AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Following a national search, Purdue University Professor and Head of the Department of Physics Nicholas Giordano has been named dean of the Auburn University College of Sciences and Mathematics, effective Aug. 5.
“The experience Dr. Giordano brings from both the classroom and administrative perspectives will be very valuable not only to the college but the university as a whole,” said Auburn Provost Tim Boosinger. “We look forward to the level of leadership he will provide.”
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – The aviation management program at Auburn University will soon see better facilities and other improvements designed to make it available to more students and responsive to changes in the aviation industry.
“We’re putting a plan in place that addresses some recent challenges and puts the program in a position to grow,” said Bill Hardgrave, dean of Auburn’s College of Business.
Hardgrave has recommended maintaining the aviation management program in the College of Business. The program recently suffered the loss of two faculty members, one who died and the other who announced his retirement effective later this month.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Emily Reaves Leischuck, a woman known for her nearly 40 years of love for and dedication to Auburn University, died Friday in Auburn.
A graveside service in Auburn’s Town Creek Cemetery will be held Tuesday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m. A reception at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center will follow the service.
Leischuck earned a master’s degree from Auburn University’s College of Education and served for nine years in student affairs programs, where she was Panhellenic adviser and assistant to Dean of Women Katherine Cater. For the 13 years that followed, she served as assistant to university presidents Wilford Bailey, James Martin and William Muse and the Board of Trustees, retiring in 1995 with emeritus status.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Auburn fans will soon have a way to remember the oaks at Toomer’s Corner long after the trees are gone. To commemorate the tradition of rolling the oaks, the university will be working with several licensed manufacturers to create mementos from the trees’ wood following their removal later this month. All royalties collected from their sale will benefit Auburn students through a special scholarship fund.
“This is a very special way for the Auburn Family to remember one of our best-known traditions,” said Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs. “Generations of our fans have gathered beneath the oaks over the years, and it is fitting that future generations of students will benefit from the scholarships they will provide.”
AUBURN UNIVERSITY –Auburn University senior Marian Royston has been named a finalist for one of the nation’s most selective fellowships, the Mitchell Scholarship, to study in Ireland or Northern Ireland next year.
Royston, of Roanoke, Ala., is an Honors College student majoring in history and double-minoring in political science and community and civic engagement in the College of Liberal Arts. She is Auburn University’s first finalist in the Mitchell Scholars Program, which began in 2000.
The program, named to honor former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance to introduce future American leaders to the island of Ireland. Only 12 students in the U.S. are selected annually for the fellowship that is based on scholarship, leadership and a commitment to community and public service.
Royston will travel to Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-17 to interview with program officials for possible selection as a recipient.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Auburn University senior football player Ashton Richardson has been named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, marking the fourth straight year an Auburn student-athlete has become a Rhodes finalist.
The Rhodes Scholarships, founded in 1904, are the oldest international fellowships. Winners of the scholarship have the opportunity to do graduate work at the University of Oxford located in Oxford, United Kingdom.
“Ashton is an ideal representation of whom my office seeks to endorse for the Rhodes Scholarship. He is someone who combines a sound intellect and puts it to good use by making good grades and engaging in the undergraduate research experience; someone who channels his energy for the betterment of our world, for others who are less advantaged and for those who struggle every day; and he is someone who lights up the room when he is around,” said Paul Harris, Auburn associate director for national prestigious scholarships.