Patrick Greene ’09 and Big Game Bus note: Big Game Bus is offering charter-bus service to almost all Auburn Tigers home and away games from both Birmingham and Atlanta this season, on late-model buses with satellite TV, free wireless and no parking hassles. For more information, visit www.biggamebus.com.
By day your profession is pharmacist, what was your drive to start a charter bus company? I wouldn’t be a pharmacist (or a bus tour operator) if it weren’t for Auburn. From my experiences as a Camp War Eagle counselor to my education at the Harrison School of Pharmacy, my Auburn education prepared me well. Ask anyone that knows me—I love college football and talking about business ideas. Big Game Bus was a natural progression of those two obsessions. My wife, Stacey, suspects that Big Game Bus is an elaborate plan so we can afford Auburn football and basketball season tickets. She might be on to something.
Out of your list of bus trips from Atlanta and Birmingham, what is your most anticipated home game here in Auburn? First, I’m a huge fan of what Steve Spurrier has accomplished at South Carolina, so I’m looking forward to that potential Top-10 crossdivision matchup on Oct. 25. That is a perfect Saturday, in my eyes. Second, if you combine the manner in which Auburn fans travel and Auburn’s all-time 7-2 record in Tuscaloosa, you could make a
served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years until his retirement. JACK BALLARD CARTER II ’76 of
Vestavia Hills died on March 28. He was a Mason and worked in industrial sales for Powermotion Inc. MARY RUTHVEN MARTIN ’77 of Panama
City, Fla., died on Feb. 4. She enjoyed an 18-year career teaching at Patronis Elementary School.
guished Flying Cross, Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Service Commendation Award, the Presidential Unit Citation and 19 air medals. WAYNE ALAN BOOZER ’79 of Davenport,
Iowa, died on March 7. He served in the U.S. Army as a D.A. civilian for more than 30 years, with his most recent position as an engineer assigned to ARDEC at the Rock Island Arsenal. RUSSELL CLIFTON
DAVID ASHTON WILLIAMS JR. ’77 of Mount
Arlington, N.J., died on Feb. 26. He was a 28-year veteran of the Marine Corps and received the Distin-
LOCKHART ’83 of Prat-
tville died on March 10. He worked for 15 years at the Maxwell Dispatch on Maxwell AFB and volunteered for 21 years with the Metro
Montgomery Umpires Association. JAMES ROY POTEET
pretty strong case that Bryant-Denny Stadium’s true name is actually “JordanHare West.” I fully encourage all Birmingham and Atlanta Auburn alumni to purchase their Big Game Bus tickets to the Iron Bowl early—the 2014 edition is sure to be a good one.
What is your favorite Auburn memory? I will never forget the incredible 2013 football season. Every week, I was treated to some sort of magical moment that made me think, “I’ll probably never get to witness anything like that again.” Throughout the season, I could feel the Auburn Family’s pride grow right along with the team’s burgeoning confidence on the field. However, the “icing on the cake” was my experience in Las Vegas and Pasadena coordinating travel to the Tigers’ berth in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. The BCSBUS (the predecessor to Big Game Bus) from Las Vegas to the Rose Bowl allowed more than 1,300 Auburn fans to make it to the game with no hiccups, while our passengers saved thousands of dollars in airfare costs. It gave me the deepest feeling of accomplishment and pride. That’s by far my greatest Auburn memory and also the reason I decided to start Big Game Bus.
construction industry and most recently was registrar at Auburn High School.
’83 of Austin, Texas, died
on Feb. 6. He enjoyed a long engineering career and served as director of research and development at National Instruments. JAMES HUNTER
TRACY EDWARDS KELLER ’95 of Danville,
Va., died on March 28. She worked as a verinarian at Mount Hermon Animal Clinic.
Auburn vs. UGA
Tailgate Nov. 15, 2014
Opens 3 hours prior to kickoff • Closes 30 minutes prior to kickoff Holiday Inn • 197 E. Broad St. BBQ, chicken and traditional sides to be served. Cash Bar available.
MICHAEL A. DUNN
“JIM” PUGH ’83 of
’98 of Monroe died on
Middletown, Md., died on April 12. He enjoyed a career in commercial real estate appraisal work and was past president of the Rotary Club of Rockville.
April 25. A forestry economist, Dunn earned degrees at Northeast Louisiana and Louisiana Tech before earning his doctorate at Auburn.
Hosted by the Greater Athens Auburn Club. Co-hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association.
CHRISTY HOLLIDAY PRICE ’91 of Auburn
died on Feb. 5. She was an accountant and bookkeeper in the
To order tickets … Visit bit.ly/AuburnvsUGATailgate. For additional questions, contact Pete Chamberlin at petech56@gmail.com.
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The Last Word
Off the wall To some, it may look like just another mural painted on a wall in a small town in Alabama, but ask Jelani Moore what he sees and he’ll tell you, “It’s the best example of democracy I have ever witnessed in my entire life.” The mural can be found on the wall of an Elba business, where residents and visitors who happen to be traveling on Highway 84 see a colorful image that tells story of the town of about 4,000, located on the banks of the Pea River. Moore and three other Auburn students took their talents into four Alabama communities this summer as part of the 10week Living Democracy program. In its third year, the program pairs students with Alabama communities and gives them the opportunity to take part in projects to build tourism, engage youth and simply learn the history of some of the state’s hidden gems. Moore arrived in Elba at the end of May and did not waste any time getting out and getting to know the local citizens. He’s working with Auburn’s community partners Mart Gray of Covenant Community Church and Philip Box and Justin Maddox of Restoration 154, a local nonprofit organization. The name Restoration 154 has a dual meaning--it stands for the 154 projects the organization plans to do to improve the lives of Elba’s citizens and the 154 miles of the Pea River. Box and Maddox started Pea River Outdoors, a local canoe and kayak shop, and currently are in the process of renovating the city’s Old Elba Theatre. Moore says he knew going into the project that he wanted to put his artistic skills to work in Elba and was interested in painting a community mural. Little did he know that local business owner Millie McCullough ’88 already had
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designed a rough sketch of the mural she envisioned for the wall of her business at 214 Factory Ave. N. “I explained to her why I was in Elba for the summer, and we hit it off immediately,” Moore said. “She and her associates had been planning this for months, but because of lack of time, it got shoved to the back of the shelf.” McCullough shared her initial sketches and invited Moore to meet with her, Elba Mayor Mickey Murdock and Chamber of Commerce executive director Sandy Bynum. Before he knew it, he was incorporating his own ideas into the design and deep in the planning of a weeklong community mural-painting event. The project soon became the first Elba Renaissance Festival, with live music, a theatre performance by the Elba High School drama team, a masquerade party and, of course, painting. “We’ve talked about that wall for at least two years,” said Elba attorney Debbie Jared ’75. “The scaffolding’s been sitting there for probably six months. Then Jelani came and said, ‘In two weeks, we’re doing this, and we’re going to have a festival.’ He’s been a very positive influence for us.”— Carol Nelson See more online at cla.auburn.edu/livingdemocracy/blog/ elba-paints-community-mural/
THIS IS “REAL” PHILANTHROPY. Through donated property holdings, the Auburn University Real Estate Foundation, Inc. is helping donors transform their “real” estate holdings into unique ways to support Auburn University and Auburn University Montgomery. When these donated properties are sold, the proceeds can fund scholarships, enhance academic programs, and support other important university activities of the donor’s choosing. Donating property also benefits the donor in several ways: • immediate gift credit and recognition • no capital gains tax on the transfer • option to designate proceeds to fund an area or program of the donor’s choosing • gifts can be given as a retained life estate, allowing its owners to live in or use the property throughout their lifetime Various types of property can be considered for donation: • primary and vacation homes • farms • undeveloped acreage • timberlands • commercial properties Professionals in Auburn’s Office of Trusts, Estates and Gift Planning can discuss with you how gifts of real estate can support your charitable giving goals. For more information, call them at 334.844.7375, e-mail them at plannedgiving@auburn.edu, or visit www.auburn.edu/plannedgiving. The sale of donated real estate generates revenue to support university programs. View listings of Auburn’s real estate holdings available for sale at www.auburnuniversityrealestatefoundation.org.
THIS IS AUBURN. OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
Auburn Alumni Center 317 South College Street Auburn, AL 36849-5149 w w w.aualum.org