As 2013 is coming to a close, please consider the benefits of making a charitable, tax-deductible donation to Auburn University. Your donation, made through the Auburn University Foundation, can be directed to benefit a specific department or degree program in the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Your gift can also be donated to the college as an “unrestricted gift,” meaning you allow Dean Giordano the discretion of directing your gift to the area of greatest need, or greatest opportunity.

Regardless of where you designate your gift, postmarking a mailed check by Dec. 31, or making an online gift so that it is processed by your financial institution by Dec. 31, benefits the college’s trifold mission of teaching, research and outreach. For the donor, it also provides a tax deduction for the 2013 tax year.

To support the COSAM through a year-end charitable donation:

• Visit www.auburn.edu/giving, and select the college from the “Areas of Interest” drop-down menu
  
  
• Mail a check or money order to College of Sciences and Mathematics, Office of Development, 315 Roosevelt Concourse, Auburn, AL 36849-5319. Please provide instructions in the memo line of the check or on a separate note about how you’d like to designate your gift, if you’d like.

Contributions received or postmarked by Dec. 31 through either method will be acknowledged in January 2014 with documentation you can use in preparing your 2013 tax year return.

The Auburn University Foundation is also able to accept charitable gifts of real estate and transfers of stock and other securities. If you have an interest in these options, please contact our office at 334.844.2931. While the Auburn University campus will be closed for the holiday break from Dec. 23 through Jan. 6, our development staff will return telephone messages on a daily basis.

For more information about the various methods of contributing to Auburn University through the Auburn University Foundation, please visit https://develop.auburn.edu/how.

California veterinarian has deep roots in Auburn
Robert Dean, zoology ’73, is a veterinarian in California who has deep roots in Auburn. His father, Charles Ross Dean, was born in Auburn in 1918, and his grandfather once owned a farm that is now the site of Auburn High School.
“In fact, upon my grandfather’s death, the land was donated to the city of Auburn,” said Dean. “The road leading to Auburn High School, Dean Road, was named after him.”
Although Dean grew up in Anaheim, Calif., his family’s history at Auburn and his desire to become a veterinarian led him to choose Auburn University for his undergraduate studies and veterinary school.
“I realized I wanted to be a veterinarian at a very early age,” said Dean. “It wasn’t a cognitive decision. I just knew it all along. In grade school I would ride my bike over to my dad’s clinic and help as much as the staff would allow. It was great fun for me.”
Dean’s father graduated from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1941. Several years later, he moved his family to Anaheim and opened the first veterinary clinic in the city, The Anaheim Dog and Cat Hospital.
“My father received a scholarship to play football for Auburn. He was a fullback and the punter, and one of two students who attended veterinary school and played football at the same time,” said Dean. “Naturally, my father had many stories of the school and the team and the times of the era. His stories throughout the years resonated with me. My father was an Auburn man through and through. He followed in the steps of his older brothers, Ben and Douglas Dean, who also graduated from the veterinary school in the early 1930’s.”  
Dean’s mother, Erin Douglas Dean, had a younger brother, A.B. Douglas, who also graduated from the veterinary school at Auburn in 1942.
“When it was time for me to go to college, Auburn was the natural choice,” said Dean. “My father and his brothers had purchased a home in Auburn for their mother to live in. It was at the corner of Ross and Glenn. When my grandmother was elderly, she left to live with her daughter in South Carolina. So, I lived in the house during the years I went to school in Auburn.”
Dean said his undergraduate degree in zoology influenced his success in professional school.
“The zoology curriculum fulfilled the requirements to apply to veterinary school. Drs. Folkerts and Vukovich stand out in my memory as being particularly inspiring professors. They loved to teach and their enthusiasm was contagious. If I hadn’t gotten into veterinary school, I’m sure I would have pursued an advanced degree in biology,” said Dean. “As it was 41 years ago when I graduated, I don’t remember all of my instructors’ names, but I remember their faces and their collective positive instruction. The department of biological sciences was the perfect forum to prepare me for the rigors of veterinary school. An advantage of that era was that the class sizes were relatively small, and you were able to get to know your professors and they were able to get to know you. This made the teacher-student interaction all that much more motivating.”
Following graduation from veterinary school in 1976, Dean moved back to California and in 1983, with the “financial and spiritual support” of his parents, opened a private practice, The Santa Ynez Pet Hospital, where he continues to practice to this day. Santa Ynez is located on the central coast area of California, approximately 180 miles north of Los Angeles.
“I have a busy practice where no two days are the same,” said Dean. “We treat mainly dogs and cats, with occasional ‘pocket pets’ like hamsters, rabbits, gerbils and rats, as well as parrots, turtles and iguanas. Also, injured wildlife animals have come through our doors, such as opossums, raccoons, bobcats and birds of prey. We will spay and neuter pot-bellied pigs as well.”
Dean said his Auburn education, both as an undergraduate and veterinary student, has helped to pave the way for his successful career.
“You can imagine the diversity of information that is associated with understanding, evaluating and treating multiple species in a multitude of disciplines,” said Dean. “We, as veterinarians, must have knowledge in anesthesia, surgery, internal medicine, pharmacology, dentistry, cardiology, oncology and more. Beyond the science, the instructors and mentors that I had helped to instill a work ethic that allowed me to pursue this profession.”
In addition to having three uncles and a father who graduated from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dean said he has “a mess of cousins” who also graduated from Auburn, some of whom he didn’t know until he went to school at Auburn.
“One cousin I first met while waiting in line for a football game,” Dean said.
Although he has been in private practice in California for 37 years, Dean maintains his connection with Auburn through regular annual giving.
“I feel the education I received at Auburn University, and the education my father received there, were critical in both our successes,” said Dean. “When I contribute to Auburn each year it is a way of saying thank you and to commemorate the memory of my dad.”
Dean is married to Joanne Banks Dean, his wife of 20 years, who he said “has also fallen in love with the Auburn mystique.” She is the manager of his private practice.
He has two stepsons, Paul and Andrew Norwine, who both live in Austin, Texas. Paul is married to Katie Ogden Norwine and they have a daughter, Maevyn, who is 2 years old, and a son, Jaxton, who is 7-months old.
In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving and underwater photography.
For more information on Dean and the Santa Ynez Pet Hospital, visit the website at www.santaynezpethospital.com.

COSAM thanks John and Rosemary Brown
The COSAM Office of Development recently hosted the Brown Scholarship Luncheon in recognition of John and Rosemary Brown for their generous scholarship support of the college. The Browns sponsor a scholarship in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the John W. and Rosemary K. Brown Scholarship, as well as scholarships in the College of Engineering and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Each year, the three colleges take turns hosting a luncheon in honor of the Browns.
Rosemary received her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Auburn in 1957 and a master’s in education from Rutgers University. She is a retired mathematics instructor from the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center, a regional enrichment center serving both public and private school districts in the counties of Kalamazoo and St. Joseph in Michigan. Rosemary served on the original KAMSC advisory committee and worked at the center from 1988-2000. She serves on the boards of The Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Kalamazoo College and Freed-Hardeman University, where she received an honorary juris doctorate in 1999. She continues to tutor students in mathematics.
John received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Auburn in 1957 and an honorary juris doctorate from Freed-Hardeman University in 1999. He is a member of the Auburn University Foundation Board and is chairman emeritus of the board at Stryker Sales Corporation, a medical technology company.
In 1977 he became Stryker’s president and chief executive officer. John immediately set out three goals that would determine the future of the company—to take Stryker public, to grow earnings per share 20% every year, and to drive growth through acquisitions and operational excellence—all of which he accomplished. In his first year at Stryker, John developed the strategy that would drive the company to achieve the longest sustained profit growth of any medical technology company.
In May 1980, after the death of Homer Stryker, John was named chairman of the board. Although he retired as company CEO in 2004, he remained chairman until 2009, and today serves as chairman emeritus. John recently received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from The Advanced Medical Technology Association, a trade association that leads the effort to advance medical technology in order to achieve healthier lives and healthier economies around the world. John will also be honored with the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2014.
The Browns currently live in Portage, Mich., and they have two grown daughters, Sarah and Janine.
Pictured are the Browns with their mathematics scholarship recipients. For information on how you can sponsor a scholarship in COSAM, contact the Office of Development at 334.844.2931 or send an email to EMAIL.

Kronk visits campus; meets recipients of scholarships established in honor of late husband
Barbara Kronk, laboratory technology ’65, established three scholarships at Auburn in honor of her late husband, Michael Kronk, a 1967 graduate of Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine. One scholarship is for the College of Sciences and Mathematics, one is for the College of Agriculture, and one is for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
She and her daughter, Rita Kronk Highsmith, were recently on campus and had an opportunity to meet the students who are the recipients of a Kronk scholarship. Pictured from left is COSAM’s Kronk Scholarship recipient, Sofia Castello, a Spanish Fort, Ala., native and freshman in pre-vet, Barbara Kronk and her daughter, Rita.
During their visit, Barbara and Rita also met with students in the laboratory technology program, attended a class, toured the Biodiversity Learning Center and attended a dinner, hosted by COSAM, at Arricia. They also attended events hosted by the Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
Barbara’s late husband, Michael, grew up in Detroit where his parents owned and operated a neighborhood retail store. He developed an early interest in animals and raised rabbits, which earned him numerous ribbons and trophies at local and state fairs. After his parents sold their business, the family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Michael completed his pre-veterinary course requirements at Florida State University and University of Florida, and he was then accepted to the School of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn.
Michael and Barbara met at Auburn in December 1963 and they married in 1965 while both were still students. Following graduation in 1967, Michael worked as a veterinarian in a mixed-animal practice in Olney, Ill., a small farming community. He and Barbara eventually returned to south Florida where Michael practiced large-animal veterinary medicine in Davie, a small town near Fort Lauderdale.
During his 39 years of veterinary practice in Davie and the surrounding communities, Michael treated horses, dairy cattle and numerous other farm and exotic animals. He was loved for his community work with animal humane organizations, and he was known for his sense of humor as well as being practical, honest, compassionate and straightforward. He was an active member of his church, and his long-time hobby was pigeon racing.
Michael and Barbara had five children, Roxanne, Rita, Anthony, Rachel and Jason. All three daughters earned bachelor of science degrees at Auburn.
For more information on establishing a scholarship in someone’s honor, contact the COSAM Office of Development at 334.844.2931 or send an email to EMAIL ADDRESS.

Alumna in Peace Corps maintains blog about her work
Cara Tupps, microbiology ’13, joined the Peace Corps following graduation and is teaching biology to students in the Republic of Mozambique in Africa. Before being sworn in, she had to go through an extensive, three-month training process with the Peace Corps where she learned about the culture, history, politics and economic structure of the country. She also had to learn the local language, Portuguese, and participated in a workshop about the education system and strategies for teaching in the classroom. Tupps was recently assigned a village in Mozambique, Panda, where she will teach for two years. Follow her progress on her blog at http://www.carainafrica.blogspot.com/.

Johnsons host “Meet the Dean” event
COSAM alumni Dr. John Johnson, pre-med/chemistry ’88, and his wife, Kim Johnson, public relations/speech ’88, hosted a “Meet the Deans” event in October at their home in Hunstville, Ala. The celebration provided an opportunity for Auburn University alumni to meet COSAM’s new dean, Nicholas Giordano, as well as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Joe Aistrup. Dr. Johnson is a neurospine surgeon at the Spine and Neuro Center in Huntsville who specializes in neurospine surgery, spine and brain trauma and brain tumors. COSAM thanks the Johnsons for opening their home and for being such gracious hosts.
Pictured from left: Dr. Johnson, Dean Giordano, Kim Johnson and Dean Aistrup.

Donnan named Marshall Scholar
COSAM senior Patrick Donnan has been named a recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship, becoming one of only 40 U.S. students selected to attend their choice of university in the United Kingdom.
Donnan is an Auburn native who has a 3.98 grade-point average and is a student in the Honors College. He is double-majoring in physics and music, concentrating on the bassoon, and minoring in mathematics. He is also a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.
“I am truly humbled,” Donnan said. “Receiving the Marshall Scholarship is the culmination of all the work that my professors and Honors College staff have invested in me these past three years at Auburn. Even if I did not receive the award, going through the application process was beneficial in itself as it helped me grow as a person.
“I am looking forward to continuing my research in theoretical physics at Oxford and becoming a good ambassador for the United States and Auburn while abroad.”
Donnan conducts research in COSAM as a member of the theoretical and computational atomic physics group. He is an editor of the Auburn University Journal of Undergraduate Studies and has co-authored four peer-reviewed publications, one of which was published in Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science.
Click here to read more about Donnan.

Leadership Council Member Spotlight: Suzan Voss
Longtime Dean’s Leadership Council Member Suzan Voss, mathematics ’71, has worked at NASA for more than 25 years. She is currently a technical manager for NASA’s International Space Station Program, serving as manager for the Visiting Vehicle Mission Integration and Operations Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Previously, Voss served in Russia at the Moscow Technical Liaison Office where she coordinated, facilitated and integrated the work between the Russian and American teams for International Space Station activities.
“The job that I enjoyed the most and felt extremely lucky and proud to be a part of was management of the hardware, software, vehicle integration and launch of the U.S. Laboratory Module to the International Space Station,” said Voss. “The U.S. Laboratory Module, called ‘Destiny,’ is the core module, hosting science platforms and controlling systems of the International Space Station.”
Voss said that each of the job positions she has held during her career have provided a learning experience for her.
“One of the first jobs in my career was teaching soldiers mathematics in a GED class in Germany when my husband and I were stationed there,” said Voss, whose husband was serving as an Infantry officer at the time.  “I learned what a rewarding experience it was to provide these soldiers an opportunity to move forward in their education.”
Assisting others in achieving their career and educational goals is an effort that Voss continues today and is one of the reasons she joined the Dean’s Leadership Council.
“I believe that at a certain point in one’s career, you need to take time to remember those that helped you achieve some of your goals. I wanted to find ways to support current students to reach their goals and to support the academic departments,” said Voss. “I did not do anything with Auburn for more than 20 years after graduation but am happy that I started reconnecting with the university after returning from Russia in the late 90s.”
According to Voss, it was former Auburn president William Muse who first encouraged her and her husband, former astronaut Jim Voss, aerospace engineering ’72, to reengage with the university.
“Everyone has different ways to contribute. I would say that I am persistent and do not mind asking questions to achieve a goal,” said Voss. “Two focus areas that are important to me are increasing endowments in COSAM and encouraging people to help find students internships within their company or business. I have also helped a couple of COSAM students come to NASA Johnson Space Center for summer internships, but I want to do more.”
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, where Voss received her undergraduate education, is an area of particular interest for her.
“I sponsor a COSAM scholarship for mathematics majors and my husband sponsors an aerospace engineering scholarship,” said Voss. “We both have additional Auburn endowments in our wills.”
As a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council, Voss recognizes the importance of maintaining excellence in COSAM.
“COSAM must serve a dual role for the university by providing the core math and sciences classes as well as providing a strong degree program spanning all math and science disciplines. COSAM has traditionally done both well,” said Voss. “I believe Auburn University, as well as COSAM, have a strong tradition of excellence in undergraduate education. In more recent years, the biological sciences have strengthened their program resulting in a significant number of their graduates being accepted to medical and professional schools.”
In addition to an undergraduate degree from COSAM, Voss received a master’s in business administration from Boston University and a doctorate in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston. A Birmingham, Ala., native, she and her husband, Jim, have one adult daughter, Kristie Voss. In her spare time, Voss enjoys hiking and skiing.
The Dean’s Leadership Council is a network of alumni and friends who believe in enhancing and promoting the mission of COSAM. The lives of these exemplary volunteers epitomize the characteristics found in Auburn men and women around the world.
Members of the Dean's Leadership Council carry forth the banner of the university by providing visibility and service to the educational mission of COSAM. For more information, visit the website.

Industry leader Briggs and Stratton supports COSAM’s outreach mission
For 13 years, the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering have sponsored BEST Robotics, a middle school and high school robotics program, now in its 21st year nationally, that is available to all schools at no cost. BEST, which stands for “Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology,” is the third-largest educational robotics program in the nation and is the only one that is free to schools. The not-for-profit, all-volunteer program challenges students to design, build and market a robot to use in a six-week-long series of competitions, culminating in the South’s BEST championship, which takes place on the Auburn University campus in the Auburn Arena. Ultimately, BEST Robotics aims to answer the nation’s need for more and better-prepared workers in scientific, industrial and technological fields, by providing students with a high quality, hands-on educational experience.
Behind the scenes of the BEST Robotics program are representatives from industry who provide mentorship and guidance, including Briggs and Stratton, the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled gasoline engines primarily used for outdoor power equipment such as lawn mowers. The Briggs and Stratton Foundation provides financial support of the program, and company employees, like Dave DeBaets, vice president of global engine operations, and Crystal Bolich, a manufacturing engineer, volunteer their time to help mentor students participating in BEST Robotics.
“Briggs and Stratton began sponsoring the BEST Robotics program the first year it started at Auburn. We are a 105-year-old company that wants to keep manufacturing alive in the U.S., so this program is a great fit for us,” said DeBaets. “It gets our brand name in front of the youth, and I like to believe the program encourages participants to pursue careers in engineering, science and math. Through BEST Robotics, we create success because we teach kids to believe in themselves and gain the confidence it takes to pursue careers in manufacturing.”
During the program, teams compete with their robots on a playing field in a series of head-to-head matches designed around specific challenges. The 2013 BEST Robotics competition was titled, “Gatekeeper” and challenged students to upgrade a fictitious robot, “Squeaky,” with the fastest and “BEST CPU” on the market. Each team designed and built a robot that could complete specific tasks related to the upgrade.
In addition to robot performance, teams compete to receive awards in other categories, such as engineering design notebook, marketing presentation, team exhibit, interview, team spirit and sportsmanship. Awards are given based on criteria, such as demonstrated teamwork, a positive attitude and enthusiasm, school and community involvement, and creativity.
“The BEST Robotics program is an enabler and a discovery process for the students,” said DeBaets. “The robotics project gives them an opportunity to explore their talents.”
DeBaets said he and his fellow mentors have worked many hours, sometimes as late as midnight, with teams of students on their BEST Robotics projects, offering them guidance and direction as needed.
“The teachers in the schools who volunteer their time to support BEST Robotics are saints. They devote six weeks to the kids, directing them. It’s an added responsibility that they take on, so the mentorship offered by our employees becomes critical. As we are helping the kids, the teachers are getting a much-needed break,” said Debaets.
Bolich, who has served as both a BEST Robotics mentor and judge, began working with the program in 2008 during her first week of work at Briggs and Stratton.
“I was paged to Dave DeBaets’ office and asked to serve as a mentor. I agreed and was immediately blown away by the students in the program. They get really into it and it’s amazing the skills they gain,” said Bolich. “I graduated from Smith’s Station (Lee County, Ala.) in 1998 and we didn’t have the BEST Robotics program back then, but I wish we had. It’s outstanding. One of the best things about it is, everything is given to the schools so there is no issue with cost, so the program really is about getting kids interested in engineering, math and science, teaching them how to work as a team and how to problem solve. Students get to build something they can have fun with, and they have clearly defined roles in marketing, design and science, so it really is reflective of what it’s like to run a business. BEST Robotics bridges the gap between book learning and real-world application.”
The primary objectives of BEST Robotics are to: provide students with a real-world engineering experience that incorporates the practical application of math and science; prepare students to be technologically literate and thus better prepared to enter the workforce; help students develop leadership, project management, teamwork and organizational skills; and develop confidence and competence.
“These kids are the future,” said Bolich. “When I was in high school, I was always good at math and science, but no one ever suggested to me that I should be an engineer. It wasn’t until I was in junior college that I considered engineering, and once I did, I went on to graduate from Auburn with a degree in electrical engineering. If, as a mentor, I can offer a turning point for a kid to realize, ‘I can do this. I can go to Auburn and get a degree in science, math or engineering,’ that makes it all worthwhile.”
DeBaets agrees: “If you can reach them when they are young, they really come on strong. If we can create enthusiasm, we can create future engineers and scientists, and that’s important. Innovation in the U.S. is important. It’s what gives us an edge over other countries, and BEST Robotics encourages innovation. Even those who participate and do not pursue a college degree benefit from the program because it still inspires them to pursue a career in manufacturing, and we need skilled manufacturers in the U.S.”
For more information on BEST Robotics and how to become a sponsor or mentor, contact Brent Percival at 334.844.8645 or by email at brent1@auburn.edu. For more information on South’s BEST, including a detailed game description and complete list of 2013 South’s BEST winners, go to the website at www.southsbest.org.

Dugan sets vision and direction for state-wide testing in Minnesota
Jennifer Dugan, mathematics ’97, says she is the most hated woman in Minnesota during statewide testing periods, and she is only half joking. That’s because she is the director of statewide testing, and as such, she is tasked with setting the vision and direction for the assessment program in the state. Her position, which she has held since July 2011, requires her to regularly attend both regional and national conferences in search of feedback and wisdom from teachers, school districts and assessment professionals. She is also routinely invited to speak at conferences, giving her an opportunity to share her experiences and vision.
Additionally, when the state legislature is in session, Dugan is often called to the Capitol to provide insight and testimony to the Education Finance and Policy Committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“In Minnesota and across the country, one of the biggest challenges is helping others understand the value of and appropriate use of assessments,” said Dugan. “Already during my career, I have seen a lot of changes in assessment. I love the strategic aspect of my job where we implement the current changes and keep one eye always in the future looking for the next generation of assessment. I am part of a terrific team that works very hard to continually improve our program that informs all stakeholders of the level of college and career readiness of students.”
Dugan has a staff of 25 that assists in administering state and federally mandated tests to 392,000 students each year in Minnesota, and during her career thus far, she is most proud of helping to “lead the exciting transition from paper tests with bubble sheets and #2 pencils to online adaptive tests. These tests take advantage of new technologies and provide a more accurate assessment of student achievement,” said Dugan. “When a student takes these new tests, questions are selected for them in real time based on how they answered the previous question. This gives the student a personalized experience and provides the teachers with more specific information to help them accurately target remedial instruction.”
Prior to being named director of statewide testing, Dugan held several roles of increasing responsibility at the Minnesota Department of Education. Most recently, she was supervisor for Mathematics and Reading Test Development. She got her start in the industry at a Minnesota-based private company as a mathematics assessment specialist. Dugan, who also has a master’s degree in education from Auburn, began her career teaching middle school mathematics in Lee and Russell Counties in Alabama, as well as in Memphis, Tenn.
“My COSAM classes, in conjunction with my College of Education classes, ensured I was ready to educate students on day-one in the classroom, using sound math practices as well as instructional approaches. Today I continue to apply the logical problem solving approaches on a daily basis,” said Dugan. “I continue to be amazed and appreciative of all the skills I learned, that I didn’t necessarily know I was learning, while at Auburn - problem solving, working with others, managing people, being prepared, creating a positive atmosphere, setting goals, executing plans and assessing results. I did not have a formal class in each of these areas, yet I can look back at my Auburn classes, professors and experiences to see where all those skills developed.”
Dugan said all of her mathematics professors at Auburn encouraged her to think strategically and approach problem solving from multiple perspectives, especially professor Geraldo de Sousa.
“Dr. de Sousa stood out to me as one of the most personable professors I had, and I remember him taking extra time to ensure each of us understood the content and how it fit. This example that he repeatedly provided directly influenced how I taught math in the classroom and still influences how I lead people and teams at the Minnesota Department of Education,” said Dugan. “COSAM has caring and knowledgeable professors that are very approachable and give great personal attention. As a young adult experiencing life away from home, the strength of the staff was welcoming and memorable for me.”
A native of Dothan, Ala., Dugan said she was initially drawn to Auburn because she wanted to attend a school with a strong technical emphasis.
“While attending freshman orientation, it was clear, Auburn was for me. Math was always enjoyable for me, and majoring in mathematics provides more numerous career pathways than many people realize. I strongly recommend majoring in mathematics at Auburn,” Dugan said. “Not only does mathematics provide you with a great foundation for problem solving and analytical thinking to take you to numerous career paths, majoring in mathematics at Auburn will be one of the best decisions you ever make. The Auburn spirit will grab you and stay with you forever. You will be proud, as I am, to tell people you majored in mathematics at Auburn University. I will never forget the feeling of being part of something larger and better – the Auburn Family. Whether at a study group, football game or watching TV with friends, I felt surrounded by “family.” Then and now, living in Minnesota, that family spirit is a part of me and we all work hard to represent Auburn well.”
When asked about her favorite memories from her college days at Auburn, Dugan recalled attending football games, as well as studying in the basement of Haley Center.
“Many people have fond memories of football games and that certainly holds true for me. Though I live in Minnesota, I have continued to keep my season tickets and still make it to at least four games each year,” Dugan said. “My favorite memory though, is one I experienced regularly. I have such strong positive memories of hanging out in Haley Center’s basement with my study group. It was a great social environment down there. It wasn’t for everyone, but if the buzz of 150 students working and the smell of fried food from the “Take Ten” food counter spoke to you, then you’d rather be there than the library any time.”
Dugan also met her husband, Michael Dugan, general science education ’97, at Auburn, and the couple has lived in Minnesota since 2001.
“Auburn University prepared us for careers and life," said Dugan. "So, throughout my career and life my husband and I will continue to give back to Auburn. We do not give to a specific scholarship or program, but we always answer the phone and pledge a donation when COSAM or the College of Education holds a phoneathon. Living here in Minnesota, it is always nice to hear a student’s friendly Southern voice on the phone.”