Scholarship Spotlight

Thanks to the generosity of individuals or groups who either make annual gifts or create legacy through an endowment, the College of Education has been able to provide scholarship aid in excess of $200,000 to its undergraduate and graduate students each year since 2007. We are proud to recognize the people who support our students through their contributions, as well as the individuals some have chosen to honor by establishing undergraduate and graduate awards.

This scholarships and donors profiled on this page will change out periodically as a way of honoring the generosity of College of Education supporters and highlighting the possibilities they create for our students.

Bill “Doc” Walls Endowed Scholarship in the College of Education

Established in 2011 in memory of Bill “Doc” Walls by his friends and by his wife, Kimberly Walls, interim head of the college’s department of Curriculum and Teaching, this scholarship provides support for a future music education undergraduate from Alabama who primarily performs as a wind, brass, or percussion instrumentalist.

This scholarship provides a fitting tribute for Bill Walls, who taught music to thousands of students as a faculty member at Auburn University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Florida State University, and the U.S. Navy School of Music. “Doc,” as his many friends and students knew him, taught trombone to children in the Auburn community for 30 years and served as a professor of music in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching. He served on the Auburn faculty from 1996-2011, retiring as director of bands emeritus.

Walls, who earned music education degrees from Baylor University and Florida State University and a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, served in the 4^th Army Band at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

Randall S. McDaniel Endowed Scholarship in the College of Education

This endowed scholarship presents an opportunity for friends and former students of former faculty member Randall McDaniel to honor his 40 years of service to the college and university. McDaniel retired in December 2011 as a distinguished professor of rehabilitation in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling.

McDaniel graduated from the University of Florida in 1966 and 1969 with degrees in occupational therapy and rehabilitation counseling. He came to Auburn in 1972 and earned his doctorate from the university in 1976. During his tenure as a faculty member, he played a pivotal role in creating an accepting environment for students with disabilities. McDaniel provided support for Disability Awareness Week, served as chair of the University Disability Committee charged with addressing accessibility issues and helped bring wheelchair sports to campus. He served as president or on the board of directors for a variety of organizations, including the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. In 2010, he and his family spent a semester in Geneva, Switzerland, while he was on sabbatical providing rehabilitation technical assistance for a United Nations agency.

During his time at Auburn, McDaniel secured more than $7 million in federal grants for technology, distance education and rehabilitation personnel preparation.

Retired Faculty and Staff Scholarship

College of Education graduates who want to honor a favorite former professor may want to consider making a gift to the Retired Faculty and Staff Scholarship. Former faculty and staff created the scholarship fund in 2007.

Once the scholarship is fully funded, the Retired Faculty and Staff Scholarship would provide $3,000 in annual aid to a deserving student.

Last Updated: Feb 03, 2012