AUBURN – NASA will honor astronaut Thomas K. "TK" Mattingly on March 26 with the Ambassador of Exploration Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program. Mattingly, an Auburn University alumnus, will receive the award in a 1 p.m. ceremony in the Lowe Grand Foyer of Auburn's Shelby Center for Engineering Technology.

NASA is giving this award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for helping America realize its goal of going to the moon. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted for public display. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during the six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972.

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AUBURN – Former astronaut and Auburn alumna Kathryn Thornton will be the first speaker for the Auburn University Graduate School's newly established New Horizons Lecture Series.

Thornton's lecture, "Space Flight: A Human Perspective," will be at 4 p.m. March 30 at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center and is open to the public. Later that evening she will receive the Alumna Award from the Auburn University Women's Resource Center during its Women's Leadership Conference.

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AUBURN - Auburn University received seven awards for its communications, marketing and alumni programs at the 2009 southeastern regional meeting of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Higher Education, or CASE, held Feb. 11 in Atlanta.

The Office of Communications and Marketing won a Grand Award, the highest honor, in the crisis management plans category for its Message Dissemination in a Crisis entry, an outline of Auburn's new emergency communications plan and publications created in cooperation with the Office of Risk Safety and Management and the Department of Public Safety.

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AUBURN – Ted and Alice Mallory have donated a condominium in their hometown of Fayetteville, Ga., to the Auburn University Foundation. Most of the profit from the sale of the donated property, appraised at $111,000, will be used to establish the Ted and Alice Mallory Endowment for Scholarships in Aviation and Supply Chain Management. The rest will be used to establish an endowed scholarship for an Auburn majorette and to provide unrestricted gifts to the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts' Women's Leadership Institute.

"We are delighted to provide this gift for scholarships," said Ted. "The education and experiences we received at Auburn provided us with outstanding opportunities. These scholarships are a way for us to say thank you for what Auburn has given to us."

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AUBURN – Mike and Jane McLain of Atlanta have increased an existing pledge to the Auburn University College of Business in support of the university's efforts to recognize and retain exemplary faculty through its endowed professorship program. Their commitment of $150,000 is the second secured by the College of Business in less than two months in response to President Jay Gogue's challenge to create 81 new professorships across campus for existing faculty with exceptional merit.

When fully funded, the McLain Family Endowed Professorship will be awarded by the dean of the college to a professor who exhibits a strong commitment to students and a high quality of instruction, research and service. The donors requested that preference be given to a faculty member in finance or marketing. To make the endowment one of distinction, the university will match the annual spendable amount which is available for distribution with $7,500 in perpetuity.

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AUBURN – Helen and Dwight Carlisle of Tallassee recently donated a limited edition facsimile set of 67 illustrations by American-born naturalist and explorer William Bartram to the Auburn University Libraries.

Bartram produced the illustrations in the early 1770s to depict the plants and animals of the southeastern United States. The original illustrations are in the Natural History Museum, London. The set donated to the Auburn Libraries by the Carlisles is one of only 50 numbered sets produced for this edition.

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The Alabama Senate confirmed Raymond J. Harbert as a member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees on Tuesday, March 24. Harbert fills the at-large position on the Auburn Board previously held by Earlon McWhorter of Anniston. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Harbert Management Corp. Harbert graduated from Auburn in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in industrial management.

AUBURN - Thom Gossom Jr., actor, author, athlete and Auburn alumnus, will read from his memoir, "Walk-On," on Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Auburn University's Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. A reception will follow the reading and both the reading and the reception are free and open to the public.

"Walk-On" is Gossom's coming-of-age memoir, set in the culturally changing Alabama of the 1970's, and details his experiences as the first black athlete to graduate from Auburn. The author will sign copies and "Walk On" will be available for purchase at the Museum.

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AUBURN - On Oct. 17, a group of Auburn students and other concerned citizens will embark on a 60-mile Hunger March from the Auburn University campus to the steps of the state capitol in Montgomery to raise awareness about the issue of world hunger.

Marchers will set out from the Auburn University Medical Clinic on Friday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. and travel southeast on College Street until it becomes U.S. 29. They will continue on to Ala. 81 North and conclude the first day, and 20 miles, in Tuskegee. On day two, Oct. 18, a 30-mile walk will follow U.S. 80 and finish in the Mt. Meigs area. On Sunday, Oct. 19, the final 10 miles will take the marchers to the steps of the capitol where they will arrive at about noon.

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AUBURN - The Auburn Alumni Association will hold will its third annual Spicy Chili Cook-off competition Oct. 11 at the association's hospitality tent prior to the Auburn vs. Arkansas game.

Life members of the association will judge the cook-off as three local restaurants, Panera Bread, Santa Fe Cattle Co. and Amsterdam Café, compete for the top prize.

The hospitality tent is located in front of the Wallace Center at 210 South Donahue Drive on the Auburn University campus. Hours are 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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