EVERYTHING AUBURN PODCAST

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, sh...

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) – a department in student affairs serving ...

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 I’ve ever done,” re...

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 contestants to become the 104th Miss America.  Stocka...

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 tribute to their late mother, Stukes, alon...

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 University, so I have a ba...

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 Sasser. “We h...

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 the lower extremity — every...

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 off. I was an insane fan.” 

But when his son Co...

The countdown to the 2024 Auburn Football season kick-off is on, and the buzz around Jordan-Hare Stadium has never been louder.

As the nation's 11th-largest on-campus stadium with a capacity of 88,000+, Jordan-Hare has been the home of Auburn Football since 1939.  The stadium has seen its share of changes over the past 85 years, but now, thanks to some trendy upgrades, Auburn fans will have the chance to experience gameday like...

Each summer, Auburn Youth Programs (AYP) - a division of University Outreach - inspires young people to take to flight, master their acting skills on stage and everything in between.  From art classes to aviation, and musical theatre to veterinary medicine, AYP delivers more than 100 summer educational programs for more than 4,000 middle and high school students each summer on the campus of Auburn University.  And it's fully i...

In this episode, we’re chatting about a nearly 30-year-old summer tradition on Auburn’s campus – that of Camp War Eagle – which is part of the First Year Experience Office at Auburn University. They’re a dedicated group who provide orientation, transition and retention programs for incoming freshmen.

More than 70 Camp War Eagle Counselors – who are current Auburn students – are on hand to guide tours and greet incoming freshmen. The...

As part of Auburn University's Veterans Resource Center (VRC), retired U.S. Navy Capt. Paul “Puck” Esposito and retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Jeff Dyal continue to fulfill their commitment to service each and every day on the Auburn campus. 

The VRC and its staff serve a very important mission.  Led by Esposito, a 30-year veteran and aviator, the VRC provides valuable resources, advocacy and outreach to Auburn’s stu...

Since 2009, Dean Gregg Newschwander has watched Auburn’s College of Nursing rise steadily to a nationally ranked program.  With consistent enrollment growth, expert faculty, outreach and research efforts, as well as expanded facility offerings, Auburn Nursing continues to be at the forefront of helping equip the next workforce to address our world's changing healthcare needs.  With a focus on values‐based healthcare and eviden...

Are you getting enough shut-eye?  Enough sleep is important, but good sleep quality is also essential for keeping your mind and body healthy.  For tips, we turn to sleep studies guru Dr. Mona El-Sheikh, a  Leonard Peterson & Co. Inc. Professor in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences.  Dr. El-Sheikh is a world-renowned sleep expert with over 30 years of research under her pillow... er... belt.  Her top area of research?...

It's a problem that touches EVERY single community in the nation.  As the director of Auburn's center for opioid research, education and outreach (known as COACH),  Dr. Karen Marlowe and her colleagues have seen a significant rise in drug abuse and addiction across the state of Alabama in recent years.  COACH is based out of Auburn’s Harrison College of Pharmacy and the program has a very important mission. Focusing on de...

At Auburn University's Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, students are gaining real-world experience in hotel management, restaurant management, event management, and culinary science that sets them apart in the competitive global marketplace. Horst Schulze, cofounder and former President of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, joins us to talk about how Auburn is developing tomorrow’s leaders for the global hospitality i...

In this segment, we’re going to examine a new study by two researchers in Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment who examined the global impact of free-ranging house cats on biodiversity – essentially assessing all of the species that these cats eat and what that means globally. We have with us Auburn professor Chris Lepczyk, who along with Jean Fantle-Lepczyk, conducted this study that drew from more than 150 years...