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 in Teaching. 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.”

Pictured is Wit with Dr. Steven Presley, pre-med/biology ’90, a physician with East Alabama Medical Center and the Internal Medicine Associates in Opelika, Ala., and one of several COSAM alumni whose generosity spurred the naming of the new Lawrence W. Wit Laboratory. The lab is located in the Sciences Center Laboratory Building and serves students who are enrolled in biological sciences courses such as Mammalian Physiology, which is the class Wit is most well-known for teaching.

For 30 years, students preparing for professional schools after graduation from Auburn took this required class from Wit as he educated them on the core principles of medical physiology. His teaching methods and class content have brought critical acclaim to both Auburn’s biomedical sciences students and the university’s premedical program.

Due to his far-reaching influence, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of COSAM are also establishing the Dr. Larry Wit Endowed Scholarship in recognition of his many years of meritorious service. The endowment will allow his legacy to continue at Auburn University and serve as a fitting tribute to a man who has always put students above all else. The establishment of the Dr. Larry Wit Endowed Scholarship by his former students and their parents, as well as Wit’s colleagues and friends, is a fitting venue to express love and appreciation for all he has done and guarantees his legacy will endure and continue to impact Auburn men and women well into the future.

To make a gift to the Dr. Larry Wit Endowed Scholarship or for additional information, please contact the COSAM Office of Development at 334.844.2931.