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AuburnUniversityCollegeofEducation2011Keystone,volumeViii
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KeystoneMAGAZINE
VOLUME VIII, 2011
Instruction and research
serve as launching pad
for innovation

KeystoneMAGAZINE
KeystoneMAGAZINE
VOLUME VIII, 2011
VOLUME VIII, 2011
The Keystone is an annual publication of the Auburn
University College of Education, produced and
distributed to alumni and friends of the college
through the generous contributions of private donors.
Dean
Dr. Betty Lou Whitford
Director of
Extern al Relat ions
Michael Tullier, APR
Keystone ed itor
Troy Johnson
L ayout, Design
and Photogr ap hy
Amanda J. Earnest
Contributin g Wri ter
Amber Harrelson
Thanks to the Auburn Office of Communications
and Marketing for contributing content.
Additional photography by Auburn Photographic
Services, Holocaust Museum Houston, Dr. JoEllen
Sefton, UF Communications, Todd Van Emst/Auburn
Athletics and VCU Creative Services.
Send address changes to
eduinfo@auburn.edu or by mail
to the attention of Michael Tullier, APR.
Auburn University
College of Education
Office of External Relations
3084 Haley Center
Auburn, Alabama 36849-5218
334.844.4446
education.auburn.edu
eduinfo@auburn.edu
Auburn University is an equal opportunity
educational institution/employer.
©2011, Auburn University College of Education
page 6
Teacher-in-Residence Marcia Webb
helps pre-service educators combine
theory with practice
page 66
Educators help Korean students
acclimate to East Alabama classrooms
page 32
Warrior Research Center assists
“soldier-athletes’’ on multiple levels
Show your Auburn pride and spirit to the world, or at least to other drivers in Alabama (or wherever the road
may take you) by purchasing the Auburn University car tag. The tag can feature up to six characters
for optimum personalization; personalize your tag at no additional cost.
Buy your tag at the county tag office—make a difference and share the spirit in welcoming new
students to the Auburn Family by supporting scholarships.
www.auburn.edu/cartags
AUBURNAUBURN AUBURN
AUBURNAUBURN
AUBURN
On the Cover:
Researchers in the college’s
Center for Disability Research
and Service investigated the
effectiveness of Apple iPads as
communication tools for children
with autism. We’ve used the
device’s photo application to show
some of the college’s highlights
from the last year.

A Keystone in Building a Better Future for All 1
EDUC ATION EXTRA
3 Presidential approval
Reed earns administrative fellowship
8 Meet the dean
Dr. Betty Lou Whitford likes what she has seen
since arriving on campus
INTERN ATION AL
12 World traveler
Dr. Randall McDaniel lends expertise to United
Nations agency
S tudent S uccess
27 Guided by voices
Student organizations pull together to provide
assistance for local schools
RESEARC H AND OUTREAC H
30 A range of resources
New Center for Disability Research and Service
creates assortment of possibilities
34 Driven by data
School leaders find number-crunching to be a
catalyst for school improvement
Alumni
52 Hail to the chief
Bob Prater ’70 makes a convincing FDR
53 Going the distance
Running aficionado Dr. Beverly Warren ’89 uses
perseverance to her advantage
54 In good health
Wayne T. Smith ’68 a titan when it comes to
healthcare and philanthropy
Ev ery issue
2 Education Extra
7 Retired Faculty and Staff
16 Around Auburn
18 Student Success
28 Scholarship Ceremony
30 Research and Outreach
35 College Knowledge
36 Curriculum and
Teaching
38 Educational
Foundations,
Leadership and
Technology
40 Kinesiology
42 Special Education,
Rehabilitation and
Counseling
44 Truman Pierce Institute
45 Office of the Dean
46 National Advisory
Council
48 Alumni News
57 College Knowledge
58 Giving
66 Alumni Notes
In this issue
page 39
Social climbing yields lessons in
educational leadership

Keystone Volume VII, 20102
Dear Alumni and Friends:
E
ight months ago, as I assumed the role
of dean of the College of Education,
I was just coming to learn about the
“Auburn Family,” being “All In,” and how
great it is to be an Auburn Tiger. I’ve been
impressed with the loyalty of our students,
faculty, staff, alumni and friends — not just
in the context of a national championship
or, most recently, in the efforts to save the
Toomer’s Oaks.
I’ve been equally impressed by the passion
of our students, not just in their classroom
responsibilities, but in their commitment and outreach to the community and
the region. As you’ll read, our AuburnVoices advocacy program is a success in
serving the educational needs in our surrounding communities through our
students’ investment of time, enthusiasm and personal resources. That is just
one of the many examples of how our students are striving to better the world
around them.
Our faculty and staff are to be equally commended. Building on campus
successes, they are reaching beyond the university’s boundaries to create learn-
ing opportunities for our students. Whether on campus, in the state or around
the world, our faculty and staff are ambassadors on behalf of our university and
carry with them our college’s mission of building better futures for all.
As you read this issue of Keystone, I encourage you to see your role in our
success. We have alumni representing education through all walks of life: as
Alabama’s teacher of the year, in various levels of Alabama’s state government,
as the new head football coach of the University of Florida and as the top com-
mander of our armed forces in Iraq. Amid those stories, there are dozens of
alumni who are putting their Auburn education into action by making signifi-
cant contributions through their chosen professions.
That, to me, is what being a member of the Auburn Family — and being “All
In” — is all about. It’s expressed most clearly when each of us is engaged with
those around us and contributes to making our world a better place through the
transformative power of education. And it’s evident that our graduates do this
in a manner that brings great esteem to our university.
So, thank you for being “All In” and for the opportunity to be part of the
“family.” It is truly great to be an Auburn Tiger!
War Eagle!
Betty Lou Whitford, Dean
Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor
Where we standA Messagefrom the Dean U.S.News & World Report holds
college in high regard
The College of Education maintained its status
as one of “America’s Best Graduate Schools’’ in
U.S.News & World Report’s 2012 survey, released
in March 2011.
Auburn occupied the No. 71 ranking, placing
it among the top 25 percent of schools surveyed
for the fifth consecutive year. The college also
holds the top national ranking among schools of
education in Alabama, public or private.
The college’s rehabilitation counseling pro-
gram retained the No. 17 ranking in the Health
Disciplines category.
U.S.News & World Report determines its
rankings based on a formula that includes data on
admissions, graduation rates and research activ-
ity, which it combines with feedback from repu-
tational surveys completed by academic experts.
The magazine polls deans, program directors and
senior faculty to assess the academic quality of
programs.
Kinesiology improves NAK
standing in NAK
The Department of Kinesiology moved up six
spots in the National Academy of Kinesiology’s
(NAK) most recent ranking of doctoral programs
nationwide.
Auburn University’s department moved up
to No. 22 in the newest rankings, which reflect
a survey period between 2005 and 2009. The
department previously held the No. 28 ranking.
The NAK promotes the study and educational
applications of the art and science of physical
activity and human movement.
Program receives
re-accreditation
The Counseling Psychology doctoral pro-
gram in the Department of Special Education,
Rehabilitation and Counseling recently earned
re-accreditation from the American Psychologi-
cal Association (APA). The APA is the largest
worldwide association of psychologists with more
than 150,000 members.

Reed named Auburn presidential
administrative fellow
Dr. Cynthia Reed, professor
and director of the college’s
Truman Pierce Institute, was
selected as Auburn’s presiden-
tial administrative fellow for
the spring 2011 semester.
The Presidential Administra-
tive Fellowship Program provides senior admin-
istrative experience to faculty, affording them the
opportunity to better appreciate and understand
higher education administration. The fellow proposes and develops
a plan and will dedicate the semester to a special project.
Through her project, “Developing University-Community Col-
laborations for a Better Alabama,” Reed wants to create and enhance
networks that increase Auburn’s visibility, reputation and capacity
to identify and collaboratively address educational, economic and
community problems. Her plan is to host a series of community
forums addressing the concerns and needs of Alabama citizens and
community educational and business leaders.
“My project was designed to draw upon previous work creating
partnerships and engaging community members,” Reed said. “These
forums will be focused on learning more about current issues and
challenges facing communities so that we can identify ways that
Auburn University’s academic, research and outreach scholarship
efforts can better address these needs.”
Reed said she hopes her project will lead to partnerships with
other higher education institutions in the state, developing the
groundwork for future collaborations to address the needs of Ala-
bama citizens.
“I am looking forward to working closely with Dr. Gogue, Dr.
Mazey and others during this semester-long fellowship as I further
develop my own administrative and leadership skills,” Reed said.
College maintains perfection in employee-giving campaign
For the second consecutive year, the College of Education
achieved a 100-percent participation rate in Auburn University’s
annual Faculty Staff Campaign.
The College of Education and School of Nursing represented
the only academic units among the 13 on campus to achieve full
participation levels in the 2010 campaign. Among the university’s
non-academic units, the President’s Office, Alumni Affairs, Develop-
ment, Alumni Development Support Services and the Office of
Communications and Marketing achieved 100-percent participation
in the campaign.
The 2010 Faculty Staff Campaign recorded an overall participa-
tion rate of 70.7 percent. This participation rate continues to place
Auburn above all other SEC schools for the percent of faculty and
staff making personal donations to the institution.
The College of Education’s participation level has exceeded the
overall university average each of the last five years. In 2009, the col-
lege’s first year of 100-percent participation marked a sharp increase
from 82-percent participation in 2008.
The most recent college campaign was led by co-chairs Asim Ali
of the Learning Resources Center and Chris Groccia of the Truman
Pierce Institute, who also served as coordinators for their respective
college units.
Others on the campaign team included Dawn Browning of
the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Coun-
seling; Pam Hardie of the Dean’s Office/Professional Education
Services; Drs. Bob Leier and Jonghee Shim of the Department of
Curriculum and Teaching; Sheryl Parker of the Department of Edu-
cational Foundations, Leadership and Technology; and Dr. Mary
Rudisill of the Department of Kinesiology. Michael Tullier, APR, the
college’s director of external relations, served as one of our campus-
wide campaign co-chairs.
Education Extra
Reed has worked closely with Provost Mary Ellen Mazey
during the spring 2011 semester.
Dr. Cynthia Reed discusses her research with Auburn University President Jay Gogue.

Dr. Theresa McCormick’s interest in social studies and her
ability to think critically were undoubtedly shaped by
what she saw during her childhood in Nashville in the 1960s.
She didn’t understand why whites and blacks sat at separate
lunch counters and used different water fountains. She didn’t un-
derstand why one group was afforded more rights and liberties than
another by virtue of a superficial characteristic.
Most unsettling of all to an inquisitive and fair-minded child
was the fact that no adult seemed to be able to answer the question
that was always foremost in her mind.
Why?
“I witnessed a lot of injustices,” said McCormick, an associate
professor of elementary social studies education in the Department
of Curriculum and Teaching. “I can remember seeing signs that
said, ‘white only,’’ and hearing, ‘well, that’s just how things are.’ That
troubled me as a child.”
Now in her seventh year of teaching at the university level,
McCormick strives to ensure that pre-service teachers are well
equipped to answer students’ questions of how and why. As the col-
lege’s program coordinator for elementary education, McCormick
challenges her students to master social studies content, to think
critically and to develop creative lesson plans.
“I try to challenge them to think about what they do know and
what they don’t know,” McCormick said. “I want them to ask critical
questions and to not take everything at face value. They need to
experience the content in a way that they’ll teach it in classrooms.”
McCormick’s efforts to prepare and inspire her students haven’t
gone unnoticed at the university level. The Auburn Alumni As-
sociation selected McCormick and two other university faculty
members to receive its 2010 Undergraduate Teaching Excellence
Award. An honorarium of $1,000 accompanies the award. McCor-
mick is one of seven College of Education faculty members to have
received the award since 1993.
“I was very humbled,” she said. “I feel that, as a teacher-educator,
I’m still growing and still learning.”
Before earning her doctorate, McCormick taught fifth grade at
Crossville (Ala.) School for 12 years. Dr. Nancy Barry, head of the
Department of Curriculum and Teaching, said that background has
proven to be a tremendous asset for McCormick.
“Theresa is highly successful in integrating her teaching, out-
reach and research in meaningful ways,” Barry said. “Her extensive
experience as a public school teacher is evident in her ability to
merge the worlds of theory and practice.”
McCormick enjoys instilling pre-service teachers with a passion
for social studies and preparing them to lead their own classrooms.
Her lessons are often interactive and call on her students to put
themselves in the position of the children they will eventually be
teaching. One recent exercise tested the content knowledge of her
students by asking them to draw a mural with historical details and
recollections of the first Thanksgiving.
“I just love teaching undergraduates,” McCormick said. “They’re
so eager to learn new ways about teaching and they’re so enthusias-
tic. They’re like sponges.”
In that regard, they’re much like the woman teaching them.
McCormick absorbed plenty during her childhood, whether
it involved witnessing injustice or hearing vivid family history ac-
counts from her mother and grandfather.
“I had a natural curiosity to want to know more,” she said.
McCormick recognized
for undergraduate
teaching excellence
“I try to challenge them
to think about what
they do know and what
they don’t know. I want
them to ask critical
questions and to not take
everything at face value.”
Keep up to date on College of
Education news by signing up for our
electronic newsletter at education.
auburn.edu/enews

Five faculty members
earn promotion
One College of Education faculty member earned full profes-
sorship status, while four others earned tenure and attained the
rank of associate professor in 2010.
Dr. Karen Rabren, director of the Auburn
Transition Leadership Institute and a fac-
ulty member in the Department of Special
Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling,
ascended to the position of full professor.
The tenured faculty members include Drs. Rebecca Curtis,
David DiRamio, Chippewa Thomas and Octavia Tripp.
Curtis, an associate professor of rehabilita-
tion in the Department of Special Education,
Rehabilitation and Counseling, earned her
master’s degree and doctorate from the Col-
lege of Education.
DiRamio, an associate professor in the De-
partment of Educational Foundations,
Leadership and Technology, focuses much of
his research on the benefits of technology on
higher education and community colleges.
He also initiated Auburn University’s Veter-
ans Learning Community.
Thomas, who serves as coordinator of com-
munity agency counseling in the Depart-
ment of Special Education, Rehabilitation
and Counseling, earned a master’s degree
in community mental health counseling
and a doctorate in counselor education and
supervision from Auburn.
Tripp, an associate professor of elementary
education in the Department of Curriculum
and Teaching, focuses much of her teaching
on the development of science educators.
Education Extra
College headlines
teacher preparation
honor roll
The College of Education earned a perfect report card from
the Alabama State Department of Education.
The college received an overall “A” grade on the ALSDE’s
Teacher Preparation Program Performance Profile released in
summer 2010.
Grades are based on a number of variables, including educa-
tion students’ performances on professional tests such as the
Basic Skills Assessment, Praxis II and Professional Education
Personnel Evaluation. Surveys of recent graduates and of the
administrators who employ them also factored into the perfor-
mance profile.
The college found itself at the head of the class among the
27 teacher preparation universities and colleges surveyed by
the state. The college earned “A’’ grades in every category of the
Teacher Preparation Program Performance Profile. Those quality
indicators include pre-teaching experiences in elementary and
secondary schools (the hours prospective teachers spent in class-
rooms before their internship or student teaching experiences),
partnerships with Alabama elementary and secondary schools,
results of the Alabama Prospective Teacher Testing Program (the
pass rates for the Basic Skills Test and Praxis II content knowl-
edge test) and on-the-job performance (how new teachers and
their employers rated teacher preparation programs).
Tripp, Thomas instruct
KEMET Academy students
Two faculty members in the college, Drs. Chippewa Thomas
and Octavia Tripp, helped high school students learn more about
how to collect and apply data as part of the research process dur-
ing a summer 2010 program.
As part of the 2010 Knowledge and Excellence in Math-
ematics, Equilibrium and Technology (KEMET) Knowledge
Bus Environmental Classroom, 32 high school students from
Alabama’s Black Belt region interacted with Auburn University
faculty members and took courses in computer science, English,
math, geography, geographical information systems, social stud-
ies, engineering and science.
The KEMET Academy is an academic and social outreach
program designed to enrich the learning of youth from economi-
cally and educationally underserved communities. The program
was initiated five years ago.

Teacher-in-Residence provides valuable
perspective for pre-service educators
Wherever Marcia Webb’s travels take her in su-
pervising elementary education interns, she hears a
familiar refrain from principals and teachers alike.
“Everywhere I go, the principals and teachers
just rave about our interns and how Auburn Uni-
versity has the best,” said Webb ’73, who graduated
from Auburn University with a degree in elemen-
tary education.
The high marks received by Auburn’s preservice
teachers stem, in part, from the College of Educa-
tion’s efforts to help them seamlessly blend theory and real-world
practice. One of the ways undergraduates develop that balance is
through their exposure to professionals like Webb, a veteran educa-
tor who returned to the college in fall 2010 as its first Teacher-in-
Residence.

The Teacher-in-Residence program, an extension of the national
award-winning Professional Development System partnership
between the College of Education and Auburn City Schools, enables
a tenured K-12 educator to take a 1- to 2-year hiatus from his or her
everyday position in order to supervise interns and teach courses
at the university. In addition to preparing interns for the challenges
they will face in elementary school classrooms, Webb is also using
the opportunity to further her education. She is pursuing a doctor-
ate in rehabilitation and special education.
“After two years, I go back in the classroom and someone else
comes out,” Webb said of the Teacher in Residence arrangement.
Webb, who has directed the Academic Venture enrichment
program at Cary Woods, said she has enjoyed her time working with
the college’s elementary education students.
“I am very impressed with what I see,” she said. “They’re very
mature, very professional. They want to do a good job and are very
open to suggestions for change. They want reflection. They’re always
looking to grow. When I was here [as a student], the elementary
education program was known to be one of the best around and I
think that it still is one of the best.”
While Webb helps Auburn students refine their teaching tech-
niques, their interactions are very much a give-and-take. Through
the site visits that comprise part of her intern supervision respon-
sibilities, Webb has been able to learn about some of the practices
being applied to good effect in different area schools.
“I am enjoying getting out and seeing what’s going on in the
other schools and picking up ideas that I can bring back to my class-
room,” Webb said. “All of the schools are good. Education is very
important to the Auburn community.”
Marcia Webb works with a cohort of pre-interns.
Webb brings interns together to discuss their experiences.
PDS in Action
The Teacher-in-Residence program
serves as one example of the
Professional Development System
collaboration between the College
of Education and Auburn City Schools. The
system seeks to foster collaboration among
educators, students, parents/guardians and
other community stakeholders. To learn more
about the Professional Development System, visit
auburnschools.org/pds.
“I am very impressed with what I see [from Col-
lege of Education students]. They’re very mature,
very professional. They want to do a good job
and are very open to suggestions for change. They
want reflection. They’re always looking to grow.’’

Former Gov. Bob Riley appointed a former College of Educa-
tion faculty member to help coordinate the state’s responses to
emergencies and disasters.
Riley elevated Dr. Ronald Noland to the rank of major
general of the Alabama State Defense Force in 2010. Noland, a
former associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and
Teaching, leads a force of 450 men and women, the majority of
whom possess military experience.
In a time of crisis, Noland would lead the Alabama State De-
fense Force’s efforts to assist state and local Emergency Manage-
ment Agency personnel. Noland has served with the ASDF since
1998, starting as the deputy commander of the Third Brigade in
Mobile and serving as its commander from 2002 until 2010.
Noland began his military career in the ROTC program at
Louisiana State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree
in elementary education and a master’s degree in administration
and supervision. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and
was stationed in various locations in the U.S. and Japan.
After earning his doctorate in curriculum and instruction
from the University of Southern Mississippi, Noland joined
the College of Education faculty. During his 24-year career at
Auburn, he published 64 articles in refereed national research
journals and directed 24 doctoral students. He retired in 1991.
Later, he served on the faculty at Spring Hill College in Mo-
bile and taught graduate studies for 10 years.
The College of Education celebrated Dr. Bonnie White’s 36-
year tenure at the university with a dessert reception in Novem-
ber 2010.
White retired in December
after serving as a professor,
assistant department head,
graduate program officer,
department head and interim
dean during her time with
the college. A recipient of the
Humana-Germany-Sherman
distinguished professorship,
White joined the faculty in
1974 as a research associate.
She served as an assistant and associate professor and depart-
ment head in the former Department of Vocational and Adult
Education. She also served as the college’s interim dean from
2004 to 2005.
White most recently coordinated the college’s Career and
Technical Education programs and served as assistant depart-
ment head for the Department of Curriculum and Teaching.
A prolific researcher, White published extensively in edu-
cational research journals and best practices publications and
wrote four textbooks.
Byron Tolbert, an instructional technology technician in the
Learning Resources Center, retired in February 2011 after 25
years with the college.
Sybil Cauley, an office administrative assistant in the Depart-
ment of Kinesiology, retired in July 2010 after 21 years of service.
Diane Glanzer, administrator for outreach programs for the
Auburn Transition Leadership Institute, retired in March 2011
after nine years with the college.
Dr. William “Bill’’ Deaton, a former associate dean in the
College of Education, passed away in June 2010 in Tennessee,
where he had moved following his retirement.
Deaton served as an associate dean for nearly 20 years before
becoming dean of Auburn University Montgomery’s School of
Education in the mid-1990s. He also served as dean of education
at the University of West Virginia. After retiring, Deaton made
his home in Sevierville, Tenn.
He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, a three-time College of
Education graduate, and his children, Celia and William.
Former governor appoints
retired faculty member
to leadership position
College celebrates career of
White, three other retirees
College mourns loss
of former associate dean
Auburn Transition
Leadership Institute
Diane Glanzer
Curriculum
and Teaching
Dr. Bonnie White
Kinesiology
Sybil Cauley
Learning Resources
Center
Byron Tolbert
The College of Education bid farewell to
four of its own since the publication of
the last Keystone. We wish them well in
their retirement.
Retired Faculty and Staff
National Advisory Council chair Jim
Manley presents Dr. Bonnie White
with a gift.

S
he has been a high school social studies
teacher, a university professor, a zealous
pursuer of school reform, a fully engaged
researcher and a university administrator. But long
before Dr. Betty Lou Whitford took the first step
on the path that eventually led her to the College
of Education as dean and Wayne T. Smith distin-
guished professor, she was a musician at heart.
In some ways, a childhood that included count-
less hours at the piano provided an appropriate
foundation for her eventual transition into educa-
tion. Piano players are made through constant
practice. Lifelong educators are, in turn, fueled by
a passion for “doing and knowing,’’ the dynamic
Whitford described as one of her guiding forces.
Whitford began her career as a social studies
teacher at Kempsville (Va.) High School, teaching
world and U.S. history, government and sociol-
ogy. She eventually continued her education at the
University of North Carolina, completing a master’s
degree in political science and a doctorate in cur-
riculum and instruction. After teaching at Kemps-
ville, she served in a variety of roles, including
faculty positions at the University of Louisville and
as director of its Center of Urban Education Re-
search, as associate with the Center for Leadership
in School Reform, as a liaison for a university-public
school partnership, as co-director of Columbia
University Teachers College’s National Center for
Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching, as
dean and professor of the College of Education and
Human Development at the University of South-
ern Maine and as a project manager and principal
investigator for numerous research projects.
All of those years of “doing and knowing’’ pre-
pared Whitford to be the College of Education’s
sixth dean. Whitford discussed her impressions of
Auburn and the College of Education.
Whitford feels fully embraced
by Auburn family
New dean envisions bright future for College of Education

Now that you’ve had a few months to experience
campus and its activities, as well as the surrounding
community, what is your sense of Auburn?
As an outsider, you hear the rhetoric of the “Auburn Family’’ and
you think to yourself, ‘That’s nice, but that has to be mostly rhetoric.’
There’s a reality to that concept of the “Auburn Family.’’ It’s a very
collegial, warm, friendly place. Those terms are not normally as-
cribed to major research universities. We work together well, mean-
ing the faculty and department heads. I also hear from our alumni
that our graduates are wonderful and well-prepared. They want to
hire them.
What else have you learned from your interactions
with the college’s students, faculty, staff and gradu-
ates?
Their loyalty to Auburn is impressive. I get the feeling that alumni
are very loyal and supportive. People have been teasing me about
bringing all of this cold weather with me from Maine, but I tell them
that if they want to blame me for bringing cold weather with me,
then they also have to give me credit for the national championship
in football.
How would you assess the state of the college at this
point, and what are you most excited about moving
forward?
I’m still in the process of getting to know the programs. I see very
strongly committed faculty who work hard and are dedicated to
their respective fields. They are serious about expanding our re-
search enterprises. There is a lot of interest in reaching out interna-
tionally and reaching out more in the state. They are interested in
reaching out in ways that are consistent with our land-grant mission.
I do think Kinesiology has a chance to be a top 10 program nation-
ally and our rehabilitation program is a very strong program, prob-
ably the top online program in the country. We have strong teacher
education and educational leadership programs and strong partner-
ships with school districts in the region and state.
We are a public institution with a land-grant mission. We should
be helping where we can. There are ways to create research agendas
around outreach projects.
What are some of your interests away from the job?
I do like to read, but my other passion is old-time, Southern Ap-
palachian music. We’re talking pre-bluegrass, old ballads from the
1700s and 1800s. I’m kind of a struggling fiddle player and can do
basic backup guitar. I thought I might start out as a music major in
college, but didn’t like the idea of having to practice for six hours a
day. I did piano for many, many years.
What led you into education?
My mother tells me I said my entire life that I wanted to teach
whatever grade I was in at the time, but I don’t really remember
that. In college, I did the equivalent of a double major in education
and history. I started out teaching social studies in Virginia Beach
and intended to stay in teaching when I went back to school for my
master’s degree. We were doing some pretty innovative things [in
Virginia Beach] and that kind of teaching was very appealing to
me. Then I got into graduate school and got interested in research,
pedagogy and theory and it helped me to understand the experience
I had in practice.
You mentioned how, early in your learning and teach-
ing phases, American approaches to education were
shaped in part by the Cold War and fueled by the fear
of losing a competitive edge. We’re hearing some of
the same language now. How will that influence the
approach and mission of our college?
I think we’re on the right track. Everybody can always improve. It’s
so hard to predict the future. Here we are, back to talking about
the importance of curriculum and teaching and learning, but the
conditions are so different now. We’re at a challenging point in the
development of teaching as a profession.

Chris Lowe ’98 displays as much passion for Auburn football as
he does for teaching English.
Even though Lowe now lives 14 time zones and more than 7,000
miles away from the Plains, the College of Education graduate
student has cultivated an appreciation for all things Auburn in his
current hometown of Suwon, South Korea.
Listen closely as he calls the roll inside his classroom.
“Cam …”
“Newton …”
“Jackson …”
“Cadillac … Cadillac, how’s it rolling?”
“Like a first-round draft pick,” a young South Korean girl re-
sponds with a grin.
Lowe’s interaction with the students underscores something that
Dr. Robert Leier wants educators to understand if they plan to teach
English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
“Part of language is culture,” said Leier, the college’s ESOL
graduate degree and certificate programs coordinator. “You show
yourself as a fool if you don’t include culture as a part of teaching a
language. That is an integral part.”
So much of Auburn’s cultural identity — and more than a little
of its everyday vernacular — has been shaped by what happens
inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on autumn Saturdays. Lowe, a distance
education student, decided to use his passion for Auburn football
as a way to make English accessible and fun for his students, who
range from fourth to eighth grade. His unconventional but effective
methods can be seen in a video that went viral on YouTube.
Lowe and his students wanted to display their support for the
Auburn football team before its showdown against Oregon in the
Bowl Championship Series title
game. The result was a 5-minute,
24-second video that has since
been viewed by more than 100,000
people (http://bit.ly/chrislowe).
Lauren Bercarich, a former report-
er for a CBS affiliate in Cincinnati
now teaching English in South
Korea, produced the video and
interviewed Lowe and his students
about their passion for Auburn
football.
The light-hearted video (think of
The Daily Show on Comedy Central)
shows Lowe giving his students English nicknames like “Bo,” “Ca-
dillac,” “Aubie” and “Shug” for the purposes of an efficient morning
roll call. Lowe has also taught his students the “Bodda Getta” cheer
and other Auburn staples while also helping them learn about the
university’s reputation for academic excellence.
“I knew it was going to be something that was
special, unique, funny and appealing because
of the football-mania happening at the mo-
ment,” Lowe wrote in an email interview in
January. “It has been an awesome response.”
Lowe, a Memphis native who earned a bach-
elor’s degree in philosophy from Auburn in
1998, provides some helpful college guidance
to his students in the video. He told them, “Au-
burn is the only college in the United States.”
Lowe manages to follow his favorite university
from afar, even if it means keeping unconven-
tional hours for tailgate parties. Because of the
time difference, Lowe and a group of football
fans met up at a café to enjoy a tailgate party of coffee and muffins
before the BCS title game aired via satellite in the early morning.
“At a time in my life when I was looking for the opportunity to
spend more time with my family, some friends had just gotten back
from a year of teaching in South Korea,” he said. “It sounded like
a wonderful opportunity. Plus, my children are at a perfect age to
move and settle somewhere abroad and learn a second language
easily (they are 7 and 4). My wife and I decided it was a no-brainer
and moved. We knew we would be here for 5 years or so. But, since
we have arrived and settled in, gotten to know the culture, people,
food, and language, we love it more than we thought we would.
That means we will be here at least until the kids are out of school.”
Graduate student spreads
football fever to South Korea
Chris Lowe and his children, Grace (7)
and Ethan (4), show their spirit.
continued on next page

While stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, Dr. Jim
Witte saw just how quickly grumblings of discontent can grow into
a revolution capable of toppling a government.
He never expected to have a front row seat for another seismic
event in the Middle East’s political history. An evolving partnership
between Auburn University and Suez Canal University in Suez City,
Egypt, has afforded Witte the opportunity to witness first-hand the
country’s transformation in the wake of President Hosni Mubarak’s
February resignation.
Witte accepted an invitation to spend a portion
of the spring teaching courses at Suez Canal
University. Originally scheduled to depart for
Egypt in February, Witte had to delay his trip
after the anti-Mubarak protests that began in
January escalated. Witte said conversations with
his Egyptian colleagues indicate that the chaos
in the wake of those early protests has given way to optimism about
the country’s future.
“It’s almost as though they are observing a new Egypt, and
they’re doing so with pride,” said Witte, associate professor and
coordinator of the Adult and Higher Education program. “I think
the expectation of change overnight may be something they are go-
ing to have to guard against. Now that Mubarak has been removed,
there is great expectation of wonderful change, but change moves
slowly in any government, new or old.”
While Witte has tracked developments in Egypt with the help of
television and social media, he will be able to rely on such technolo-
gy to remain connected to Auburn students. In addition to teaching
adult education material via distance education, Witte will provide
updates on his trip on a blog.
“I’m in Egypt teaching my class in Auburn, just to demonstrate
the flexibility of the technology involved,’’ Witte said. “The change
in technology is fascinating, and it’s really fun to watch it grow.”
Witte and his colleagues have seen plenty of growth potential in
a partnership with Suez Canal University. Faculty from Suez Canal
University visited Auburn in February 2010 to build relationships
with the College of Education and other campus units. The estab-
lishment of research partnerships and student internships were key
discussion points.
Witte’s current
opportunity result-
ed from a summer
2010 visit to Ismalia,
Egypt, as a member
of a College of
Education visiting
scholar’s doctoral
dissertation defense
panel. Witte and Dr.
José Llanes continued discussions with Suez Canal University of-
ficials on the possibility of student and faculty exchanges. Witte said
the student exchanges would provide valuable opportunities for
aspiring classroom teachers, school administrators or policymakers.
Of course, those avenues will be far easier to explore once
the “new Egypt” Witte described takes on a more clearly defined
identity. Witte said he wishes he had been able to leave for Suez City
sooner rather than later.
“I feel disappointed that I was not able to be on the ground when
this thing unfolded,” he said. “I think the ability to observe this kind
of social change is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Witte receives close-up view of ‘new Egypt’
Lowe’s comfort in front of a roomful of students was shaped
by a lifetime on stage, which included school plays, choir and
a stint on the professional ballroom dancing circuit. He said he
always felt compelled to teach, but his coursework in ESOL has
helped him learn how to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps.
“Dr. Leier’s class has opened my eyes to what it really means
to teach a second language,” Lowe said. “Living in a culture
where I don’t speak the language gives me an upper hand in
teaching a second language to my students. I understand the
struggles they have. I relate.”
Leier, who regularly interacts with Lowe via distance educa-
tion technology, said Auburn’s No. 1 fan in South Korea has
proven to be an enterprising teacher.
“He’s incredible,” Leier said. “He’s very talented and creative.”
So are his students, it seems.
In the video, Bercarich allows several of Lowe’s students to
provide on-camera predictions for the BCS title game.
A boy nicknamed “Aubie” goes for a large margin: “Ducks 3,
Tigers 117.” A girl nicknamed “Campbell” briefly puzzles every-
one in the room: “Auburn wins 0-0.”
“Oregon sees Auburn before the game and forfeits,” she adds.
It seems that Lowe’s efforts to teach English have produced
an unexpected byproduct.
Lowe’s students are fluent in the language of football.
International
Dr. Jim Witte speaks some Arabic and
knows Egypt’s terrain well, including Giza.
Follow Witte’s travel adventures via
his blog whereintheworldisjimwitte.
blogspot.com

After spending an entire semester overseas
working on behalf of a United Nations agency, Dr.
Randall McDaniel couldn’t decide what he missed
the most after returning home.
Was it the serenity of the bicycle ride that took
him from his rental home in Ferney-Voltaire,
France, across the border to his office in Geneva,
Switzerland? The breathtaking view of Lake Geneva
and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Swiss Alps?
Afternoons spent dining at sidewalk cafes or morn-
ings spent browsing farmer’s markets?
As wonderful as all of that was, McDaniel’s most
enriching experience may have taken place while
working more than 3,000 miles away in a place
defined by a very different culture and climate.
As part of his professional development sabbatical spent work-
ing with the International Labour Organization (ILO), McDaniel
traveled to the Sultanate of Oman to share his expertise in rehabili-
tation. An agency of the United Nations, the ILO works to create
collaboration between governments, employers and workers to
improve workplace conditions and promote labor rights globally.
Amid the searing desert heat of the Arabian Peninsula, McDaniel
and his colleagues found a hospitable populace and a government
committed to creating new opportunities for individuals with dis-
abilities.
“They brought me in as
a content expert,” said
McDaniel, a Wayne T.
Smith distinguished
professor. “Three of us
made a team and went
in to review the Al
Khoudh rehabilitation
center. We were a guest of their country, at their request, and they
treated us like royalty.”
What struck McDaniel the most — aside from the host country’s
hospitality and heat — was its commitment to creating more em-
ployment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. In addition
to a state-run vocational rehabilitation center, where individuals
with disabilities learn such job skills as beekeeping, fishing and
furniture building, the nation of 3 million now features a new state-
of-the-art vocational training center. It’s a major step forward for an
oil-rich nation whose labor force and economy have typically been
fueled by foreign workers.
“They are modernizing as fast as they can,” McDaniel said. “It’s
incredible. They’re building everywhere. One of the things they’ve
done in the last 10 years is focus on inclusion in education. They
take kids who would normally be tracked to special education and
put them in regular classrooms. They’re infused into the public
school system.”
The field report put
together by McDaniel
and his team will help
shape employment
legislation in Oman. In
additional to travel-
ing to Oman and
working with Debra
Perry, a 1977 College
of Education graduate
now serving as a senior
vocational rehabilitation specialist for the ILO, McDaniel helped the
organization in other capacities.
In addition to conducting disability awareness training for
United Nations field agents, McDaniel helped develop a survey for
Sabbatical enables McDaniel to share
expertise on behalf of United Nations agency
The Swiss Alps provided a breathtaking backdrop for a sabbatical.
A view of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
McDaniel toured vocational rehabilitation
facilities while in Oman.

the ILO Business and Disability Network.
“They had 27 international companies like IBM and Toyota
coming together with disability advocacy groups, looking at how
more people with disabilities can be employed and what strategies
could be used to employ more people with disabilities,” McDaniel
said.
When he wasn’t in Oman or immersed in work on behalf of
the ILO, McDaniel took time to savor the local culture and spend
time with his son, Chris, who was enrolled in an international high
school alongside classmates from such places as Russia and Italy. In
addition to the breathtaking scenery that served as the backdrop for
his cycling excursions, McDaniel developed an appreciation for the
Swiss and French lifestyles.
“The enjoyable thing was the laid-back way they do things,’’ he
said. “They don’t rush through the day the way we do.”
Officials in Oman present a gift of appreciation to McDaniel.
International
When Felipe Araya arrived in the College of Education as a
graduate student, he remained firmly committed to accomplishing a
pair of objectives.
He wanted to help build the
framework for a long-lasting
relationship between his
National University of Costa
Rica and Auburn University,
and he wanted to complete a
doctorate in exercise physiol-
ogy. Araya helped National
University build a partner-
ship with Auburn in 2007 and
crossed the second goal off his list in December 2010 by completing
his doctorate in the Department of Kinesiology.
Araya returned to National University as a faculty member in
the Department of Sport Studies to teach and conduct research
and outreach focusing on cardiac rehabilitation. His accomplish-
ment underscores the opportunities that exist due to the relation-
ship between National University and Auburn. Over the past five
years, Auburn faculty and students from a variety of educational
disciplines have traveled to Costa Rica to learn about the country’s
culture and share expertise. Araya’s willingness to continue his
education at Auburn represents just one example of the reciprocity
that exists within the partnership.
While Araya is the first member of the National University fac-
ulty to have completed his doctorate at Auburn, he won’t be alone
for long. Maria Morera is scheduled to complete her doctorate in
kinesiology in summer 2011 and return to a faculty position at
National University.
From February to March 2011, Morera and a team of three
graduate students and three faculty members conducted her dis-
sertation research in her home country, focusing on outdoor play
and physical activity among children. The data will be used to create
national fitness standards for Costa Rica.
The Department
of Curriculum and
Teaching has also
taken an active role
in the partnership.
In January 2011, Dr.
Sue Barry (pictured
far right) welcomed
six Costa Rican visitors to campus — one director and five English
teachers. Barry, coordinator of the college’s Foreign Language
Education program, helped coordinate the group members’ visits to
Auburn, Birmingham and Atlanta schools, which enabled them to
gain insight into teaching approaches and student learning.
Araya ‘10 achieves goal through Costa Rican partnership
Dr. Felipe Araya visits with department
head Dr. Mary Rudisill at his graduation.
What is the ILO?
The International Labour
Organization is the only “tripartite’’
United Nations agency that brings
together workers, employers and
government representatives to shape labor
standards and programs. The organization
promotes the concept of “decent work,” which
embodies such characteristics as productive work
that offers a fair income, a secure workplace,
social protection for families, prospects for
personal development and social integration,
equal opportunity and fair treatment of men
and women.

When McAlpin first stepped through the doorway of the
elementary school classroom where she would do her teaching,
some 50 children stood at attention and voiced the same greeting in
perfect harmony.
“Good morning, teacher, how are you today?” they exclaimed in
British-inflected English.
They greeted McAlpin and her fellow Auburn students the same
way each morning at Tetra Lutheran School, even though the condi-
tions didn’t seem ideal at first glance for incubating eager learners.
Many of the children arrived each day barefooted, their feet tough-
ened by walking up to three hours to and from school.
Some sat two or three to a seat since the amount of students
doubled the number of available desks. Classes were often forced to
share only a couple of textbooks.
McAlpin and her classmates quickly learned why so many of
these children came to school each morning wearing smiles in place
of shoes.
In Tanzania, where the literacy rate is estimated to be slightly
above 72 percent, education is viewed by many as a privilege.
According to a 2006 U.S. Department of Labor study, more than
87 percent of Tanzanian children who begin primary school are
unlikely to continue their education past fifth grade.
“I was happy to see how excited and enthusiastic the kids were to
be there,” said McAlpin, who completed a master’s degree in elemen-
tary education in December 2010. “Those students had the best be-
havior that I had ever seen. Being able to walk into a classroom and
notice that all of the students were doing the work quietly, without a
teacher in the room, was amazing. I enjoyed seeing how happy and
enthusiastic the children were to be at school. I enjoyed teaching
these students.”
Going on
safariEducation students learn a lot
by stepping outside their comfort zones
Forget about the elephants and wildebeests that roam the
Serengeti, the crystal expanse of the African Great Lakes
or the towering presence of Mt. Kilimanjaro. For Khiari
McAlpin and eight other College of Education students,
the most awe-inspiring sight of their four-week trip to Tanzania
during the summer of 2010 was found inside a crowded classroom.

From Tanzania to New Zealand and
Australia, College of Education students
have demonstrated the ability to touch
lives while accumulating an impressive
collection of passport stamps. Dr. James
Witte, associate professor and coordinator
of the college’s Adult and Higher Educa-
tion program, said he has seen a shift in
students’ attitudes regarding international
travel.
“For a long time, Alabama looked
into itself,” said Witte, who has lived and
worked in such places as Iran, Egypt,
Pakistan and the Panama Canal Zone.
“The idea of going beyond the borders of
Alabama was a foreign concept for most
of our graduates. Their goals were to
graduate, stay close to home and live happily ever after, which has
merit. I’m not finding that the university has taken a very realistic
global view.
“It’s not just talked about. The idea of maintaining a narrow view
of the world, you don’t fit. You’re passed over [for jobs] if you have
that view.”
Breaking down barriers
Jana Dickey, one
of three school
counseling graduate
students who spent
June 2010 in South
Korea, said travel is
an essential com-
ponent in profes-
sional preparation. During their trip to Seoul, Dickey, Erin Carroll
and Elizabeth Osborn took part in classes at Korea University and
provided diversity and multicultural awareness guidance for Korean
students.
“That, for me, was the moment that I truly felt like a school
counselor in training,” Dickey said. “I think one of the main things
I took from the experience was the importance of understanding
different cultures and keeping an open mind regarding different
viewpoints. It is important to see and understand that everyone does
not live the same way. Every culture is different.”
There are, of course, failsafe ways to break down cultural bar-
riers. In Tanzania, for example, Auburn students found that their
pupils were eager to return the time and energy invested in them.
They absorbed lessons quickly since, typically, their instructions are
compressed into 15-minute increments. They were also more than
happy to make use of the paper, pencils, books and sporting goods
sent from Auburn.
Kelly Bradford, a fall 2010 exercise science graduate, became
popular as the result of her status as caretaker of the soccer balls,
Frisbees and Twister mat donated by the Department of Kinesiology.
She taught groups of children, as many as 80 at a time, how to play
a quintessential American playground game — kickball. Because
there’s no easy Swahili translation for the sport, the children came
up with an appropriate name: “The Kelly Game.’’
“That’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” Bradford said.
“It definitely changed my perspective.”
McAlpin, who taught math to third- and fourth-graders and
English to second-graders, said she and her classmates couldn’t help
but be transformed by their time teaching in Tanzania.
“I enjoyed teaching these students and they will forever hold a
special place in my heart and be my little angels,” she said.
International

To the Auburn Family,
T
he last five months have been nothing short of
extraordinary as most, if not all of us, followed
our football team as it captured its second
national championship and seventh conference title,
not to forget a third Heisman Trophy. Congratulations
to Coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers for going
the distance to remain undefeated.
In the College of Education, I also commend the efforts
of Dean Betty Lou Whitford and her staff in their ef-
forts to enhance the college’s graduate program. In U.S.News & World Report’s
2012 survey of best graduate schools, Auburn placed 71st, ranking among the
top 25 percent of schools surveyed for the fifth consecutive year.
The college’s expansion of its research and service base through the estab-
lishment of the Warrior Research Center and the Center for Disability Research
and Service, the opening of the MRI Research Center, in addition to inter-
national partnerships with Suez Canal University, Korea University, and the
National University of Costa Rica, will pave the way for greater success.
Working with students and watching some become champions in sports
and others champions of academics — including our two 2010 Rhodes Finalists
and record-breaking 130-plus merit scholars in this year’s freshman class — are
perhaps the most rewarding part of a university president’s job.
In the last few years, Susie and I have met thousands of Auburn students,
and we’re constantly amazed at the caliber of young men and women across our
campus.
Highly motivated and ambitious. Global in perspective. Oriented toward
serving others. Eager to have their views challenged.
We could go on with the many more positive characteristics we routinely
observe in today’s Auburn student. Suffice it to say, we’re impressed, and we’re
confident you would be as well.
Many of these same students are eager to share that their Auburn experience
is made possible through scholarships, fellowships and other forms of financial
support. They don’t hesitate to tell us what they value the most, and they recog-
nize that many of their opportunities are made possible through the generosity
of the Auburn Family.

A Messagefrom the President
War Eagle!
Jay Gogue ’69, ’71
President
University enrolls
record number of
merit scholars
Auburn University ranked fifth out of 126 pub-
lic institutions in the enrollment of National Merit
Scholars, the university’s Office of Enrollment
Services announced. The university is third in the
Southeastern Conference and 16th overall out of
343 institutions where these scholars are enrolled.
The numbers come from the 2009-10 National
Merit Scholarship Corporation Annual Report
released in February 2011.
Auburn enrolled 134 new scholars this sum-
mer and fall, which more than doubles last year’s
number of 64. Auburn moved up from fourth in
the SEC and 34th overall last year.
“This achievement reflects an ongoing com-
mitment by Auburn University to enroll some of
the most outstanding students our state and nation
have to offer,” said Velda Rooker, director of uni-
versity scholarships. “We are pleased that so many
accomplished students recognize this commit-
ment, along with the quality of Auburn’s faculty
and nationally ranked programs, and have chosen
to become part of the Auburn family.”
Auburn’s 134 National Merit Scholars are from
20 states and are enrolled in nine of Auburn’s 10
undergraduate colleges and schools.
The report also provides rankings for National
Achievement Scholars numbers. Auburn is ranked
second among 77 public institutions that enroll
these scholars, and is ranked No. 3 in the SEC, and
13th overall of 189 institutions.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation
is an independent, not-for-profit organization that
conducts the National Merit Scholarship Program
and the National Achievement Scholarship Pro-
gram as annual competitions for recognition and
undergraduate scholarships.
Learn more about the
university’s academic
excellence and cutting-
edge research by visiting
www.auburn.edu

Around Auburn
Fans lined up along Donahue Drive more than two hours be-
forehand and swelled Jordan-Hare Stadium to near capacity during
a January celebration of the Auburn football team’s Bowl Champi-
onship Series title.
An estimated crowd of more than 75,000 gathered for an event
that was alternately a pep rally, retrospective and requiem for the
Tigers’ 14-0 season, which ended with a 22-19 win over Oregon in
Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 10. By the end, however, Auburn players
and coaches were praising the people who followed them every step
of the way.
“I will say it again, and it’s not kind of, sort of, almost — you
are the best fans in the United States of America,” Auburn football
coach Gene Chizik said. “And you have helped us and been a huge
part of the best football team in the United States of America.”
The university put on a program that included player introduc-
tions, video highlights from the season, guest speakers and a reverse
Tiger Walk from the stadium to the athletics complex. Fans heard
from Auburn President Jay Gogue, as well as Heisman Trophy-
winning quarterback Cam Newton and Lombardi Award-winning
defensive tackle Nick Fairley, among others.
Senior wide receiver Kodi Burns summed up the special feeling
about this particular Auburn team and the season.
“People ask me all the time, ‘Why did you come to Auburn?,’”
Burns said. “One, because of this awesome Auburn family. And,
two, to win a national championship. It’s been an unbelievable year,
one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Fans pack stadium for BCS celebration
Auburn football coach Gene Chizik, defensive tackle Nick Fairley and athletic
director Jay Jacobs take custody of the crystal BCS championship trophy.
Carnegie Foundation
recognizes university’s
community engagement
Auburn revitalizes home page
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching selected Auburn University for its 2010 “Community
Engagement Classification’’ in recognition of the university’s
emphasis on community partnerships and public service through
outreach. The classification is the most significant recognition in
higher education for a university’s total outreach body of work in
the community.
“We’re honored to receive this national recognition for our
faculty and student engagement,” said Auburn President Jay
Gogue. “Outreach is a defining aspect of our land-grant heritage,
and this classification reflects Auburn’s significant commitment
to serving the public in Alabama and beyond.”
Widely used in the study of higher education, the Carnegie
classification system is the leading framework for describing
institutional diversity in the United States. Previously, Auburn
had been recognized by Carnegie as a comprehensive, doctoral-
granting research institution.
The community engagement classification was established by
Carnegie in 2006 as an elective category for which institutions
could voluntarily apply.
For the first time since 2005, the Auburn University home page
has a new look. The site, www.auburn.edu, officially launched in Janu-
ary 2011.
The launch event capped a two-year development process for
Auburn’s Office of Communications and Marketing and Office of
Information Technology.
One of the first things readers will see is large, inviting images that
link to stories about Auburn people and their accomplishments. The
stories will be updated regularly and will include photos and videos.
In the top right, readers can click on the new “Take 5” feature. A dif-
ferent member of the Auburn Family will be highlighted each week.

When Jared Rehm uses a wheelchair, he doesn’t think of it as a
transportation device.
He’s rolling on $3,000 worth of sporting goods.
His chair, with its inward-tilted wheels that
resemble mountain bike tires, enables him to
go cruising for a bruising inside the Student
Activities Center. This chair, with its ultra-light
20-pound frame, withstands the punishment
that inevitably comes when Rehm and other
members of Auburn University’s Adaptive Rec-
reation and Sports Program jostle for rebounds
and get serious about defense.
“There’s a lot of contact,” said Rehm, a
biomechanics graduate student in the College
of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. “It’s
controlled chaos, definitely.”
Wheelchair basketball isn’t so different than
the game played by able-bodied athletes. Rehm
and the other players shoot with precision, display artful passing on
fast breaks and execute crafty set plays. The only real difference is
the degree of difficulty. Let LeBron James or Kobe Bryant try to sink
a 20-footer while rolling and firing from a seated position.
“These things don’t have brakes on them,” Woody Thornton ’93
said of his sports wheelchair.
Similarly, Auburn’s adaptive sports program isn’t equipped with
brakes. It is steadily gaining momentum thanks to the energy and
involvement of Rehm and Nathan Waters, a rehabilitation counsel-
ing graduate student in the college’s Department of Special Educa-
tion, Rehabilitation and Counseling. The pair developed wheelchair
sports activities through their assistantships with the university’s
Program for Students with Disabilities and have invited participa-
tion from non-students.
Even though Thornton is two decades
older than most current Auburn under-
graduates, the spirit of competition lures
him to the Student Activities Center for
basketball two days a week.
Thornton, who has used prosthesis since
losing his legs as an undergraduate stu-
dent, said he sees potential for Auburn’s
adaptive sports program to compete
against more established programs at
other colleges.
“When I came back to school with
my prosthesis, I basically just went to
class and finished out,” said Thornton, a
business graduate. “Now, 20 years later, it’s neat to be able to see that
they have opportunities I didn’t have at that time.
“I’d love to see this take off where they’re competitive on the col-
lege level.”
A formidable team
Waters gained valuable experience in therapeutic recreation while
serving as the outdoor adventure director at Camp ASSCA, an Eas-
ter Seals camp in Jacksons’ Gap, Ala., serving children and adults
with physical and mental disabilities. Rehm brought a passion for
the competitive side of sports, having played for the University
of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s wheelchair basketball program as an
undergraduate student.
Rehm has also competed in the National Collegiate Wheelchair
Tennis Championships. Auburn currently offers basketball and ten-
nis, but Waters and Rehm hopes the program can grow to include
quad rugby.
The specially modified sports wheelchairs necessary for basket-
ball and tennis cost approximately $2,500, with wheels priced at
$300 apiece. Rehm and Waters obtained a grant from the Christo-
pher Reeve Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis Foundation, but are
seeking additional sources of funding. They have even gone so far as
to host a hot dog-eating contest to raise money and awareness.
“Whatever needs [students] have, we’d like to be able to give it to
them,” Rehm said.
Scott Scroggins, a graduate student in communication who plays
wheelchair basketball, said Rehm and Waters have already given
plenty. Growing up in Selma, Ala., Scroggins didn’t have many op-
portunities to engage in competitive sports.
“If I wanted to play [wheelchair] sports, I had to go to Bir-
mingham,” he said. “It’s hard to drive two hours one way. This has
been great. I love sports. This is the first time I’ve played with an
Graduate students growing
adaptive sports program

organized team. All of my experience playing basketball had been
with able-bodied people and it was mainly shooting around in the
backyard.”
Waters expects the adaptive sports program to be transforma-
tional in the lives of other Auburn students. In addition to provid-
ing opportunities for exercise and competition, the program may
also provide an as yet untapped research avenue.
“Sports have always been a catalyst for awareness, in general,”
Waters said. “We can do a lot of research on athletes with disabili-
ties. It’s one of those things where we can pull from a lot of different
departments and have a lot of people get behind it.”
Student Success
Mary Sandage, a doctoral student in kinesi-
ology, earned a highly competitive post-
doctoral fellowship grant from the National
Institute of Health for her proposed study of
clinical treatment for voice disorders.
Sandage is collaborating with Dr. David
Pascoe, Humana-Germany-Sherman dis-
tinguished professor of exercise physiology and director of the
Department of Kinesiology’s Thermal Lab. The project, entitled
“In Vivo Measures of Vocal Function Response to Environ-
mental Conditions,’’ seeks to improve understanding of how
such factors as temperature, vapor pressure and humidity affect
the voice. The study will examine what effect cold and warm
environments have on voice as compared to the conditions of a
typical clinical setting.
“We know that the humidity level of the air we breathe can
affect how voice functions, but we don’t currently know how the
temperature of the air we breathe affects voice function,” said
Sandage, a medical speech language pathologist of 18 years and
a signing teacher for 20. “I am combining my long-standing
knowledge of vocal function with my present study of skeletal
muscle physiology and thermoregulation to determine if chang-
es in air temperature either help or hurt voice function. This has
important implications for professionals who use the voice in
extremely hot or cold conditions and for better understanding of
how voice disorders develop.”
In 2010, Sandage received one of Auburn University’s
Outstanding Graduate Student Awards and also earned the G.
Dennis Wilson Endowed Graduate Award in the Department
of Kinesiology. Sandage earned her bachelor’s degree from Iowa
State University in English and linguistics and a master’s degree
from the University of Iowa in speech language pathology. She
plans to pursue a tenure-track faculty position in communica-
tion disorders.
Sandage earns postdoctoral
fellowship grant
Stasia Burroughs, a graduate student in the
Department of Kinesiology, earned a $1,970
grant from the Southeast Athletic Trainers
Association to facilitate a study of football
helmet safety features.
Burroughs, who is pursuing a master’s
degree in exercise science, examined the
Quick Release faceguard system developed by Riddell for its
football helmets. The faceguard can be removed with the help of
a push-button release system, an important feature for athletic
trainers who find themselves faced with the prospect of treating
an athlete who may have sustained a cervical spinal injury.
According to Burroughs’ research proposal, certified athletic
trainers are advised to remove the face mask from the helmets
of any athletes who may have suffered a cervical spinal injury.
This allows medical personnel to administer life-saving care
while minimizing the need to move the patient’s head.
Cordless screwdrivers and backup cutting tools are often re-
quired to remove the facemask and loop straps and commonly-
used helmets.
Burroughs has examined the reliability of the Quick Release
function developed by Riddell. The sports equipment manu-
facturer’s push-button release system is designed to allow face
masks to be removed faster and with less resultant head move-
ment. Her study details the success rate and removal times of
face masks on helmets with the Quick Release feature that have
been used for at least one season of play.
She will present her findings at the 2011 SEATA Clinical
Symposium and Members Meeting.
Burroughs earns research
grant from SEATA
Building Awareness
While Auburn University’s adaptive
sports program provides a competitive
outlet for students, faculty,
staff and alumni, it also creates
opportunities for education. An outreach
component of program, Auburn Wheelchair
Athletics and Recreation Education (AWARE),
seeks to eliminate misconceptions about disabilities
through demonstrations of wheelchair basketball.
Team members are willing to visit schools or civic
groups. For more information, contact Jared Rehm
at jmr0020@tigermail.auburn.edu.

Two students in the Department of Kinesiology each received
$6,000 to conduct research in the 2010-11 academic year.
Laura Barber, a senior exercise science major, and Ragan Hart, a
sophomore exercise science major, were among 20 Auburn Univer-
sity Undergraduate Research Fellowship recipients. The year-long
fellowships, presented by Auburn’s Office of the Vice President of
Research, provide a $4,400 annual stipend, $1,400 in project fund-
ing, $200 for travel to conferences and $200 for program activities.
Undergraduate research fellows work alongside faculty mentors
to pursue research interests of their choosing.
Barber, a Newnan, Ga., native, is conducting
research examining the associations between
the physical activity levels of parents and their
children. Her faculty member, Dr. Leah Robin-
son, an assistant professor of motor behavior,
focuses much of her research on health prob-
lems affecting pediatric populations.
“Obesity has become a rising epidemic starting at even younger
ages,” Barber said. “We hope this fellowship will give us further
insight to help determine other factors that could lead to obesity so
that we, like the Department of Kinesiology, can intervene in the
lives of people to enhance health and human performance.”
Hart, a Cologne, Va., native, proposed a project
involving the application of ice therapy in the
fields of athletic training and physical therapy.
She plans to use an ice treatment to compare the
surface temperatures at the ankle and shoulder
to determine whether the same method of ice
therapy is ideal for different parts of the body.
Hart’s faculty mentor is Dr. David Pascoe, Humana-Germany-
Sherman distinguished professor of exercise physiology and director
of Auburn’s Thermal and Infrared Lab.
“The fellowship will enable me to gain valuable experience in the
kinesiology lab as I learn research procedures and methodologies, as
well as being taught the protocol involved with the thermal imaging
equipment I will be using to collect my data,’’ Hart said. “It is a great
honor to be selected for the fellowship because I am interested in
pursuing a career in research by working in a sports performance
laboratory setting or some type of health institute.’’
Phi Kappa Phi welcomed 76 College
of Education students into its ranks
in 2010.
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is
the nation’s oldest, largest and most
selective multi-disciplinary honor
society. Memberships are extended
by invitation-only to the top 5 percent of graduating seniors and
graduate students and the top 7.5 percent of juniors.
Faculty, staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly dis-
tinction may also qualify.
The Auburn University chapter was established in 1914 and
initiates more than 400 students annually.
Phi Kappa Phi promotes the pursuit of excellence in all fields
of higher education, recognizes outstanding achievement by
students, faculty and others through various awards and engages
the community of scholars in service to others.
Phi Kappa Phi recognizes
76 students for excellence
Juniors
Ashley M. Akers
Cathryn M. Albright
Rachel L. Anderson
Laura L. Aune
Elizabeth R. Baldwin
Rebekah R. Beason
Kathleen E. Boehme
Lauren E. Bush
Mary K. Cooke
Emily M. Duke
Mabry L. Fisher
Ashley L Heavener
Anna E. Henderson
Haley B. Hollis
Elizabeth M. Laski
Sydney A. Laterrade
Allison C. Moore
Brittany M. Nelson
Alyssa L. Pratt
Megan M. Reaves
Julia A. Schell
Benjamin I. Singletary
Jennifer M. Von
Jouanne
SENIORS
Kerry J. Adkins
Lindsey K. Barrett
Kristen M.
Baumgartel
Karen S. Blanks
Paul B. Brock, Jr.
Allison L. Bragg
Caroline R. Clark
Sarah A. Cotton
Marsha E. Crenshaw
Marion A. Frasier
Courtney N. Glass
Amy C. Harris
Carmen E. Hollon
Allison M. Jackson
Jessica A.
McAnnally-Linz
Cathy W. Lumsden
Jenni R. Prescott
Elizabeth J. Pressler
Anna M. Reeves
Benjamin L. Robinson
Danielle D. Rosener
Mallory S. Sigle
Shelley M. Steiner
Virginia M. Terry
Graduate
Students
Laura W. Bennett
Julia A.
Bennett-Barton
Laura B. Booth
Kelli M. Crumpton
Mary F. Dansak
Kelli L. Dodd
David B. Garrett
Melinda J. Hardin
Mary Y. Holloway
Glenda D. Knight
Ann D. Le Clair-Ash
Christy M. Lock
Patricia K. Mason
Emily T. McKay
Gerald J. McQueen, Jr
Lauren A. Medders
William D. Miller
Katherine M. Norris
Jeanetta Nunley
Margaret B. Odom
Kimberly N. Parent
Gregory A. Parmer
William N. Presley
Alicia Reeves
Kathy D. Robinson
Jon K. Segars
Courtney D. Taylor
Tonya A. Tomlin
Synithia L. Williams
Two Kinesiology students earn
Undergraduate Research Fellowships

First they took the children.
Then they rounded up sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers,
aunts and uncles.
“We were taken to a railroad station, and
they put us in cattle cars,” Naomi Warren
recalled in an interview with the Holocaust
Museum Houston.
Warren, then a 22-year-old living in Eastern
Poland, didn’t know where those cattle cars
would take her family and other Jews after the
Nazis rounded them up. Those railroad tracks
eventually led to Auschwitz, where a sign above
the gates read, “Work makes you free.”
Warren managed to survive the brutality of
Auschwitz and two other concentration camps
before being liberated in 1945.
Six million Jews didn’t make it.
They and many others were the victims of systematic murder.
Warren wanted to ensure future generations would pay heed
to the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy. She and her family
created the Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers, which brings 25
preservice teachers to the Holocaust Museum Houston for a week
of educational training and outreach opportunities.
Two Auburn College of Education students,
senior elementary education majors Emily
Duke (top photo) and Lee-Cassie Robinson
(bottom photo), were selected for fellowships in
the six-day, all-expenses-paid institute held in
May 2010.
Both students learned how to effectively teach
about the Holocaust, genocide and other
sensitive topics. As Warren Fellows, Duke and
Robinson were immersed in pedagogical and
historical issues relating to the Holocaust and
met and worked with Holocaust survivors and
eminent scholars.
“Tolerance and diversity — kids don’t know that stuff,’’ said Rob-
inson, a Huntsville, Ala., native and former College of Education
Student Council president. “We’ve seen in previous generations that
it’s skipped in school.”
Robinson said the Warren Fellowship helped her learn how to
“teach from the lens” of elementary students in dealing with sensi-
tive topics. Duke, a Madison, Ala., native, said she appreciated the
opportunity to interact with and learn from Holocaust survivors.
“I feel blessed that Naomi Warren set up this opportunity,” said
Duke, a College of Education Student Ambassador and president
of the Student Alabama Education Association. “It’s more than just
seminars. It’s more than just having speakers come to town.
“This is a professional development opportunity. The more tools
we can put in our toolboxes, the more prepared we will be as first-
year teachers.”
The Holocaust Museum Houston, which opened in 1996,
contains a number of graphic reminders of where hatred can lead.
It contains a 1942 World War II railcar similar to the one that trans-
ported Warren to Auschwitz.
“It just goes to show you the power of speech,” Duke said. “The
Holocaust didn’t start with mass murdering. It started with hate and
prejudice. The point of this program is to teach from a very young
age to be accepting of others and to respect differences. We’re going
to get a lot of tools to be able to teach that.”
Two elementary education majors earn
fellowships at Holocaust Museum
Student Success

Given her background as a foreign language
education major emphasizing French, Helen Hunter
Robertson derived plenty of enjoyment from a
month spent studying abroad in Paris.
The only disappointment involved the preva-
lence of English being spoken around the Eiffel
Tower and along the Champs Elysees.
“Whenever I’ve traveled around France, I’d
hear so much English,” said Robertson, a Mobile,
Ala., native who graduated from Auburn in spring
2010. “I wanted to go someplace where [the locals]
wouldn’t [speak English].”
A Fulbright-French Ministry of Education
Teaching Assistantship enabled Robertson to fully
immerse herself in the country’s language and
culture for seven months during the 2010-2011
academic year.
Robertson was placed in the Academie de Toulouse, where she
served schools in the Toulouse region of southern France.
Robertson’s classes in the College of Education and College of
Liberal Arts prepared her to teach French to American students,
which she did during a spring 2010 internship at Hardaway High
School in Columbus, Ga. The Fulbright assistantship honed her
skills in other ways. During her time in Toulouse, Robertson
provided assistance in teaching English to French students at the
secondary level.
“Most of [the teachers] are excited to have an assistant and will
utilize you as much as possible,” said Robertson, who began her
assistantship in October 2010. “I can help with conversation if they
have times for English conversation or culture days or if they can’t
understand a particular grammar concept.”
Robertson, the only Auburn student to apply for the Fulbright
assistantship, earned the prestigious appointment after completing
a highly competitive process. Each year, the Fulbright Scholarship
program and the French Ministry of Education offer 50 Fulbright-
French Ministry of Education teaching assistantships. Applicants
must submit a detailed project proposal, a personal statement,
three letters of recommendation and a letter certifying their fluency
in French. Robertson’s credentials were also examined during an
interview with a campus-wide selection committee composed of
professors from different disciplines.
In a typical year, there are more than 500 applicants for 50 as-
sistantships. The recipients earn a $1,200 monthly stipend.
“I was highly impressed by Helen in the interview, as well as in
her application materials,” said Dr. Ralph Kingston, an assistant
professor of history at Auburn who served on the Fulbright selec-
tion committee. “We talked a good deal about the time she spent
in Paris, and her experience working with high school students
learning French in Columbus. At one stage of the interview, I even
switched to speaking French and she didn’t skip a beat.
“She was smart, motivated and keen to take what she had
learned at Auburn into the community.”
Dr. Paul Harris, associate director of Auburn’s National Presti-
gious Scholarship Office, said Robertson’s letters of recommenda-
tion and the response from the campus selection committee were
equally impressive.
“Helen Hunter had to demonstrate mastery of her subject mat-
ter, teaching French language, as well as demonstrate a commitment
to teaching a diverse group of students,” he said.
Robertson immerses herself
in Fulbright experience
Three College of Education students were among the Auburn
undergraduate and graduate students recommended by the Dean
of Students office for inclusion in the 2010-11 edition of Who’s Who
Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Nominations
are made by institutions based on such factors as grade point aver-
age, leadership and participation in campus and community activi-
ties. The students honored at the university’s Who’s Who reception
were:
Anna Elizabeth
Henderson
Junior
Exercise Science
Brittany Lee Smith
Senior
Elementary
Education
Jamie N. Smith
Master’s student
English for Speakers
of Other Languages
Education students
named to Who’s Who list

Barbara Jane Hall
President
Senior
Elementary Education
Elizabeth Chandler
Secretary
Senior
Emily Duke
Vice President
Senior
Nicole Lawyer
Assistant
Activites Chair
Sophomore
Dori Dobbs
Activites Chair
Junior
English Lanuage
Arts Education
Anna Bates
Service Project Chair
Senior
Elizabeth Mott
Publicity Chair
Junior
Early Childhood
Special Education
Alice Caldwell
Assistant Service
Project Chair
Senior
Early Chilhood
Education
Michel Fields
Camp War Eagle/
Freshman Involvement
Junior
Brooke Molnar
Assistant Service
Project Chair
Sophomore
Collaborative Teacher
Special Education
Amber Allman
Assistant
Publicity Chair
Sophomore
The College of Education features more than 15 student
organizations devoted to the development of professional exper-
tise and leadership skills and the pursuit of academic excellence.
In addition to bringing students with similar academic and
career interests together, these groups often participate in ser-
vice learning activities.
The Multicultural Educational Retention Initiative for
Transformation (MERIT) is a retention and mentoring program
designed to support students in the College of Education.
Formerly known as the MARS Program, MERIT works to
create a learning community of inclusive excellence. Learn more
about the program by visiting education.auburn.edu/edudiver-
sity/merit.
Student organizations
develop future leaders
Mentorship group changes
name but not its mission
Two graduate students in the Department of Kinesiology,
Stasia Burroughs and Kenneth Games, earned scholarships from
the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).
Burroughs and Games, both members of Auburn’s Post-
Certification Graduate Athletic Training Program, each earned
$2,300 scholarships from the NATA Research and Education
Foundation.
The students were among the honorees at the William E.
“Pinky’’ Newell Leadership Breakfast held in June 2010 in Phila-
delphia as part of the NATA’s 61st annual meeting and clinical
symposia.
Burroughs, who is pursuing a master’s de-
gree in exercise science, has gained experi-
ence through the Warrior Athletic Training
Program, a pilot partnership between the
Department of Kinesiology and the U.S.
Army’s 192d Infantry Brigade stationed at
Fort Benning, Ga.
Games, a graduate student in exercise
science, has served as a graduate assistant
athletic trainer for Auburn’s swimming and
diving teams. He is also a recipient of the
Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association
Memorial Graduate Scholarship.
Two Kinesiology students
earn NATA Foundation
Scholarships
Student Success
Student Council
2010-2011
To learn more about these
organizations, visit the “Students’’
section of education.auburn.edu

This academic year, the college’s Student
Ambassadors have been under the lead-
ership of elementary education junior
Emily Crane of Franklin, Tenn. Since
2003, Student Ambassadors have served
as a “face” for the college for alumni, do-
nors, prospective students and friends at-
tending college events. They are selected
through a competitive interview process
and provide support for a number of the
college’s alumni relations, stewardship
and student recruiting efforts.
How many of your family members
attended Auburn before or after you?
Emily: I am actually the first of my family
to attend Auburn. I had many pulls in
other directions, but the spirit of Auburn
captured my heart. Today when asked if
I like Auburn, my only response is that I
am obsessed with it.
What has been your favorite class or activity to this point?
Emily: My favorite part of our [elementary education] classes is
that they are so hands-on. Rather than reading about a class-
room situation, we are placed in elementary classes throughout
the area and enabled to experience these situations for ourselves.
The class that has most intrigued me is our Reading and Literacy
class. Before taking it, teaching a child how to read was a foreign
concept to me. I now understand the building blocks of language
learning and feel empowered to teach this vital skill.
Why are the Ambassadors important to the college?
Emily: From answering basic questions about what makes the
college so great to meeting and greeting Education majors of
the past, ambassadors serve an integral role. I believe ambas-
sadors seek to embody what Auburn is all about: a spirit that is
unafraid, a belief in hard work coupled with education, and an
undeniable love for our college.
What is your favorite type of event to help with?
Emily: I love recruiting events because they give me the op-
portunity to tell prospective students about how wonderful my
Auburn experience has been. It allows me to answer questions,
ease minds and encourage decisions of why students should
choose to come to Auburn and further, to select the College of
Education as their home.
Stellar students carry
banner for college
A moment with Student
Ambassador President
Emily Crane Each semester, college administrators select a student to
carry the College of Education banner ahead of their graduating
peers at the start of commencement ceremonies. Here’s a look at
the students who earned the distinction in 2010:
Tommy Leon Davis ’10
Davis, who earned a degree in
elementary education, served
as graduation marshal for the
fall 2010 commencement. Davis
carried a 3.84 grade point average
and served as a peer mentor with the PODS Program, was a
MARS (Minority Achievement, Retention and Success) Program
scholar and a member of the Senior Honors College. He plans to
pursue a master’s degree in elementary or special education.
William Stewart Jackson ’10
Jackson served as the marshal for the sum-
mer 2010 ceremony. He graduated with
a 3.83 GPA and a degree in rehabilitation
services after serving in the Best Buddies
organization and as a volunteer for Camp
Autism Smiles and Camp ASCCA. Last
fall, he began work on a master’s degree in
occupational therapy from the University
of Alabama-Birmingham. He earned a full
scholarship from the East Alabama Medi-
cal Center (EAMC), which creates the opportunity for him to
work for EAMC after completing his graduate studies.
Lindsay Bailey ’10
Bailey, a music education gradu-
ate, carried the college’s banner
at the spring 2010 ceremony. She
was a member of the Chamber
Choir and sang at a number of
celebrated venues, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and
the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. She also served as
president of the American Choral Directors’ Association.
Mallory Sherwood
Sigle ’10
Sigle, an exercise science gradu-
ate, carried the banner of another
college as a substitute student
marshal during the spring 2010
ceremony. She was an Auburn cheerleader for three years and
was a member of the Physical and Occupational Therapy Club.
She began graduate work in Emory University’s physical therapy
program last summer.
Student Leaders

Rachel Anderson
Senior
Oneonta, Ala.
Taylor Gunter
Senior
Exercise Science
Montgomery, Ala.
Abigail Cutchen
Junior
Birmingham, Ala
Trishia Daniel
Sophomore
Alpharetta, Ga.
Elizabeth Pressler
Senior, General
Science Education
Hoover, Ala.
Vishaka Uluwita
Master’s student
Special Education
Tuskegee, Ala.
Celeste Waugh
Senior, General Social
Science Education
Smiths Station, Ala.
Rebekah Beason
Junior, Early
Childhood Education
Russellville, Ala.
Allyson Houlton
Senior
Grady, Ala.
Courtney Dotson
Doctoral Student
Rehabilitation Services
Chance, Ala.
Lee-Cassie Robinson
Senior
Huntsville, Ala.
Emily Crane
Junior
Franklin, Tenn.
Lucy Mosley
Junior, English Language
Arts Education
Daphne, Ala.
Alexis Emch
Senior, General Science
Education/Biology
Martinsville, W.Va.
Andrea Sumner
Doctoral student
Exercise Science
Springfield, Va.
Victoria Barron
Senior
Birmingham, Ala.
Sarah Houghton
Junior
Alpharetta, Ga.
Bailey Debardeleben
Senior
Prattville, Ala.
Meg Reaves
Junior
Guntersville, Ala.
Morgan Warner
Junior
Katy, Texas
Mary Kathryn
Wheeler
Junior
Phenix City, Ala.
Claire Chapman
Junior
Special Education
Fairhope, Ala
Sam Logan
Doctoral student
Exercise Science
North East, Md.
Noel Eason
Senior, English Lanuage
Arts Education
Boaz, Ala.
Jessica Stuckey
Junior
Huntsville, Ala.
Stacie Busbin
Senior, Early
Childhood Education
Atlanta, Ga.
Shea Jackson
Senior
Exercise Science
Clarkesville, Md.
Emily Duke
Senior
Madison, Ala.
Susie Rutherford
Junior
Mathematics Education
Auburn, Ala.
Anna Curl
Senior
Exercise Science
Decatur, Ala.
Angelica Parker
Senior
Tampa, Fla.
Laine Foster
Senior
Montgomery, Ala.
Jill Sutton
Senior, English Language
Arts Education
Trussville, Ala.
Student Ambassadors
Student
Ambassadors
2010-2011

Dr. Jared Russell set an ambitious goal as the graduate program
officer for the Department of Kinesiology.
His plan can be described as “10 in 10” — graduating 10 doc-
toral students from the department over the next 10 years.
“I tell administrators from different colleges that I’m looking for
doc students,” Russell said.
His quest continued in late-October 2010 with a two-day
recruitment event that brought students from Atlanta-based histori-
cally black colleges Morehouse and Spelman colleges to campus.
The students visited with Kinesiology faculty and College of Educa-
tion administrators, as well as Auburn Provost Mary Ellen Mazey
and Graduate School Dean George Flowers.
If all goes according to plan, several students from that group
will come to Auburn to begin graduate work. Russell’s efforts have
already paid off as several current graduate students in Kinesiology
— Asherah Blount (Albany State University), Ava Hanks (Spelman
College), Henry McCladdie (Morehouse College), Hasaan Rasheed
(Morehouse) and Darren Jackson (Morehouse) — received their
first looks at the program through previous recruitment events.
“The event opened my eyes to other opportunities and ideas that
I probably would not have thought about otherwise,” Blount said.
Blount earned a master’s degree in physical education from
Auburn in 2010 and has remained to work on a doctorate in motor
development/pedagogy.
“I appreciate Dr. Russell and his efforts to make the Department
of Kinesiology and the College of Education more diverse and I
truly value the recruitment events,” Blount said. “I believe that these
events give students the opportunity to see what it would be like to
attend a research institution and become aware of what it takes to
be successful as a graduate student at Auburn and other research
institutions.”
It didn’t take long for the visiting Morehouse and Spelman stu-
dents to gain an understanding of the research being conducted by
faculty. One Spelman student, a former competitive swimmer, mar-
veled at the work conducted in Dr. Wendi Weimar’s Biomechanics
Lab. Weimar explained how subtle differences in technique can
make monumental differences for Olympic-caliber
swimmers. Wasted motion or sloppy form can cost
precious tenths of a second, the difference between a
gold medal and a bronze.
“They were amazed at the science that goes into the
technique,” said Dr. Mary Rudisill, department head
and Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor. “All
of the faculty are either running research or talking
about research when the students visit. When we
met with Morehouse originally, they said that their
students don’t have the research opportunities that
they would have here. They asked us to expose them
to that.”
As ambitious as Russell’s goal of 10 in 10 may sound,
it isn’t at all farfetched. Russell and Rudisill said
the recruitment events of the last three years have
heightened interest in the department’s graduate
school offerings in exercise science, health promotion, athletic
training and physical education.
“We’ve ended up with 10 students from either Morehouse or
Spelman,” Rudisill said. “We’ve also worked hard with Albany State.
We recruited in 10 students this year and they’re excellent students.
“Once you get students here and they have good experiences, it
will grow exponentially.”
Recruitment event helps
Kinesiology target ‘10 in 10’
Dr. Wendi Weimar (left) and Graduate School Dean George Flowers (background) connect with
prospective graduate students and help them learn about labs and research opportunities.
Students from Atlanta’s Morehouse and Spelman take in the view
from atop Haley Center.

It was once said that, “Children will not remember you for the
material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished
them.” AuburnVoices is allowing College of Education students to
do both.
The overall mission of AuburnVoices is “to provide a way for
students in the College of Education to be involved in advocacy and
student leadership throughout the community and in schools.”
The organization represents a vision shared by Drs. Lynne
Patrick, Kathy Robinson, Peggy Dagley and the program’s director,
Jamie Carney. It began in an attempt to give structure and frame-
work to student groups seeking resources and opportunities for vol-
unteer work. However, AuburnVoices has grown to do much more.
Through the promotion of leadership and educational advocacy,
the organization not only prepares future educators, but also seeks
to make a lasting impact on a diverse group of students, including
those with special needs.
The concept is simple.
The program functions as
a “hub,” where different
project requests for at-risk
schools can be found —
most readily through the
program’s website. An
organization or individual
can then contact Auburn-
Voices, which then serves as the “vehicle” in providing the funding
and support needed to complete the task. Eric Crumley, the gradu-
ate program assistant for AuburnVoices, serves as a liaison between
the college’s student organizations and those they support.
Last year, AuburnVoices took on several projects, including a
very successful musical instrument drive. It also sponsored more
than 12 teacher request projects, participated in funding grant
opportunities, and worked with multiple College of Education
student organizations in sponsoring projects and fulfilling resource
requests. Among the contributors are the College of Education’s
Student Council, the Association of Counseling Psychology Stu-
dents, the Student Alabama Education Association and Iota Delta
Sigma.
Funding, however, is never the easy part.
AuburnVoices receives its funding from an array of sources,
including private donations, student organizations, people within
the community and grants. Carney notes that even the smallest
contributions can be helpful — anything from a ream of paper to an
ink cartridge to even a few rolls of toilet paper.
Carney credits the college’s National Advisory Council for its
support of the program (see related story, page 46).
In addition to the opportunities for activities and student
advocacy, AuburnVoices also provides information for grant train-
ing and leadership development, often in the form of on-campus
conferences hosted by other organizations. The Center for Student
Leadership and Ethics, a program dedicated to leadership develop-
ment, serves as one example.
While all of the training and experience is immensely beneficial
for students, most find that the biggest reward of working with
these schools is being able to see results and witness the impact of
their work. AuburnVoices provides what Carney calls a “real link”
between students and the kids with whom they work. They aren’t
just making donations to an otherwise nameless stranger; they are
serving the child in front of them, full of wonder, joy and gratitude.
“Contact with the children is by far the biggest reward,” said
Carney, professor and coordinator of the college’s counselor educa-
tion and supervision doctoral program.
As director, Carney gets to see these positive effects happen
on two levels — both with College of Education students and the
students they assist.
These benefits already transcend campus boundaries, with nu-
merous activities having taken place at Notasulga K-12 and a future
project scheduled for Carver Elementary School in Opelika. Carney
said AuburnVoices hopes to expand its presence statewide.
“The situation in schools is worse than even a year ago, and it’s
getting progressively worse,” Carney said of budget woes.
This startling truth calls for action, and AuburnVoices is
dedicated to helping students and educators who are committed to
taking it — no matter the cost.
Student Success
Students raising ‘voices,’ money, awareness
to benefit local communities, schools
Learn more about AuburnVoices
by visiting education.auburn.edu/
auburnvoices

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