College of Sciences & Mathematics case statement

COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS

B

ecause This is Auburn is a $1 billion campaign to propel our university forward through a renewed commitment to our students, a continued promise to our state, and a shared responsibility to the world. As part of the overall campaign, the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) is committed to raising $30 million.

In COSAM, we teach by providing an environment that ensures excellence; advance research by creating and discovering new knowledge; and promote outreach by developing educational collaborations locally, nationally, and abroad. We continue to adhere to these core values thanks to the generous contributions of our alumni, industry partners, and friends of the college. As a result, our students learn in state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, and our faculty members produce groundbreaking research.

Through our outreach efforts, we ignite an interest in science and math in thousands of children across the state. To expand and continue our efforts, philanthropic support is vital to ensure the success of our students, faculty, programs, and facilities.

TOTAL GOAL FOR THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS:

$30 million

“Our students are the doctors, scientists, and mathematicians of the future who will go on to contribute greatly to society.

My life has been significantly changed because of my COSAM education, and I want others to have that same opportunity.

Giving back is richly rewarding and benefits our students, faculty, programs, and facilities for generations to come.”

— Scott Sprayberry, DMD ’93 Campaign Committee Chair

PRIORITIES

for the College of Sciences and Mathematics To support our main priorities and continue a tradition of excellence, we have identified areas of giving opportunities within COSAM. To attract and retain high-quality students, we must increase the number of endowed scholarships and graduate fellowships. We also need to create more endowed professorships and chairs to support our faculty. Investment in our value-added programs

50

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

to attract the best students

2

ENDOWED CHAIRS

to retain or recruit exceptional faculty

and outreach opportunities is vital to uphold our core values.

Finally, to continue offering a top-notch educational experience, we must maintain our current facilities as we plan for future construction needs.

Students

$10,000,000

Facilities

$10,000,000

50

THOUSAND

K-12 students and teachers inspired by outreach efforts

Faculty

$4,000,000

Programs $6,000,000

$10 MILLION

to be used toward the construction of the Sciences and Mathematics Success Building

Students On average, more than half of our students graduate with honors. As total COSAM enrollment continues to increase, we often have more qualified students than scholarships available. Providing new undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships enables us to recruit, support, and retain high-performing students. These are the graduates who become astronauts, CEOs, physicians, educators, and valued members of their communities. Each new endowed scholarship and graduate fellowship allows us to compete for and support these highly sought-after students who will continue to enhance Auburn’s reputation.

$10 million

Programs

Faculty

Continued support for our innovative programs benefits our communities and our future students. The COSAM Office of Outreach cultivates curiosity in sciences and mathematics among K-12 students, teachers, and communities by hosting more than 20 events that reach nearly 10,000 students and teachers annually.

Our faculty members include award-winning instructors with a passion for educating. To recruit and retain premier faculty, we must establish endowed professorships and chairs, which are among the highest honors a faculty member can receive. Gifts to establish such accolades will increase our ability to provide salary enhancements and resources for research, travel, and professional development.

The COSAM Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs sponsors programs that support underrepresented groups.

This includes the Summer Bridge Program, which facilitates a successful transition from high school to university, a drop-in tutoring center, and mentoring opportunities.

$4 million

Facilities

The Davis Arboretum, a resource both for the campus and the community, promotes ecological education and preservation of native plants.

This hidden jewel on our campus is continually expanding as a result of donor contributions.

As technology and teaching methods evolve, COSAM is committed to ensuring that modern, cutting-edge learning spaces are available for our students. A future classroom center — the Sciences and Mathematics Success Building — will serve all COSAM disciplines and will include instructional labs and classrooms focused on active learning. The open, airy design of the 128,000-square-foot complex will provide indoor and outdoor study and meeting spaces.

Investments in this project will support innovative and interactive teaching methods that promote engaged student learning.

$6 million

$10 million

Your gift to Auburn has

REAL IMPACT When my mom lost her job my freshman year of high school and went into kidney failure the same year, just getting food on the table became extremely hard for my family. I knew having the money to attend college would be nearly impossible.

“Donor support gave me a chance to reach for the stars and achieve my goals, and I am forever grateful.”

Thanks to the John C. Dykes Endowed Scholarship through the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the chance to go to college became a reality for me. The experience inspired me to help other people who were sick, like my mother, by pursuing a career in healthcare.

My parents attended Auburn, and I lived here as a child. To me, it has always felt like home. Now, as a freshman with the intent to graduate in 2018, I know how blessed I am to be here.

After graduating from Auburn, I hope to go to medical school and make a difference in my community. The incredible generosity of Ron and Anne Dykes made that a possibility for me. Donor support gave me a chance to reach for the stars and achieve my goals, and I am forever grateful.

— Erin Bradley

Freshman, Pre-health

I came to Auburn from Taiwan to earn a master’s degree in mathematics. Becoming a part of the Auburn Family was life-changing for me. At Auburn, instructors genuinely care about their students, and they want to help them succeed.

“Making a quality education affordable for someone else is simply returning the favor.”

When I was a student, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics shaped the way I think and solve problems. The instruction I received affected every aspect of my life and showed me how to think logically. Professionally, as an actuary for an insurance company, my job was to take a lot of information, decipher it, and then come to an analytical conclusion.

I owe this way of thinking to the classes I took at Auburn, and I want to provide the same opportunity for future students. Making a quality education affordable for someone else is simply returning the favor. Auburn gave me the opportunity to have a successful career, and that is why I choose to give.

— Jin-Dih Shih ’68 Mathematics

College of Sciences and Mathematics 315 Roosevelt Concourse, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (334) 844-2931 | cosam.development@auburn.edu www.auburn.edu/cosam B E C AU S E@AU B U R N . E D U | B E C AU S E . AU B U R N . E D U Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.