Purely Academic

And the Winners Are...Students and Faculty Win Prestigious Awards

By: Bill Hardy

Five of the top students graduating from the College of Agriculture over the past year were honored, while the SGA Award for Outstanding Faculty Member was awarded to one of our newset faculty members.

Carrie Lee Bateman-Baxley was the recipient of the President's Award, while Sara Choquette received the Comer Award. Trent Wilkes was recognized with the SGA Outstanding Student Award and the Dean's Award for Academic and Professional Excellence was presented to Matthew Nielson. The Claude Hardee Memorial Award was received by Kellie Segrest. Deacue Fields, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, received the SGA Outstanding Faculty Member Award.

The President's Award is presented each academic year to a graduating senior who has excelled both academically and in extracurricular activities. Bateman-Baxley, from Kissimmee, Fla., was selected from the College of Agriculture to receive this award. She began her AU studies as an undergraduate in the animal science-pre vet curriculum. At the end of her junior year she received the unusual distinction of being admitted to the AU College of Veterinary Medicine before completing her undergraduate degree. While making exceptional progress toward her DVM degree, she completed all requirements for her B.S. in animal sciences and graduated summa cum laude in December.

In addition to establishing an outstanding academic record, Bateman-Baxley was also an Ag Ambassador and served as secretary of the organization during her junior year. She also served as secretary and vice president of Block and Bridle. She was a member of the University's highest academic honorary, Phi Kappa Phi.

Choquette was honored with the Comer Award for Excellence in Agriculture. This award, which was established in 1923 by then-governor, B.B. Comer, recognizes three outstanding graduates—one in agriculture, one in natural sciences and one in the physical sciences. To be eligible for the award, students must have exceptional academic records in an area of study that places heavy emphasis on the sciences. Choquette's exemplary record in such courses as chemistry, biology and soil science, helped her earn the Comer Medal recognition.

A native of Anniston, Choquette graduated summa cum laude in December with her B.S. in animal sciences. She entered the AU College of Veterinary Medicine fall semester to pursue her DVM degree. Choquette also was an Ag Ambassador and a member of the Pre Vet Club and Alpha Zeta. She was inducted into numerous honorary societies including Golden Key, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Kappa Phi. She also served as the graduation marshal for the College of Agriculture at the December 2005 graduation.

Trent Wilkes, a fisheries-pre vet major from Crossville, graduated summa cum laude in December 2005 and was recognized with the SGA Outstanding Student Award. This recognition was earned because of his excellence in academic achievement and because of the outstanding contributions that he made to the programs of the College of Agriculture and Auburn University. Wilkes was an Ag Ambassador and served as a member of the Auburn Wesley Foundation Student Council. He took several mission trips with this organization during his collegiate career. Wilkes was a member of Golden Key honorary, listed on the National Dean's List and Phi Kappa Phi. He entered graduate school at the University of South Alabama this fall in the area of medical research.

Nielson was selected as the spring semester recipient of the Dean's Award for Academic and Professional Excellence. Neilson graduated spring semester magna cum laude with a B.S. in horticulture. He served as president of Hort Forum for two years. He was an Ag Ambassador and was honored through induction into Phi Kappa Phi. He was also recognized as a member of Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities. He is now employed in Athens, Ga., with a large landscape operation.

Segrest, a native of Shorter who graduated spring semester summa cum laude in agricultural economics, received the Claude Hardee Memorial Award. This award, based on scholarship, leadership and character, was established by the Hardee family to honor the memory of Claude Hardee, a 1936 Auburn graduate. Hardee taught vocational agriculture for more than 30 years. His encouragement, instruction and enthusiasm won the love of his students and respect of his peers.

Segrest was an Ag Ambassador and held membership in the Ag Econ Club and ALFA Young Farmers. She was honored through membership in Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture and Phi Kappa Phi. She was also chosen for Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities and was the CoAg representative on the Auburn University Committee of 19. This campus-wide group worked with the United Nations World Food Programme to help make students and others more aware of the continuing problems of world hunger. Segrest also represented the College of Agriculture as the graduation marshal for spring semester graduation. She began her study of law at Jones School of Law-Faulkner University this fall.

Fields, assistant professor of agricultural economics, was honored by CoAg with the SGA Outstanding Faculty Member Award. Fields joined the Auburn faculty in 2002, coming here upon completion of his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University. He is known among his students for his sincere concern that they learn and become successful. He also was chosen as an adviser for the Ag Ambassadors. Fields teaches in the area of agribusiness management and is in charge of the Ag Economics Internship Program. He has a very active extension program in which he works with agribusinesses throughout the state.

In addition to these winners, Scott Croxton, who graduated with his B.S. degree in horticulture and a minor in entomology August, 2005, was honored with the Dean's Award for Academic and Professional Excellence because of his exceptional service to his department, his college and his profession.

Croxton was a highly productive member of the Ag Ambassadors and was an active participant in research conducted by the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in their study of mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Croxton, a native of Lexington, S.C., began work this fall on a master of science degree in horticulture.

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Goodbye...Hello!

Several AAES and CoAg faculty and staff members have retired in the past year and lots of new faces have joined the ranks. The following is a list of those coming and going. We offer best wishes to our retirees and a hearty hello to our new employees.

RETIREES:

International Agriculture:
Bryan Duncan - Professor and Director

Department of Agronomy and Soils:
Buford Murphy - Ag Technician
Rita Morgan - Lab Technician

Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures:
Elliott (Cliff) Webber - Research Fellow

Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, Headland:
Edward Moore - Ag Technician

Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center, Fairhope:
George Stabler - Ag Technician

NEW HIRES:

CoAg/AAES Administration:
Denise Smith - Human Resources Specialist

International Agriculture:
Teresa Langford - Office Administrator

Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology:
Damian Drennen - Office Administrative Assistant

Department of Agronomy and Soils:
Lacy Jones - Lab Technician
Maria Stoll - Ag Program Assistant

Department of Animal Sciences:
Wayne Greene - Professor and Head
Lawrence Hamberlin - Accountant
Barney Wilborn - Ag Program Associate

Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures:
Lance Horner - Ag Technician
Briana Keafer - Research Assistant
Matthew Marshall - Research Assistant
Nelson Sansing - Ag Program Assistant
Brad Staton - Ag Technician

Department of Horticulture:
Ping Lang - Research Fellow
Carrie Williams - Academic Program Assistant

Department of Poultry Science:
Sedat Bilgili - Ag Technician
Suzanne Childers - Office Administrative Assistant
Dwain Holt - Ag Technician

Plant Growth Center:
Jane Hoehaver - Superintendent
Phillip Sanders - Research Assistant

AAES Land and Facilities Management:
Jeff Lowery - Ag Technician

North Alabama Research Center, Cullman:
Ann Moore - Ag Technician

E.V. Smith Research Center, Shorter:
Stephen Clifton - Ag Technician

Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center, Fairhope:
Shannon Burroughs - Ag Technician

Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center, Crossville:
Steven Brothers - Ag Technician

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Dean's List Announced

CoAg students continued to perform very well academically during spring semester. A total of 58 (7 percent) achieved Dean's List recognition (a grade point average of at least 3.7 with a minimum of 14 credit hours). Thirty-one of these had a perfect 4.0 grade point average and 14 of these have the distinction of a cumulative 4.0 average. Those who made the Dean's List are:

Ag Communications
Rebecca Bearden
Sally Credille
Devin Dotson

Ag Economics
Amanda Collier
Lindsey Gall
Bret Holliman
Alyson Johnson
David Miller
Joshua Richey

Agronomy
Mark Doroh
George Huckabay
Patrick O'Brien
Heath Roberts
Richard Smith
Katie Tatum

Animal Sciences
Cheryl Auch
Marianne Bailey
Rachel Bearden
Mary Cline
Katie Cobb
Adam Cooner
Natalie Craven
Jeffrey DeFoor
Amy Klinner
Mary Krothapalli
Elizabeth Lantz
Erin Laurie
Sarah Major
Trillium Meeks
Melissa Page
Katherine Pehler
Robin Pumphrey
Caroline Rehm
Jill Smith Ward
Adam Tanner
Elizabeth Taylor
Kimberly Tidwell
Taylor Towns
Karyn Watts

Fisheries
Nathan Aycock
Lauren Littleton

Horticulture
Christopher Bagents
Andrew Bice
Jennifer Brown
Tracy Cook
Kyle Creamer
Sarah Haldeman
Brandon Hall
Mary Hawes
Walter Hodges
Emily Lassiter
Rita McCutcheon
Zach Randle
Christopher Simpson
Josh Smitherman
Amber Young

Poultry Science
Ashley Sanders
Charles Thompson

Three students who were enrolled summer semester 2005 made the Dean's List. The students who received the distinction of being honored were all from the Department of Horticulture and include Emily Lassiter, Heather Walton and Amber Young.

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Fall Semester Brings Record Enrollments for CoAg and AU

By: Bill Hardy

An all-time record freshman class helped push the total enrollment at Auburn University (AU) to a new record level of 23,333 students. This number exceeds the previous record that was set at 23,276 for fall semester 2002. A major factor that contributed to this larger number of students was the record number of new freshmen—4,197.

CoAg enrollment also increased significantly. A record number of new freshmen, 178, when coupled with several new transfer students, helped bring the total number of students in the College to 1,103, the highest level since 1983, when there were 1,183 enrolled. The total number this year is composed of 887 at the undergraduate level and 216 graduate students. The number of undergraduates is up 1.5 percent over last year and the number of graduate students is up 4.3 percent.

Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture are distributed over seven majors. Limits placed on enrollment in Agricultural Communications by the Department of Journalism keep enrollment at a relatively low level.

MAJORS	ENROLLMENT
Animal Sciences	320
Horticulture	249
Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology	162 (RECORD ENROLLMENT!)
Agronomy and Soils	60
Poultry Science	45
Fisheries & Allied Aquacultures	32
Agricultural Communications	19

Even though the number of students in the College of Agriculture for fall semester is a small portion (4.7%) of the total, they are of very high quality and are able to compete with their contemporaries at almost all levels.

COLLEGES & SCHOOLS	ENROLLMENT
Liberal Arts	4,961
Business	4081
Engineering	3,466
Science and Math	2,772
Education	2,354
Architecture	1,382
Human Sciences	1,197
Agriculture	1,103
Nursing	540
Pharmacy	518
Veterinary Medicine	427
Forestry and Wildlife	373

The largest graduate enrollment in the College is the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures at 65.

GRADUATE PROGRAM	ENROLLMENT
Fisheries & Allied Aquacultures	65
Horticulture	32
Agricultural Economics	29
Agronomy and Soils	24
Entomology & Plant Pathology	24
Poultry Science	23
Animal Sciences	19

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