Be the Creed

Be the Creed BE THE CREED // STUDENT I believe that this is a practical world

and that I can count only on what I earn.

Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

BY CASSIE MONTGOMERY

DREMERE WOODS

Sophomore Aerospace Engineering

Dremere Woods wouldn’t have made it to Auburn without “work, hard work.” The Cottondale native balanced his high school coursework with twice daily practice as a three-sport athlete and a part-time job at a local fast food restaurant. Often, he would not get to bed until 1 a.m., only to get up early again for practice the next morning before school.

“Someone at work once asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and I told him I wanted to be a rocket scientist,” Woods recalled. “This man said, ‘No, you’re going to be stuck working at McDonald’s with me for the rest of your life.’ I told him I have dreams and aspirations bigger than McDonald’s and I’m going to do my best to prove all the doubters wrong.”

Woods, now a sophomore in aerospace engineering, put his paychecks toward purchasing ACT preparation books in order to raise his score high enough to get into Auburn. And while he didn’t end up with a football scholarship like his high school classmate Seth Williams, Woods did earn a full tuition scholarship as a first-generation college student.

“I can’t catch touchdowns like Seth does, but I’ve found my way of catching and making touchdowns through engineering and using my mind,” he said.

Only in his second year, Woods is already making an impact on campus and off. He was recently named a university-wide Be the Creed honoree and was one of WayUp’s top 100 interns for his work with GE Aviation. He’s just started an undergraduate researcher position and has his sights set on graduate school with plans to pursue a doctorate.

I believe in education,

which gives me the knowledge to work wisely

and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

BY JEREMY HENDERSON

SUSHIL ADHIKARI

Alumni Professor Director, Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts

Sushil Adhikari, Alumni Professor of biosystems engineering, is from Nepal. He’s proud of Nepal. He misses it. But in terms of providing an environment that could fuel his passion, there’s just no comparison to his home for the past 12 years. Because fuel is his passion, and when it comes to the kind Adhikari is interested in, Alabama’s needle is on full.

“Trees can be converted into fuels or chemicals,” said Adhikari, who directs the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, “and we grow a lot of trees in Alabama.”

Despite being slightly smaller than Nepal, Alabama has approximately 23 million acres of forest — nearly 1 million more than Nepal. The state harvests 40 million tons of trees every year for pulp and paper products, but millions designated for industry still go unused.

“The goal of our center is to utilize agricultural and forest wastes to create new molecules that can reduce fossil energy,” Adhikari said. “After we take out the pulp and paper industry, we are looking at 30 million tons of trees looking for a new market.”

Given the rapidly increasing focus on renewable energy, Adhikari thinks the time to develop that market is now.

“People have been growing trees and selling to the pulp and timber industries for a long time,” he said. “But our center is trying to create opportunities beyond just pulp and paper and traditional wood products. We’re focused on producing fuels and chemicals from carbon-negative technologies, as well as sequestering carbon to improve the health of both soil and the atmosphere.”

I believe in the human touch,

which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and

mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

BY AUSTIN PHILLIPS

DWYNELL PINER

High Visibility Cleaner Shelby Center

“Hey, sweetheart!”

If you’ve been in the Shelby Center since its doors opened in 2007, you’ve probably heard these pleasant greetings from Dwynell “Dee” Piner, a day-shift high visibility cleaner for the facility. Piner is one of three members on the day shift in the Shelby Center, and the crew is responsible for providing a safe, clean and healthy environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Auburn University contracts its cleaning services through ABM, with the day shift working 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and the night shift working 4 p.m.-midnight. The work of Piner and her colleagues has been particularly important this year as the university implemented unprecedented cleaning and sanitizing protocols to ensure the safety of the students, faculty, staff and visitors.

“We had to change up the way we did things, but it was all for the safety of our people,” Piner said.

Although the nature and purpose of her job didn’t change too much, the environment changed dramatically. In March, students were instructed to stay off campus following spring break as the campus moved to remote instruction. Students, faculty and staff slowly returned through the summer and into the fall, but it’s still not been the same for someone like Piner who loves to seeing the halls full.

“I miss my people, seeing the students, faculty and staff. I’m used to seeing them every day. It’s just not been the same,” Piner said.

In her down time, Piner loves hanging out with her family and friends, playing cards and chatting with her daughter Alexandria, a junior in social work at Miles College.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness,

without which I cannot win

the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

BY LAUREN WINTON

JOHN WATSON ’60

Mechanical Engineering Smith’s Inc.

John Watson, ’60 mechanical engineering, knew he wanted to attend Auburn from an early age. He was the first in his family to attend college, but far from the last. His daughter, son and grandchildren have all attended Auburn University. And his graduation weekend was a big deal.

“It was a big weekend, my graduation weekend,” Watson said. “I graduated on Friday, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army on Saturday, and I got married on Sunday.”

Following six months of active duty in the Army, Watson was offered a teaching fellowship at Auburn and wanted to return for his graduate degree, but he was called back to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, and stayed in the Army another eight months before starting his career in Dothan, Alabama with Smith’s Incorporated.

Smith’s Inc. is an engineering firm with whom he soon became president and CEO. Years later, Watson is still involved with Smith’s Inc., and serves on the company’s board. Ever the entrepreneur, Watson has ventured into various businesses outside of mechanical engineering and contracting, including latex, yeast, windows, bricks, fiberglass and general construction.

When Watson decided to give back to Auburn, he approached his giving with the same tenacity and determination. The John H. and Gail P. Watson Scholarship Endowment currently supports 18 students on scholarship. He also recently contributed an additional $2 million to the scholarship fund.

“I decided to focus the scholarship on the Dothan area. I thought it would have more of an impact on the counties here and help hometown folks,” Watson said.