Dear Colleagues,
As we transition into October, we are reaching the midpoint of the semester, which also means fall break is just around the corner. Thank you for your continued commitment to excellent teaching, innovative research and scholarship, and meaningful service that enriches our academic environment and supports our students every day.
Your commitment to providing exceptional academic experiences for our students is clearly acknowledged beyond our campus as well. Demand for an Auburn education remains strong, with this fall’s census data showing more than 6,100 first-year undergraduates, 1,300 incoming transfer students, and over 6,200 graduate and professional students, bringing our total enrollment to just under 35,200—a 3% increase from last year. Our continued rise in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, released last week, highlights your hard work and places our university among the nation’s top 50 public institutions while showcasing notable gains across several academic programs.
Our student outcomes are equally impressive. Some 95% of first-year students returned this fall, and 82% graduate within six years—among the best rates of our peers. Recent data from the Office of Academic Insight show that 84% of the Class of 2024 reported positive first-destination outcomes six months after graduation (including employment, graduate study, and military service). I encourage you to read about our placement and salary outcomes in more detail on the Academic Insight dashboard.
Switching gears, we are delighted and honored to welcome Trustee Emerita Sarah Newton as our commencement speaker this fall. Best known for her leadership in helping establish Auburn’s admired EAGLES program, I am confident her lifelong commitment to education and service will inspire our graduates to lead with purpose and generosity as they begin their next chapter.
I am also pleased to share that Dr. Ash Abebe, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will serve as Interim Dean of the Graduate School beginning mid-October. With his wealth of experience in teaching, research, and leadership, Ash brings deep institutional knowledge and a genuine passion for supporting graduate students. His leadership will strengthen graduate education and foster scholarly growth across every field. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Abebe on his new leadership role.
Later this month and into November, the Steering Committee for our Core Curriculum Review will host a series of listening sessions to discuss the Core and its connections to programs and general education outcomes. These sessions will be open to the entire campus, and participation details will be shared in Auburn News in the coming weeks.
Alongside these academic initiatives, we are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty who continue to bring recognition to Auburn on the world stage. A recent example includes Prof. Damion McIntosh from the Department of Finance in the Harbert College of Business, who has been invited to serve as a World Bank Short-Term Consultant after years of impactful work with the International Monetary Fund. In this role, Prof. McIntosh will advise governments and central banks around the globe on strengthening financial systems and promoting stability.
We are also excited that colleagues in the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction have been named one of just ten finalists in the $50 million Gulf Futures Challenge, an initiative addressing energy security, environmental change, and community well-being across the Gulf Coast. As a result, Auburn’s Ready to Adapt: Building the Rural Working Coast through Design project will partner with a rural working coast community to design resilient housing and natural infrastructure—critical work that strengthens communities and supports long-term prosperity in the region.
The impact of your work is seen each day, and as always, I thank you for your efforts.
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