< PreviousVisit us at www.diversifiedmb.com • (334) 246-2537 You can feel Safe with us! OUR TEAM IS COMMITTED TO TACKLING THE RIGHT MORTGAGE PRODUCT FOR YOUR NEEDS. Jeff Chastain Cell: 334-524-8640 jchastain@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #1248498 Luna Choi Cell: 334-707-3911 lchoi@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #1790235 Kent Hayley Cell: 334-444-9691 khayley@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #1777868 Molly Perry Cell: 217-622-7546 mperry@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #1929169 Trey Salatto Cell: 334-319-2223 tsalatto@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #2160591 Josh Yerta Cell: 251-402-6975 jyerta@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #715038 Elizabeth Milner Cell: 334-559-9521 emilner@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #1699844 Bobby Huddleston Cell: 334-391-7106 bhuddleston@diversi edmb.com Loan O cer #505471AUBURN UNIVERSITY 41 Auburn University is a comprehen- sive land-, sea- and space-grant institu- tion with a renowned history of pioneer- ing research, life-changing outreach and innovative instruction. Auburn students, graduates and faculty transform the fruits of the university’s research and scholarship into products and services that meet society’s most pressing needs. More than 30,000 students are enrolled on the picturesque, 1,841-acre campus known as “The Loveliest Village on the Plains.” Throughout the years, the institution has had four official names: East Alabama Male College (1856-72), Agricultural and Mechanical College (1872-99), Alabama Polytech- nic Institute (1899-1960) and Auburn University (1960-present). Students can choose from more than 150 majors in 12 colleges and schools at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Auburn has awarded some 300,000 degrees in agriculture, architecture, business, education, engi- neering, forestry, human sciences, liber- al arts, nursing, pharmacy, sciences and mathematics, and veterinary medicine. The university provides real-world learning laboratories where students can gain experience and leadership princi- ples, better preparing them to compete in the marketplace and make mean- ingful contributions to society. When freshmen arrive on campus, they find an array of community service opportu- nities. Auburn students are involved in more than 500 clubs and organizations that enrich their educational experienc- es outside the classroom as they serve others on campus and in the community. In addition to societal impact, Au- burn makes a $5.6 billion yearly eco- nomic impact in the state of Alabama and is designated as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Auburn is led by President Christo- pher B. Roberts, who began his ap- pointment as Auburn University’s 21st president in May 2022. Roberts began his tenure at Auburn as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and became the depart- ment chair in 2003. Roberts served as the dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn Col- lege of Engineering from 2012 to 2022. Generations of alumni have been propelled to success by their Auburn ed- ucation. The list of accomplished alumni includes the CEO of Apple, the founders of Habitat for Humanity and Wikipe- dia, an Oscar-winning actress, many sports legends and six astronauts. The worldwide network of Auburn alumni is 300,000-strong. The Auburn Alumni Association has more than 45,000 members and contributes to a significant number of scholarships, professorships and faculty awards each year. In addi- tion, there are more than 100 Auburn Clubs throughout the country dedicated to raising and supporting scholarship funds for incoming freshmen. Tigers Who Yell “War Eagle!” Aubie the Tiger is the university’s mascot, and all Auburn athletic teams are nicknamed the Tigers. “War Eagle” is the battle cry. For more than 100 years, eagles have been associated with Auburn’s football program, and, since 2000, an eagle has flown above the crowds before home football games. To the Auburn Family, it’s very simple: They are the Tigers who yell “War Eagle!” Auburn retired its famed golden eagle Nova, War Eagle VII, in November 2019 and named golden eagle Aurea as War Eagle VIII. Aurea, a six-year-old female, is Auburn’s eighth official War Eagle to carry on the storied tradition of golden eagles at Auburn Tiger football games. The Southeastern Raptor Center, a division of Auburn’s College of Veter- inary Medicine, also flies a bald eagle, Indy, at home games. Indy made her debut Auburn pre-game flight during the 2021 football season. The center’s mission is to rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned raptors and to ed- ucate the public about their role and im- portance and to research raptor-related issues. All birds used in the educational programs, including pregame flights, are non-releasable due to injury or human imprinting. AUBURN UNIVERSITY: MAKING A SOCIETAL IMPACT AUBURNTIGERS.COM Samford Hall, Auburn UniversityAspire to Give Bright Investments Grove Solutions Charlotte Gaston Interiors Community Financial Services Fountainview Mansion Karen Turner/Tracie West Realtors State Farm-Lauren Bland Magnolia James Boutique Pythoge, LLC Railroad Investment Group Stroll Moore’s Mill Magazine Stroll The Waters Magazine Stroll Wynlakes Magazine Three Sixty Real Estate WPB Corporate and Business Partners 2022-2023 For more information about WPB membership, scan the QR code. Celebrating W OMEN’S P HILANTHROPY B OARD Education, Inspiration and Philanthropy Years of 2002-2003 2022-2023 Women’s Philanthropy Board 334-844-9156/334-844-3524 wpb@auburn.edu Join WPB during the 2022-2023 year as it celebrates its 20th year of sponsoring inspirational educational programs, meaningful mentoring initiatives and collective philanthropic impact. The year-long commemoration will feature outstanding speakers and memorable special events. To find out about upcoming programs and to purchase tickets, please visit aub.ie/wpb20th or scan QR code to access ticket link. The Flagship Division of the Cary Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Nonprofit StudiesUNIVERSITY PRESIDENT 43 Christopher B. Roberts began his appointment as Auburn University’s 21st president in May 2022. President Roberts leads the univer- sity’s four divisions, including Auburn’s main campus with its more than 31,000 students and 5,500 faculty and staff, as well as Auburn University at Montgom- ery, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, a joint enterprise with Alabama A&M University. Rob- erts is an accomplished scholar who understands that research and teaching excellence, together with service and public engagement, are at the very heart of the state’s R1 land-, sea- and space-grant institution. The R1 desig- nation in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education rec- ognizes Auburn as a top-level research institution. As the university’s CEO, Roberts marshals the institution’s $1.54 billion annual budget and vast resourc- es, while spearheading the university’s strategic vision and advancing Auburn’s ever-growing research enterprise and economic development. Prior to his presidency, Roberts served as the dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering from 2012 to 2022. The college has more than 6,000 students and about 400 faculty and staff members. Roberts was a factor in the success of the university’s Because This is Auburn — A Campaign for Auburn University, which raised $1.2 billion. Under Roberts’ leadership, more than $357 million in donations to the college were made during and since the campaign. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engi- neering from the Universi- ty of Missouri and master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He began his career at Auburn in 1994 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and became department chair in 2003. He also served as the George E. and Dorothy Stafford Uthlaut Profes- sor of Chemical Engineering. He has a strong record of scholarly and academic achievement in nanotechnology and synthetic fuels. Roberts has published close to 150 peer-reviewed journal arti- cles and book chapters in leading chem- ical engineering, chemistry, materials and related journals and has given over 300 conference presentations, invited seminars and lectures. He has received 45 research grants and contracts from government agencies and corporations, such as the National Science Founda- tion, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, the USDA- Agriculture and Food Research Initia- tive and Boeing. He has been honored with numerous awards for his accomplishments and contributions to the field of engineering. Some of those recognitions include the University of Notre Dame’s Graduate School Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015; the University of Missouri’s Chemical Engineering Academy of Dis- tinguished Alumni in 2014; the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers President’s Award for Fostering Minority Engagement in 2012; and the SEC Academic Consortium Faculty Achievement Award in 2012. He and his wife, Tracy, have two children and enjoy cheering on Auburn’s national championship-winning Division 1 athletics programs. DR. CHRISTOPHER B. ROBERTS, PRESIDENT AUBURNTIGERS.COMYellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods, and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, and technologies used by Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated, see www.yellawood.com/preservative or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. Ask dealer for warranty details. For warranty or for important handling and other information concerning our products including the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS), please visit us at www.yellawood.com/warranties or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. YellaWood® and the yellow tag are federally registered trademarks of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are used with their permission. YellaWood ® brand pressure treated pine stands unrivaled in providing the best available protection against rot, fungal decay and termite attack. Enjoy the uncompromising beauty of a backyard made with high quality natural wood products from YellaWood ® brand pressure treaded pine. Visit yellawood.com for more information. THE BEST IS ALWAYS IN DEMAND.BOARD OF TRUSTEES 45 AUBURNTIGERS.COM GOV. KAY IVEY President (Ex-officio) BOB DUMAS (Auburn) Banking Executive President Pro Tempore Third District - Lee WAYNE T. SMITH (Nashville, Tenn.) Healthcare Executive At Large B.T. ROBERTS (Mobile) Commercial Real Estate Executive First District ZEKE SMITH (Birmingham) Utility Executive At Large CLARK SAHLIE (Montgomery) Business Executive Second District JAMES H. SANFORD (Prattville) Agriculture Executive Fourth District ELIZABETH HUNTLEY (Clanton) Attorney Sixth District JAMES W. RANE (Abbeville) Business Executive Third District CAROLINE MCDONALD ADERHOLT (Haleyville) Nonprofit Executive Seventh District MICHAEL A. DEMAIORIBUS (Huntsville) Retired Technology Executive Eighth District TIMOTHY VINES (Birmingham) Healthcare Insurance Executive At Large JAMES PRATT (Birmingham) Attorney Ninth District RAYMOND J. HARBERT (Birmingham) Investment Management Executive At Large QUENTIN P. RIGGINS (Birmingham) Utility Executive Vice President Pro Tempore At Large SHERRI M. WILLIAMS Deputy Board Secretary JON G. WAGGONER Board SecretaryINTERIM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR 47 In his 17th year at Auburn, Rich Mc- Glynn was appointed Interim Athletics Director by Auburn University President Chris Roberts in September 2022. Auburn’s Executive Associate Athletic Director prior to his appoint- ment, McGlynn is best known for his leadership in compliance but has been involved in virtually every aspect of Au- burn Athletics during his tenure. He most recently served as sport administrator for men’s basketball, equestrian and swimming and diving, overseeing programs that won multiple Southeastern Conference champion- ships, including the 2019 Final Four men’s basketball team. Academically, the men’s basketball program earned an impressive 1,000 Academic Progress Rates for four consecutive years under McGlynn’s supervision. Since McGlynn took control of the six-time national champion equestrian program in Fall 2019, the Tigers claimed three consecutive SEC titles and posted a perfect APR score in the 2020-21 scoring period. McGlynn has been instrumental in assisting his programs raise millions of dollars for various enhancement proj- ects, including continual upgrades to Neville Arena while helping make it one of the best gameday atmospheres in college basketball. The Auburn Eques- trian facility has seen vast improvements under McGlynn, including a new barn and locker room. While at Auburn, McGlynn has served as the sport administrator for football, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field and cross country. He was with football in 2013 when the team swept rivals Geor- gia and Alabama, won the SEC champi- onship and played in the BCS title game. Other areas of the athletic depart- ment McGlynn has overseen since he first arrived at Auburn in June 2006 include academics, facilities, ticketing, equipment, strength and conditioning, and compliance. McGlynn has served as Auburn Ath- letics’ liaison with the Auburn University president, faculty athletics representa- tive, general counsel, outside counsel, housing, admission, financial aid, dining, parking, contracts, and admissions. He’s also represented Auburn Athletics in numerous University search commit- tees, including general counsel, regis- trar, and vice president for enrollment. A respected industry leader, Mc- Glynn has presented at numerous national conventions, including the Na- tional Association of Collegiate Direc- tors of Athletics (NACDA) convention. Prior to arriving at Auburn, McGlynn worked at the NCAA as the Associate Director of Membership Services. He was at the NCAA from 2001-06 and held the roles of Assistant Director of Membership Services and Student-Ath- letes Reinstatement Representative within the Enforcement Services arm. From 2000-01, McGlynn was Commissioner of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and was a legal specialist for the New Jersey Gener- al Assembly Majority Office. He also served as a legal specialist to the Office of Counsel to the Governor to the State of New Jersey (1999-00). McGlynn graduated from Florida Southern in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received his Juris Doctorate from the Seton Hall University School of Law in 1999. A native of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, McGlynn is married to Kris- ten and has four children: Liam, Aidan, Cade and Keegan, who have either attended or are currently attending Auburn University. RICH MCGLYNN, INTERIM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR AUBURNTIGERS.COMJason Isbell • Legally Blonde • Damien Sneed • MOMIX: Alice Jay Leno • Complexions Contemporary Ballet • Fiddler on the Roof Tab Benoit • Jessica Vosk • Smokey Robinson • and many moreUNIVERSITY NEWS 49 Millions of them are everywhere, but you may not see them: on clothes you buy, on food ingredient packaging and even on the football field. Initially designed to move products through supply chains, their use is expanding exponentially. What are they? RFID tags, which are small, paper-thin tags with an electro- magnetic chip that gives an item its own serial number identity for detection up to several yards away. RFID—an ab- breviation for radio-frequency identi- fication—uses radio waves to identify products or any objects that have a tag. “Data from large quantities of prod- ucts or items can be summarized all at once, recording literally hundreds of items in just seconds,” said Justin Pat- ton, director of Auburn’s RFID Lab. The lab is an internationally re- nowned research institute focusing on RFID and other emerging technologies, with faculty and students from Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Human Sciences. “A retail employee can use an RFID scanner by simply walking along an aisle and waving the scan gun up and down the shelves,” Patton said. “Everything within the scan gun’s range, or wave, will be recorded by the scanner. We can in- ventory hundreds of items per second.” Auburn is collaborating major retailers on tracking products through the supply chains, as well as working with restaurant chains in tracking the freshness of ingredients by placing tags on the packaging. “An example of how RFID technolo- gy improves sales service is how product availability affects the overall customer experience,” Patton said. “The improved data and accountability with the RFID system helps eliminate such issues and make it easier and faster to find merchandise, especially in cases where numerous products might be stored in a crowded storage area, and to easily know the dates when items go through the supply chain.” And it’s not just faculty making an impact. “We have approximately 100 Auburn students working in the lab and gaining valuable experience prior to enter- ing the workforce,” Patton said. “We have students conducting high-level research, and their projects are being immediately implemented in several fortune 500 companies.” Students also help with commence- ment exercises, where new graduates’ names are displayed on the video- board. RFID tags are placed on name cards and scanned when graduates walked across the stage, thus it’s guar- anteed the correct name is behind the students as they cross in front of the videoboard. On gamedays in Jordan-Hare Stadi- um, students have helped screen access to the field by using RFID guns to scan passes of those who have permission to be on the sidelines. The RFID Lab also helps Auburn Athletics do an inventory of RFID-tagged gear and clothing. “We have tags on the players’ equip- ment to help the equipment managers know how long pads have been used, or to keep track of all the gear that must be cleaned after each game or practice,” Patton said. Millions of the RFID tags are helping everywhere…thanks to Auburn’s RFID Lab and its research. UNIVERSITY NEWS BY: CHARLES MARTIN AUBURNTIGERS.COM Auburn RFID Lab making an impact around the globe and in the stadium RFID Lab Director Justin Patton, right, assists a student in Auburn’s RFID Lab. A student uses a scanner to detect an RFID attached to a shirt in a mock store setup in Auburn’s RFID Lab.Next >