EVERYTHING AUBURN PODCAST

When Tim Hawthorne arrived at Auburn in the summer of 2024, he brought with him a lifelong love of exploration.

“I knew early on I wanted to become a geographer and travel the country,” Hawthorne said.

As the new chair of Auburn’s Department of Geosciences, Hawthorne found not only a professorship but a bold new endeavor. Soon after his arrival to the Plains, Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM...

If you have questions about eating healthier or making your budget dollars stretch further, chances are Extension has solutions that work.

“We cover a really broad spectrum,” Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) director Eve Brantley said. “It's because we serve all of Alabama.”

Service is at the heart of what Brantley does every day.  

Named the 1862 Extension director for ACES this past January, s...

As assistant director of cAUse marketing with Auburn Advancement, Lisa Lofland knows one day can change everything.   

In 2015, she was part of a group charged with creating a day of giving for Auburn University. 

“Our team envisioned this grassroots platform,” remembered Lofland.  “We really wanted people to find their match and find the causes and projects they were passionate about.” &nb...

When the stakes are high and the bases are loaded, Brooks Fuller might be the Auburn man you’d want on speed dial –  ready to deliver when it matters most.

“It's a blessing to be here in Auburn,” Fuller said.

Auburn tradition is a family affair for Fuller. His father, Mark, played baseball for the Tigers in the late 1980’s. His mother, Lori, also attended Auburn, cheering on the baseball team as a D...

Auburn senior Jake Yohn didn’t just choose the referee life — he inherited it. 

“I’ve always felt at home here, just really enjoy the campus, the people and what Auburn's all about,” said Yohn.

As a student assistant in Auburn’s competitive sports program, the Montgomery, AL native is responsible for daily operations, as well as officiating intramural and club sports games.

Wearing the referee ...

After returning home from a tour in Afghanistan, retired U.S. Marine Corps pilot David Deep hit the throttle on a new mission — one that started with buying a boat.

“Getting on the water was my way of getting back into normal life,” Deep recalled. 

For the Huntsville, Alabama native, watersports became more than just a hobby; it was therapy after 28 years of military service. Deep’s journey began at 18 ye...

Auburn’s Hey Day is more than just a campus tradition — it’s a timeless greeting that’s been passed down for generations.

“Hey Day is such a cool event,” said Owen Beaverstock, Auburn’s Student Government Association (SGA) president. “It’s the first thing I volunteered for when I was a freshman.”

The annual Hey Day event began in 1947 to welcome back World War II soldiers, w...

With a name like Robyn, some might say you’re destined to soar through life, working with all things winged and wonderful.

“Spelled slightly differently, but yes, my life is absolutely for the birds,” said Robyn Miller.

Miller, who was named director of the Auburn University Raptor Center (AURC) this past January, first came to the Plains a decade ago to study 19th century English literature. While earning her docto...

There’s nothing more rewarding for Bobby Woodard than watching the Auburn campus come alive. 

“We have over 34,000 students, and it's my job to be their chief advocate,” said Woodard.

Woodard embraces his role as Senior Vice President for Student Affairs with dedication and enthusiasm.

“I get paid never to leave college,” joked Woodard.  “But seriously, every day we can have input on how s...

As the old saying goes, being in the right place at the right time has its benefits. 

This couldn't be truer for Auburn University's Asim Ali, who seems to have a knack for seizing opportunities. 

“I feel like I was made for this moment,” said Ali. “The vowels in my first name and my last name are both ‘AI.’"

As Executive Director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning...

If you ever find yourself in a fight for equity and opportunity, Texas-born Dr. Christine Drew is exactly who you’d want in your corner.

"I'm a fighter, I'm an advocate," she said. "The thing that will keep you going is the thing that breaks your heart."

For Drew, that "thing" was watching students with intellectual disabilities face unnecessary barriers. Instead of accepting the status quo, she turned frustration into action.&...

On Auburn University’s campus, not all heroes walk on two feet. Sometimes, they come with four paws, a cold nose and a warm heart.

“They’ve got all the credentials,” said Dr. Doug Hankes, who heads up the university’s animal assisted therapy program, appropriately nicknamed the Dogtors.

That program plays an instrumental role in Auburn’s Student Counseling & Psychological Services (SCPS) &ndash...

Julia Wiard’s Auburn journey is a rollercoaster ride of unexpected twists and turns.

Growing up in Selma, Alabama, she was a die-hard fan of the orange and blue, thanks to her dad and grandparents who are all Auburn University alumni.

“We grew up really loving Auburn,” explained Wiard.

But in her senior year of high school, Wiard's rebel spirit led her to seek a different path.

“It was the most rebellious thing ...

Auburn University senior Abbie Stockard is still in a state of shock when she thinks about being crowned Miss America 2025.

“When they got down to three people standing, I was like, ‘holy moly, what is going on?’” recalled Stockard.  “Then they called my name.  It was at that moment my entire life changed.” 

This past January, the 22-year-old Vestavia Hills, Alabama native beat 51 co...

From an early age, Beth Thorne Stukes was immersed in the vibrant world of orange and blue, thanks to her mother, Barbara. But beyond the colors, Barbara passed down something even more enduring—a deep love for education and its power to transform lives.

 “Mother is a Human Sciences grad,” said Stukes. “She just had the most wonderful time of her life as a student at Auburn.”

 In a heartfelt tr...

As the Director of Sports Performance for the Auburn men’s basketball team, Coach Damon Davis is a slam-dunk when it comes to getting Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell and company conditioned and primed to fulfill their physical potential on the court.

The Petersburg, Illinois native is now in his 15th season on The Plains.

“I really just wanted to work with athletes,” said Davis. “I wrestled at Western Illinois Un...

For Auburn’s Kurt Sasser, connection is mission critical.

As the Chief Engagement Officer for Auburn University's Advancement team and the Director of the Auburn Alumni Association, he works daily to develop meaningful and impactful ways to engage the Auburn Family – and connect them back to the university.

“The Auburn Family means all our 252,000+ living Auburn alumni, but it's much more than that,” explained...

You’d be hard pressed to find a more passionate professor on Auburn University’s campus than Wendi Weimar.  

A biomechanist by trade, Weimar has been the Director of Auburn’s Sport Biomechanics Laboratory for more than 25 years.  The lab consults with professional and college athletes, Olympians, national teams, military members, veterinarians and the community. Weimar primarily focuses on the function of...

Dale Jackson’s love for Auburn University spans decades.

As a youngster, the LaGrange, Georgia native would spend afternoon’s tossing around the pigskin on Auburn’s campus before jetting to Jordan-Hare Stadium to watch the Tigers battle on the gridiron.

It’s a memory Jackson cherishes.  

“I wanted to be in the action,” recalled Jackson. “I was crazy. I wore an orange wig, screamed my head...