The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Neal Reid
Auburn University
The iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge looms large on the horizon as travelers approaching Selma from the south on U.S. 80 begin the incline to cross the Alabama River.
Most drivers may not notice the 300-yard area before the bridge – now a dilapidated row of mostly boarded-up businesses long since shuttered – or even realize they are traveling through a historic site until they happen to catch a glimpse of the modest memorial park to the bridge’s southeast as they head downtown. Two Auburn University professors – Richard Burt and Keith Hébert – are committed to changing that, as the four-lane roadway that heads toward the bridge was the site of one of the seminal moments of civil rights history.
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Neal Reid
Auburn University
Not only are members of Auburn University’s Tiger Excellence Scholars Program (TESP) enjoying their college experience on the Plains, they are thriving and evolving into leaders.
Nearly 300 students involved with the program – designed to support the persistence and retention of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, low-income families and first-generation college enrollees – posted a 3.42 cumulative GPA for the fall 2020 semester. Administered through Auburn’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), in partnership with the Office of the Provost, the scholars program is developing the leaders of tomorrow through its efforts.
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Neal Reid
Auburn University
An eight-day donation drive to benefit nursing homes in the community will kick off this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week activities at Auburn University.
The annual celebration week Jan. 18-22 will be preceded by a nursing home drive co-sponsored by Auburn’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) and the Auburn Student Nurses Association. The drive is Jan. 12-20 and organizers are asking for donations of travel-size toiletries for area nursing home residents.
Acceptable items include hand sanitizer, soap and body wash, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, flushable wipes, floss, shampoo, conditioner and lip balm. Items will be collected at the Cross Cultural Center for Excellence in Suite 2104 of the Melton Student Center. On Friday, Jan. 22, volunteers wearing masks and practicing social distancing can participate in the Nursing Home Drive Packing Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Neal Reid
Auburn University
The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered businesses, curbed progress in countless areas and stunted growth across the globe, but Auburn University’s Department of Aviation has weathered the storm and is flying high as another semester comes to a close on the Plains.
With a record number of approximately 160 students joining the storied program this fall, the department kept its instructors and team leaders busy accommodating an increase in interest while adjusting to new norms forced by the pandemic. The Department of Aviation boasts roughly 400 students who are professional flight majors and another 200-plus aviation management majors, giving Auburn a robust presence in the aviation world and an optimistic outlook toward a promising future.