Auburn’s New Game Room

Auburn’s New Game Room

by | May 15, 2023 | Auburn Magazine, Campus

Arts & Entertainment

In March Auburn plugged in a new state-of-the-art game room inside the Melton Student Center. The facility features more than 40 high-end gaming computers; 35 Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles; throwback arcade stations with hundreds of vintage games; a competitive eSports stage and streaming studios. Student Affairs, with support from the Student Government Association, kicked off the project on Tiger Giving Day last year. The space will serve competitive esports gamers and recreational video game players.

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Writing Warrior

Writing Warrior

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CJ Holmes’ rise from Auburn basketball walk-on to beat writer for the Golden State Warriors is the stuff of hoop dreamsI’ve covered the Golden State Warriors for the San Francisco Chronicle since February 2022, and have been working in media since 2017. But those...

Man Gives for 65 Years

Man Gives for 65 Years

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Auburn grad invests in his alma mater for more than 65 yearsCatesby ap C. Jones ’49 in his Selma home, holding a framed portrait from his days in the U.S. Army. He was drafted in 1944.A love of Auburn runs deep for Catesby ap C. Jones ’49. “You know, some people say...

Auburn Faculty Hobbies

Auburn Faculty Hobbies

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From painting orcs to racing dirt bikes, Auburn professors have hobbies as varied as their areas of expertiseIt’s nothing fancy. Nothing too involved. It’s not like she has an elaborate dedicated studio. When Lindsay Tan needs to, she throws some newspaper down on the...

John Thomas Vaughan ’55

John Thomas Vaughan ’55

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February 6, 1932 — January 13, 2023  Dean Emeritus John Thomas Vaughan ’55 was born in Tuskegee, Ala. and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University in 1955. He practiced briefly in his hometown, but when he brought a cow to Auburn to have...

Auburn’s Nature Preschool

Auburn’s Nature Preschool

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Woodland Wonders Nature Preschool uses its outdoor-based, curiosity-first philosophy to better connect children to nature and learningI’ve just started down the dirt path that leads to the heart of Auburn’s Kreher Preserve & Nature Center (KPNC) when it hits me:...

Pannie-George’s Kitchen Gives Back

Pannie-George’s Kitchen Gives Back

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What started out as a “plate sale” to fund a family reunion is now Pannie-George’s Kitchen, a family-owned restaurant that serves more than great soul food “I had the notion that I would just do a little catering business out of my house,” said Mary Key ’91, co-owner...

Auburn’s New Game Room

Auburn’s New Game Room

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A deck should be written for each Alumni story. Select the preset "Alumni Stories.Deck" under Text Settings In March Auburn plugged in a new state-of-the-art game room inside the Melton Student Center. The facility features more than 40 high-end gaming computers; 35...

Auburn Rugby Club’s Rise to Greatness

Auburn Rugby Club’s Rise to Greatness

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For decades, Auburn’s Rugby Club fought for relevance as much as victory. Then they were national champions. Photo: Mitchell CarrThey lined up 15 men to a side, each tense with concentration. Over the next 80 minutes the two teams’ fates would be determined through...

Council wins the 2023 BAC Rising Star Award

Council wins the 2023 BAC Rising Star Award

by | Mar 27, 2023 | Alumni Stories, Black Alumni

Auburn Spirit | War Eagle

Auburn Black Alumni Council wins Rising Star Award for their remarkable achievements.

The Auburn Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Council has made history once again by winning the 2023 Rising Star Award at the Black Alumni Collective in Charleston, South Carolina. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of an alumni council that has been in existence for less than three years, and we couldn’t be prouder of the council’s achievements.

Established in September 2020, the Black Alumni Council has achieved so much in just two short years. With an inaugural cohort of ten members, the council worked tirelessly to create an operational foundation and framework, setting goals and objectives, creating operating procedures, electing officers, and forming committees.

In addition, the Black Alumni Council has established a number of initiatives that have already had a significant impact. These include Black on the Plains, a homecoming networking mixer targeting Black Alumni, the Donning of the Kente Ceremony, a special event honoring and applauding the academic achievements of students of the African diaspora by bestowing a Kente cloth stole, and the inaugural Franklin Brittain Matthews Legacy Award, which honors the legacies of Auburn’s first black student, Dr. Harold A. Franklin, Sr. and Auburn’s first Black graduate, Dr. Josetta Brittain Matthews, while also recognizing an outstanding Black Alumni who is a leader and contributor to the University and their local community.

With a current membership of seventeen members, the Auburn University Black Alumni Council continues to develop programming, activities, and initiatives that align with the organization’s goals. It is an honor to see their hard work and dedication recognized by the Black Alumni Collective with the 2023 Rising Star Award.

Congratulations to the Black Alumni Council on this remarkable achievement! We look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish in the years to come. War Eagle!

Women of Auburn: Tiffany Welch ’94

Women of Auburn: Tiffany Welch ’94

by | Mar 27, 2023 | Alumni Stories, Black Alumni, Women of Auburn

Class of 1990s

Tiffany Welch ’94, exemplifies Women’s History Month with her dedication to community and successful business ventures.

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we are proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Tiffany Welch, a highly accomplished Auburn University alumna. Tiffany has spent over 25 years in the insurance industry and is now a prominent resident of West Point, GA, where she resides with her husband Jamie Welch ’94.

Tiffany’s passion for community building is reflected in her work and business ventures. Her latest venture, SIP Café and Wine Room, is an upscale casual restaurant that has created employment opportunities for 20 people in the area. She also expanded into off-premises catering and opened REUNION, a private event space located just two doors down from SIP Café.

Tiffany’s commitment to her community has not gone unnoticed. She has been recognized in local newspapers, magazines, and radio shows, and is an active member of several organizations, including the Troup County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

As a devoted Auburn alumna, Tiffany is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Auburn University Alumni Association. She serves on the Liberal Arts Advisory Council and is a member of the Foy Society and George Petrie Society. Her impressive accomplishments and dedication to her community serve as an inspiration to future generations of women.

Beyond her professional success, Tiffany is a loving mother to two children, one of whom is currently attending law school while the other plans to pursue physical therapy after graduating high school. The family recently welcomed a two-year-old Goldendoodle named Kobe.

As we reflect on Women’s History Month, we celebrate women like Tiffany Welch, who have made significant contributions to their communities and paved the way for future generations. Her unwavering commitment to community building, her entrepreneurial spirit, and her devotion to her family are a true reflection of the strength and resilience of women throughout history. We are proud to call Tiffany Welch an Auburn alumna and eagerly anticipate the positive impact she will continue to make in her community.

Women of Auburn: Heidi Brittain Matthews Wright ’20

Women of Auburn: Heidi Brittain Matthews Wright ’20

by | Mar 27, 2023 | Alumni Stories, Black Alumni, Women of Auburn

Auburn Family | Class of 2020s | College of Education

Heidi Brittain Matthews Wright, daughter of Auburn’s first Black graduate, shares her journey pursuing a doctoral degree at Auburn.

The Auburn Alumni Association is proud to spotlight Heidi Brittain Matthews Wright, a distinguished Auburn alumna with a unique connection to Auburn’s history. Heidi’s journey with Auburn began when she was a very young child, accompanying her mother, Dr. Josetta Brittain Matthews, on campus visits. Dr. Brittain Matthews was Auburn’s first Black graduate, earning her degree in 1966-1967, and went on to pursue a doctoral degree in the College of Education in the 1970s.

Heidi’s childhood memories of Auburn are filled with admiration for her mother’s dedication to her studies and her love of educating students. She vividly remembers watching her mother graduate from the doctoral program in 1975, as well as with her honorary doctorate in 2005. Her mother’s legacy at Auburn is also visible through the Honors College dormitory named after her and scholarships established in her name.

Heidi’s own journey at Auburn began in 2016, when she started her doctoral studies in the College of Education’s Special Education Department. She describes her first day on campus as a spiritual moment, walking past Jordan-Hare stadium and up towards the Haley Center, taking in the beauty of the campus. One unexpected and moving experience during her time at Auburn was seeing a Tiger Transit bus with her mother’s picture on the back of it, in all her graduation regalia.

In 2020, Heidi followed in her mother’s footsteps and became an Auburn graduate herself, earning her doctoral degree. She is grateful for Auburn’s recognition of her mother’s achievements and continued commitment to honoring her memory. The Auburn Alumni Association is proud to have Heidi Brittain Matthews Wright as part of our community, representing Auburn’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and excellence in education.

“I am very thankful for Auburn’s recognition of my mother as it’s first African American graduate. Auburn has continued to honor my mother’s memory and her love of educating students.”

Transformation Garden

Transformation Garden

by | Feb 21, 2022 | Alumni Stories, Magazine Articles Archived, Women of Auburn

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College of Agriculture | Science & Research

Transformation Garden creates learning, research and outreach opportunities

Just beyond the south end of campus lies the Old Rotation, the historic one-acre plot of row crops that has been a continuous research experiment at Auburn since 1896. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of contemporary college life, this plot melds the old with the new, connecting the past and present to the future.

It’s also home to the College of Agriculture’s Transformation Garden, a 16-acre tract that will soon become the university’s largest and most distinctive classroom. This space will include state-of-the-art features like the recently established “vertical farms”—shipping containers transformed into hydroponic growing stations—that will exist side by side with old-school elements like the Old Rotation and an existing vegetable gardening site.

This juxtaposition is by design, not default, and according to Desmond Layne, head of Auburn’s Department of Horticulture, is inspired by the university’s land-grant mission.

Auburn has served communities and the agricultural industry in the state through research, outreach and teaching programs for 150 years, and today remains Alabama’s oldest land-grant institution. The Transformation Garden will carry that tradition forward and create new, unique experiences for
the entire Auburn Family.

“Imagine a place where students from a variety of majors, faculty and community members can get their hands dirty and experience the outdoors in a way they never have before—where their eyes are opened and they learn to think about plants, the environment and our food system completely differently. The Transformation Garden will be that place,” Layne said.

Promoting learning and research experiences in disciplines from biology and engineering to history and business, the garden’s spaces are both a classroom and a lab space.

Developing this extensive outdoor learning and engagement site is no small task, and work will roll out in phases beginning this year.

Among the garden’s priorities are research, education and outreach on topics like food systems, access to local food, sustainability and food security. Students and faculty will also grow produce for Auburn’s Campus Dining program, the Hotel at Auburn University and the new Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center’s rooftop garden.

The Transformation Garden will be a permanent fixture on campus and will join other green spaces with pedestrian access like the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center, the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, the Garden of Memory and the president’s estate.

“The Auburn Family has an opportunity to help the next generation understand aspects of our food system, the benefits of plants in our environment and so much more. That’s a really powerful thing.”

“This beautiful space will draw people to it whether they are studying, researching, taking an afternoon walk, enjoying the natural environment or visiting campus on the weekend,” Layne said. “I see this becoming a destination that will offer so much to the community.”

With the support of donors, the Transformation Garden will include a children’s garden, pollinator garden, medicinal garden, landscape construction work yard, vegetable teaching garden, invasive plant garden, shade garden and lath house, rain garden, composting facility, teaching orchard, trial garden and many others.

“Philanthropy is absolutely vital to our project—it won’t happen without it. But I love that,” Layne said. “Because the Auburn Family has an opportunity to help the next generation understand aspects of our food system, the benefits of plants in our environment and so much more. That’s a really powerful thing.”

Learn more about Auburn’s new Transformation Garden

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Investing in

Transformational Vision

With deep roots in the Alabama soil, Bonnie Plants, the nation’s leading grower of vegetable and herb plants, has been helping people grow their own food for more than 100 years. This dedication to horticulture development and research naturally led to a strong partnership with Auburn. Recently, the company solidified this collaboration with a $1.2 million commitment to the Transformation Garden to create and support the children’s and pollinator gardens.

“The Bonnie Plants Foundation is proud to partner with Auburn University to establish the children’s garden and pollinator garden, which will be a destination for students and the community alike,” said Mike Sutterer, president and CEO of Bonnie Plants. “We’re confident this space will provide invaluable experiences to grow a love of gardening in young people and even inspire the next great generation of horticulture leaders.”

The relationship between Bonnie Plants and Auburn is more than a logical connection or natural fit—it’s a strategic partnership.

 

“Their mission is very much aligned with the education, research and community outreach we will do in the Transformation Garden,” said Desmond Layne, head of Auburn’s Department of Horticulture. “We’re also training students who will be experts in the field and potential resources for them, too.”

The children’s and pollinator gardens will create experiential learning and play spaces to help children and families engage with plants and the natural environment.

“This generous gift from The Bonnie Plants Foundation will have an enormous impact on our vision for the Transformation Garden and will help us design outdoor spaces that encourage people of all ages to learn about horticulture and the outdoors,” Layne said. “Their support will influence countless children’s lives, inspiring a passion for gardening and contributing to numerous agricultural innovations, which may ultimately change the way we grow food.”