20 Under 40 Recognition

Harrison College of Pharmacy

Garrett Aikens is chief of pharmacy at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, overseeing pharmacy operations, patient services, medication safety, controlled substance management and other clinical pharmacy services. A board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, Aikens helped reform clinical programs and strategies that led to measurable improvements in prescribing practices, patient safety and population outcomes. The recipient of the Alabama Pharmacy Association’s InfluenceRx Award and Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award, Aikens also hosts “Off Script: The Alabama Pharmacy Podcast” with the Alabama Pharmacy Association. He lives in Tuscaloosa, Ala. with his wife, Katherine Aikens ’13 and two children.

Samantha Baggett is a family nurse practitioner at the Roanoke Rural Health Clinic where for more than a decade she has helped improve healthcare access for patients in a medically underserved area. In addition to serving on medical mission trips, Baggett established an independent weight loss clinic and an organic tanning spa for her community. Since 2015 Baggett has raised more than $50,000 for local children with serious medical conditions, and last year raised more than $18,000 for the Randolph County Learning Center to provide adaptive skills training for adults with intellectual disabilities. A 2019 Auburn DNP graduate, she lives in Wadley, Ala. with her husband Zack.

Erin Beasley is executive vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, overseeing operations and advocating state and federal policy for the cattle industry on behalf of more than 10,000 members. A former president of the College of Agriculture, Beasley earned a master’s degree in meat science from Auburn (2010), was an ambassador on Ag Hill for two years, and is currently a vice president of Auburn’s Ag Alumni Club. She was named by This is Alabama to the 2022 list of “Women Who Shape the State.” Beasley and her husband Chad Beasley ’06 own Beasley Land and Cattle, a commercial cattle and hay operation. They live in Notasulga, Ala. with their two children.

Harrison College of Pharmacy

Sarah Cogle is a clinical pharmacist specialist and clinical lead for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Burn ICU and Adult Nutrition Support Team. A former associate clinical professor in the Harrison College of Pharmacy, Cogle earned her pharmacy doctorate from Auburn before completing a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at East Alabama Medical Center and a PGY-2 critical care residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Cogle has earned several professional awards, including the HCOP Outstanding Teacher/Faulty Member, VUMC Inpatient Medication Safety Award, and was inducted as a fellow in the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. She lives near Nashville with her husband Kirk Cogle ’12 and two daughters.

Elizabeth Covington is an associate clinical professor specializing in infectious disease and antimicrobial stewardship in the Harrison College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice. A board-certified infectious disease pharmacist, Covington established a microbiology culture follow-up service at East Alabama Medical Center to reduce antimicrobial resistance in Alabama. She also maintains an antimicrobial stewardship practice at East Alabama Health to train students on introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Covington has earned several national teaching awards, including the 2022 AACP Women Faculty SIG Early Transformative Teaching Award and the 2025 AACP Emerging Teaching Scholar Award. She is co-advisor for Auburn’s student chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Lt. Cmdr. Emily Alice Curran is an assistant program manager for the construction of new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers at Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. A third-generation military officer, Curran was commissioned as a United States Navy Surface Warfare Officer and has served in various capacities aboard the USS McCampbell, Gerald R. Ford and John F. Kennedy. In 2017 she transitioned to the Engineering Duty Officer community, supporting the acquisition and construction of the Navy’s newest aircraft carriers. An original member of Auburn’s 100+ Women Strong, Curran holds dual master’s degrees from MIT in naval architecture and marine and mechanical engineering. She lives in Arlington, Va. with her husband Jack and their three children.

Nosa Eguae is a cardiac business manager and global health equity leader for medical equipment manufacturer Baxter International Inc. A former Auburn defensive end with more than 40 career starts, Eguae is the only player in school history to start in two national championship games. After playing in the NFL he transitioned into healthcare in 2015 with a mission to impact lives. In 2020 Eguae founded PROLIFIC to help athletes transition from sports to purpose-filled careers, helping more than 60 navigate the journey and negotiating collectively more than $5 million in salary contracts. The first Auburn student-athlete to deliver a TEDx Talk, Eguae is committed to using his platform to empower others and raise the bar for what’s possible.

William Green Jr. is a commodity director with the Alabama Farmers Federation, overseeing the catfish, forestry and wildlife divisions while supporting farmers, producers and related industries. A 2024 master of natural resources graduate, Green uses his wildlife biology background to advocate for changes in state and federal programs designed to help landowners and farmers mitigate wildlife damage. Green is executive director of the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association and is a member of the American Farm Bureau’s Wildlife Damage Advisory Committee, Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment’s advisory council and the Alabama Natural Resources Council. He and his wife Mallory live in Montgomery with their three children.

Ryan Hill is a vice president for Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S), an engineering and management solutions firm for government, military and commercial clients. A research mechanical engineer and site lead for their Opelika test facility, Hill works on high-end R&D programs for munitions development, advanced explosive formulation and testing, warhead qualification and more. He has designed and executed thousands of incendiary, explosive and ballistics tests over the years. A master’s graduate in mechanical engineering (2012), Hill currently serves on the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board and previously was a member of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Young Alumni Council. He lives in Auburn with his wife Jill and their three kids.

Landon Marks is a director with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System for Cherokee County. He previously served as the Northeast Alabama regional extension agent for Animal Science & Forages for 12 years before taking his current role in January 2024. Through educational and applied research programming, Marks provides citizens of Cherokee County with research-based information to increase innovation and efficiency, as well as help solve problems in agricultural production and 4-H youth development. A doctoral graduate in beef and forage systems (2020), he and his wife, Dr. Lauren Marks ’10, own and operate Marks Animal Hospital, a mixed animal veterinary practice, and Mountain View Cattle Farm, a registered angus and sim-angus seedstock operation.

Kim Mullenix is a professor and head of Auburn University’s Department of Animal Sciences, where she oversees faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate student programs in animal agriculture, health and food systems sustainability. A former animal sciences extension specialist, Mullenix has contributed to more than 100 articles for peer-reviewed journals and the popular press on improving beef cattle management systems. She was awarded a National Best Book award by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents and Specialists for leading the redesign of the Alabama Beef Handbook. Holding a master’s in animal sciences (2010), Mullenix is a board member for the American Forage and Grassland Council, and an active member of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. She lives in Opelika, Ala. with her husband, Daniel Mullenix ’08 and three children, where they own and operate a stocker cattle operation, Mullenix Squared Farms. 

Michael O’Key is a dual doctoral candidate at Stanford University and a juris doctorate candidate at UCLA School of Law. His interdisciplinary research examines education policy, juvenile justice reform and developing approaches to address inequity. In addition to holding leadership roles across educational and policy organizations, O’Key serves as teaching coordinator for Stanford’s Jail and Prison Education Project, a lecturer in Stanford’s Program of Urban Studies and chairs UCLA’s Reentry Legal Clinic. His work has affected hundreds of individuals through policy reforms that improved educational access for incarcerated youth, developed reentry pathways and advocated for civil rights protections. O’Key is working to make education a life-changing influence for those navigating the nation’s most-challenging social systems.

Sara Beth Brown Prendeville is president of Brown & Co. Jewelers, one of the largest independent jewelry stores in the U.S. A third-generation jeweler and gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America, Prendeville joined in 2013 as vice president and was named president in 2022. Under her leadership, Brown & Co. saw record growth, the relocation of its Buckhead, Ga. store and the opening of a Patek Philippe boutique. Penderville’s work was featured in The Atlantan, Northside Neighbor and the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Committed to supporting her community, Penderville serves on the Synovus Atlanta Advisory Board, the Rotary Club of Buckhead and volunteers with organizations like Ronald McDonald House and Hemophilia of Georgia.

Haley Shelley is a research and development manager at Unilever overseeing the Dove Core deodorants and antiperspirants portfolio. A chemical engineering graduate with a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences (2018), she helped revamp the entire Dove Men’s bodywash portfolio with a line of sulfate-free, plant-based creations. Shelley is also in charge of Unilever’s charitable giving, ensuring any leftover products go to those in need. In 2024 she helped find charity organizations for more than 11,000 new Unilever products worth more than $75,000. As a student, Shelley chartered the Auburn chapter of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. She lives in Milford, Conn. with her husband Ben Shelley ’14 and their daughter.

Drew Smith is a family physician at Complete Health in Trussville, Ala. Voted by a Trussville Tribune Reader’s Choice poll as a “Best of the Best” physician three years in a row, Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in rural medicine from Auburn and a Doctor of Medicine in Family Practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2013, he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a community of medical professionals recognized for their compassionate care. A former Auburn basketball player, Smith was the 2008-2009 Southeastern Conference Men’s Sports “Brad Davis SEC Community Service Leader of the Year.” He lives in Trussville, Ala. with his wife Megan and their three children.