< PreviousOutreach work in the College of Lib- eral Arts’ Department of Political Sci- ence has professionalized election ad- ministration, trained leaders in efficient election processes and aided develop- ing countries in free and fair elections. From your local polling place to the coast of Africa, Auburn University secures elections. Professional Elections Before Auburn University’s Depart- ment of Political Science partnered with The Election Center, election of- ficials did not have a professionalized education. Through a certified training program, first-of-its-kind books about electoral la- bor, a journal specializing in elections is- sues and a conference bringing together elections professionals, the College of Liberal Arts led the professionalization of elections work. “Our work to professionalize the field generally, regardless of specific practices, has made a significant dif- ference in the confidence that public servants have that their work is being done correctly, that it’s being done fairly, that it’s being done ethically,” said Professor and Part- nership Director Kath- leen Hale. “Those are all parts of the feeling and the identity that you get when you build a profession, and you call yourself an election administration professional.” The CERA Program The Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) program provides election officials with the knowledge and skills they need to efficiently conduct elections. Each class, from the history of elections to laws governing the electoral process, is taught by a College of Liberal Arts faculty member. The CERA program’s success in build- ing trust among elections officials and the public stretches across the country. As the program reaches its 30th anniver- sary, Professor Steve Brown said Auburn is a leading changemaker in elections operations. “Auburn University has had an im- pact on every election in every ju- risdiction in the United States, and I think that’s pretty powerful,” Brown said. “When you think about what out- reach does, it helps an external audi- ence. And when you’re thinking about the breadth of impact, I’m not sure there’s much else that the university does that’s broader and more impact- ful than the elections program and the training that we do.” Auburn to Africa More than 5,000 miles from Auburn, along the coast of Africa, Associate Pro- fessor Kelly Krawczyk and her students work as election observers to ensure the quality of elections in developing countries. With their data, election manage- ment bodies improve their electoral pro- cesses and students receive a one-of-a- kind, globalized education. “Not only will it provide a really cool hands-on opportunity for our stu- dents, but because of the nature of the cross-cultural teams, it will really allow them to engage with people from an- other culture in a way that they probably haven’t before, actually working on a real problem, contributing to collecting data that will help gauge free and fair elec- tions,” Krawczyk said. “And hopefully that will lead to a really great experience for them, but also increased global and cultural competency.” SECURING OUR ELECTIONS BY CHARLOTTE TUGGLE 50 UNIVERSITY NEWS AUBURNTIGERS.COM Auburn partners with the Nation- al Association of Election Officials, known as The Election Center, to offer a national certification program that trains election administrators in law, ethics, policy and history. Political science faculty help secure elections at home and abroad, educate election officials nationwide and professionalize the field of election administration through a partnership with The Election Center. LIBERAL ARTS FACULTY ARE CHANGEMAKERS IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OPERATIONSCardiacandVascularAwards from EastAlabamaMedicalCenteristheONLYhospital inAlabamatobeamongthetop5% ofhospitalsnationwideforcardiacsurgery! 2023Women'sChoiceAwardsBestHospitalsfor CancerCare,Orthopedics,andObstetrics Congratulationstoourstaff forearningtheseprestigiousawards! ServingOpelika,Auburn,Valleyandan11-countycoveragearea52 MEET THE COACHES: AUBURN DEFENSIVE LINE COACH JEREMY GARRETT Jeremy Garrett knows Auburn well. He knows what it’s like to come in as an opponent and play at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He’s been on the visiting sideline as a player. But last Novem- ber, when he flipped on the Auburn-Texas A&M game to watch Carnell Williams, there was a new level of appreciation. Both teams were 3-6. Nothing to play for. And yet, the Au- burn fans packed the stadium to support Williams, one of their own, who was making his home debut as the interim head coach. “You would have thought they were playing for the SEC Championship with how into it they were,” Garrett said. “I watched how the kids played for him. I watched how excited the fan base was. You turn the TV on and see the excitement and see what Auburn is – the family atmosphere, the fans rally- ing the troops and supporting the program. It was great to see.” Less than a month later, Hugh Freeze called and asked Gar- rett, his defensive line coach at Liberty last season, to follow him to Auburn and serve in the same role. The choice was easy. Obviously, the fans had shown Garrett how special a place Auburn can be – both when he played there as a defensive lineman at Ole Miss and when he watched that game on TV last fall. But he also knew the history and the names associated with Auburn on the defensive line: Tracy Rocker, Nick Fairley, Derrick Brown. That’s just to name a few. Since 2008, Auburn has had 16 defensive linemen drafted. “Auburn has a great tradition of really good defensive lines,” Garrett said. “That’s attractive to me because I believe we can build a really good front here at Auburn. It’s been proven. This is one of the top five jobs in the country to have as a defensive line coach. “You can go all the way back and look at Tracy Rocker. You can look at Nick Fairley. The aggressiveness they played with. You can even look at the guys from last year’s team – Colby Wooden. You just look at how those guys played and the his- tory of draft picks in those positions. Guys come here and reset the line of scrimmage, rush the passer, good edge-rushers. You look at the history of those guys, it’s here.” Garrett brings a unique perspective with him to Auburn. Since 2018, he’s coached at the high school level, the college level and in the NFL – spending two seasons with the Cleve- land Browns in 2020 and 2021. When a freshman arrives on campus, he knows where they’re coming from and the envi- ronment they just left. At the same time, he also knows where his players are trying to go. He’s been at that level, too. “I love my process,” Garrett said. “I love the journey that I took because I think I know where these guys are coming from, and I know where they’re trying to go. So, now it’s developing a plan for them to achieve their goals and walking them through this thing called life and football. I want to be a great teacher and a developer for these guys and really develop them on and off the field.” At every stop along the way, Garrett has reached out to the same person for advice. Hugh Freeze. Before he took a job at Ensworth Academy, he called Freeze. Before he took a job at Vanderbilt, he called Freeze. Before he went to the NFL, he called Freeze. “Throughout my entire career, he’s always been like a men- tor,” Garrett said. The two first crossed paths in 2006 when Garrett was a de- fensive lineman at Ole Miss and Freeze was a position coach working with the tight ends. Freeze never coached the defen- sive line, but he still formed a great relationship with Garrett – a relationship that carried on even after the two went their sep- arate ways. “How many d-linemen have great relationships with receiv- ers’ coaches? It’s bigger than just football with him,” Garrett said. “When people come on our campus, not only do they see it, but I’m an example of knowing him since 2005 and just how every time I called, he picked up the phone. He wasn’t even my position coach.” In January 2022, it was Freeze who called Garrett – not the other way around – and asked him to leave the NFL to be his defensive line coach at Liberty. “I was just thinking, ‘Now is my time to return the favor, re- turn the support and go be there for him when he needs a de- fensive line coach,’” Garrett said. Eighteen months later, the two are still together. This time at Auburn where Freeze is trying to rebuild the Tigers into a national contender and Garrett is trying to assemble a defen- sive line reminiscent of what Auburn fans grew accustomed to watching over the years. JEREMY GARRETT BY GREG OSTENDORF AUBURNTIGERS.COM MEET THE COACHES: AUBURN DEFENSIVE LINE COACH DINE IN // DELIVERY // CURBSIDE // CATERING Opelika 2664 Enterprise Drive, Opelika, AL 36801 GO TIGERS!54 2023 STADIUM MAP 2023 STADIUM MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM SOUTH CLUB BROADWAY CLUB NORTH CLUB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 14 14 13 151617181920 383940414243 3744 44 45 46 46 36 37 35 35 21 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 100 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 AUBURN VISITOR 23 23 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 9 8U 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 20 21 BILL & CONNIE NEVILLE LOBBY 0 EXIT GATE STUDENT GATE STUDENT GATE EAST UPPER DECK ACCESS ONLY SOUTH SERVICE GATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING SOUTH DONAHUE DRIVE HEISMAN DRIVE HD VIDEOBOARD NEVILLE ARENA MIKE & JANE McCARTNEY BRICK PLAZA TICKET OFFICE SALES & PICK-UP GAMEDAY TRANSIT & FANFEST (NS PASS) NORTH STADIUM LOT VISITOR TICKET SALES HARBERT FAMILY RECRUITING CENTER AUBURN PLAYER GUEST EXIT GATEVISITING TEAM LOCKER ROOM SUITE TICKET PICK-UP STUDENT GATE SOUTH NORTH WEST EAST BROADWAY CLUB & MEDIA CREDENTIALS TIGER WALK CLUB ENTRANCE HIGH SCHOOL COACHES 11 10 TIGERWALK TICKET SALES TICKET SALES BROADWAY CLUB ONLY HRC ONLY ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP 1U VISITING PLAYER GUEST & VISITING FAN TICKET PICK-UP ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP NORTH SERVICE GATE OLYMPIC SPORT RECRUITING Entry GateElevator First Aid Tiger Babies LEGEND Charging Station Student Section Seating bowl closed to non-students Team Shop Medical Bag Entry Special Access Statues Guest Services ADA Shuttle56 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP LEGEND 57 2023 AUBURN PARKING LEGEND AUBURNTIGERS.COM© 2022 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. 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