Development Highlights
Hajek establishes Peter D. Livant Graduate Fellowship
Dr. Phillip Hajek, pre-med/chemistry ’83, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Musculoskeletal Associates in Albany, Ga. He recently established the Peter D. Livant Graduate Fellowship in honor of Peter Livant, associate professor of chemistry. Livant, whose teaching and research career at Auburn University began in 1977, inspired the COSAM donor while he was a student at Auburn.
“The entire Chemistry Department was a friend to me during my years at Auburn, and Dr. Livant helped me when he did not have to,” said Hajek. “When I decided to do something for the college I found out he was still teaching, and I wanted to do something to honor him and help him. He is a great instructor, researcher, and person.”
Lawrence Wit recognized by alumni, faculty, and staff for years of dedication and service
After nearly 37 years, Lawrence Wit, associate dean emeritus, is an Auburn icon. A perennial favorite among Auburn students, Wit has received numerous honors and accolades throughout his career, including, most recently, the 2012 Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence inTeaching. The prestigious honor, which recognizes faculty who demonstrate effective and innovative teaching methods and a continuing commitment to student success through advising and mentoring inside and outside the classroom, is appropriate for one who has spent a career sharing not only his knowledge of physiology, but also valuable life lessons with generations of Auburn men and women. He has played an integral role in the personal and professional lives of countless individuals, and he is often described as “the best teacher ever.”