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Auburn Alumni Association announces
Officers and Directors To Be Installed
Homecoming 2008

The Auburn Alumni Association board of directors’ nominating committee, having solicited nominations from the membership as required in the association bylaws, has submitted its list of candidates for two new officers and four new directors to the full board. The recommended candidates have been approved by the board, and have been presented for the membership’s consideration, per the association bylaws (Article XI, Section 4).

No additional nominations were received by the deadline of June 12, thus the unopposed candidates are automatically elected and will begin their terms at the association’s annual meeting Nov. 8. All annual and life members are invited to attend.

For Officers

President: Nancy Young Fortner ’71
Residence: Huntsville, AL
Major: BS History and Political Science (Education); MEd Counselor Education
Profession: Coordinator of Guidance Services, Huntsville City Schools

Auburn Activities: Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors, various committees during four-year term; Trustee Selection Committee; Chair, Programs & Services Committee; Circle of Excellence; Past Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club President; National Campaign Committee; George Petrie Society; College of Education 1915 Society

Vice President: Michael A. Watson ’69
Residence: Smyrna, GA
Major: History
Profession: Executive (Retired), BellSouth

Auburn Activities: Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors; Chair, Membership Committee, various committees during four-year term; National Campaign Committee; Regional Campaign Chair; Atlanta Auburn Club, Past Club Officer; Circle of Excellence

For Directors

Marcus F. Conner ’99
Residence: Saucier, MS
Major: BME Mechanical Engineering
Profession: Mechanical Engineer/Operations Team Leader, Mississippi Power Company

Auburn Activities: Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors, various committees; Circle of Excellence; Advisory Council of AU Multicultural Office; AT&T Minority Engineering Program at AU Advisory Committee

William J. (Jack) Fite ’85
Residence: Decatur, AL
Major: BS Building Science
Profession: President, Fite Building Company

Auburn Activities: Morgan County Auburn Club, Club Officer; Regional Campaign Committee

Michael R. Griffin ’96
Residence: Miramar Beach, FL
Major: BA Political Science; MBA & Law Degree
Profession: VP, Resident Director of Merrill Lynch

Auburn Activities: Emerald Coast Auburn Club, Board of Directors; Birmingham-Jefferson County Auburn Club, past Director

Howard B. Nelson, Jr. ’69
Residence: Birmingham, AL
Major: BS BA Accountancy
Profession: (Retired) CFO, Colonial Properties Trust

Auburn Activities: Business Advisory Council, Past Chair; Business Campaign Committee; Samford Society; Greater Birmingham Auburn Club

Auburn University to formally install Gogue as 18th president April 24

Auburn University President Jay Gogue will be formally installed as the school’s 18th president during an April 24 ceremony.

The half-hour event will begin at 4 p.m. on the Cater Hall lawn and will be streamed live on the Web at www.auburn.edu/installation. In case of rain, the installation will be rescheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, April 25.

“President Gogue indicated he would ‘hit the ground listening’ when he arrived, and he has done that and more,” said Paul Spina, President Pro Tem for the Auburn University Board of Trustees, who will administer the oath of office. “He has literally been all over the state and beyond, reaching out to the Auburn family far and wide. We look forward to his continued leadership and aggressive plans for our future.”

Gogue began his tenure as president in July and has spent his first ten months meeting with AU colleges and departments as well as on the road meeting with AU alumni clubs and Alabama Cooperative Extension System county offices. His first priority has been seeking input into and developing a 10-year strategic plan for the university. Gogue has encouraged input from alumni, students, staff, faculty, trustees and city and state residents in developing a plan first draft that was presented to the Board of Trustees in February. A final draft is expected in June.

“We look to expand Auburn’s academic strength and quality while upholding the traditions and spirit that have made Auburn a place people always think of as home. Everywhere I’ve been, I find people feel a powerful connection to Auburn, and hold it as very special,” Gogue said. “This first year back has been a wonderful homecoming for Susie and me, and we find that although much has changed, especially in terms of growth, the university still has that same strong sense of pride, place and warmth.”

Gogue, a native of Waycross, Ga., is a 1969 AU alumnus. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from AU and a doctorate in horticulture from Michigan State University in 1973. Gogue and his wife, Susie, met in the eighth grade as classmates in Waycross and were married during their undergraduate years at Auburn. Susie also earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from AU. They are the parents of three children and have one grandchild. more

McCrary named Birmingham Businessperson of the Year

AU Trustee Charles McCrary was named in late December the 2007 Businessperson of the Year by the Birmingham Business Journal. McCrary, president and chief executive officer of Alabama Power Company, graduated from Auburn University in 1973 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was appointed to the AU Board of Trustees in 2004 as an at-large member. McCrary joined Alabama Power during the summer of 1970 following his freshman year at Auburn and has held various positions of increasing responsibility within Southern Company. He was appointed to environmental affairs manager in 1984 and vice president of administrative services of subsidiary Southern Nuclear in 1988. He became president and chief operating officer of Alabama Power in 2001 and CEO in 2001. In addition to his degree from Auburn, he earned a law degree from Birmingham School of Law.

AU implements enhanced emergency notification system for students, employees

In the wake of recent emergency situations around the nation ranging from severe weather to campus violence, Auburn University has launched AU Alert, a personalized voice and text messaging system that will provide critical information should a need arise.

AU’s top safety official is urging students and employees to sign up for emergency notifications by logging on to www.auburn.edu/aualert. In a major emergency affecting the university community, people who have registered will be provided information and instructions through cell phones, home phones, e-mail or other text-receiving devices.

“Notifying all students, faculty and staff immediately is crucial in emergency situations, such as a severe storm or campus closure,” said Christine Eick, executive director of AU’s Office of Risk Management and Safety.

Read On...

Auburn University enrollment tops 24,000 students for first time

New AU freshman class smartest on record
Auburn University’s fall semester enrollment hit a record high, and the university’s freshman class boasts the highest average ACT score of any class at AU, according to numbers released by AU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

AU enrollment stands at 24,137 students with all student groups - undergraduates, first-professional and graduates - seeing an increase in enrollment numbers.

Read on...

Auburn University adds weekly e-newsletter and RSS feed

Auburn University has added a free weekly e-newsletter and RSS Internet feed to communicate more directly with alumni and others interested in Auburn University news. The e-newsletter, Wire Eagle, is available to anyone who wishes to subscribe through an e-mail address. "It is a great way to communicate quickly about happenings at Auburn and it will be very valuable in case of emergency situations that require any types of alert," said Mike Clardy of the Office of Communications and Marketing. "Our RSS feed is also available for Web browsers. It will automatically send out Auburn news once a week to those who add the feed to their Web browser." The Wire Eagle news site has information about subscribing to the e-newsletter and about the RSS feed. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, makes it possible for people to keep up with several favorite Web sites quickly without having to visit each site.

Read the news release...

U.S. News ranks Auburn among Top 50 public universities for 15th consecutive year

Auburn University is ranked 45th among public universities nationwide, according to an annual survey released by U.S. News and World Report today. The ranking marks the 15th consecutive year the magazine has ranked AU among the nation's top 50 public universities. "The people of Alabama can be proud that three of the state's institutions rank in the top-tier of national universities, and the Auburn family can be proud that AU has enjoyed this distinction for 15 continuous years," said AU President Jay Gogue. "The U.S. News and World Report assessment is another helpful tool that Auburn will use as we prepare a new strategic plan and continue to strengthen our instruction, research and extension programs." The undergraduate program of Auburn's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is ranked 57th nationally overall and 34th among public universities that offer doctoral programs in engineering, moving up from 60th and 35th, respectively, from the previous year.

Read On...

Get To Know Dr. Gogue

President Jay Gogue's Web page has a "Get To Know Dr. Gogue" section with video segments in which he answers questions about his new role at Auburn University. The Web site also has photographs from the July 16th meetings with campus constituencies.

Visit the site..

Web site outlines campus preparedness procedures for emergency situations

The Office of Risk Management and Safety has developed a Web site that provides guidelines for action in the event of emergency situations. The site, which includes information on fires, severe weather, active shooter and other emergencies, can be accessed at www.auburn.edu/administration/rms/emergency.html.