5/10/02

U.S. DEFENSE AGENCY CITES AU COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

AUBURN -- The faculty and staff of the Auburn University Executive MBA Program have been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Col. Joseph Dougherty, commander of Air Force ROTC detachment at AU, made the presentation to John Jahera, interim dean of the College of Business; and Kim Kuerten, director of the EMBA.

Auburn was nominated by Maj. Andrew S. R. Wichers of the Georgia Air National Guard's 283rd Combat Communications Squadron. Wichers completed received his MBA through AU's EMBA program and was scheduled to receive his degree on Saturday, May 11.

Wichers was deployed to Egypt in September as part of the multinational operation, Bright Star. Following the terrorists acts of Sept. 11, many members of his unit -- including Wichers -- were extended for a second tour.

"My civilian employer and Auburn University were most supportive and cooperated during these arduous times," noted Wichers. "Upon my return, I nominated them both for recognition."

"I was so surprised to hear that we were receiving such recognition," says Kuerten. "We were just trying to create the most supportive environment possible for Andrew to be able to do what he was asked to do for his country while at the same time being able to make forward progress in the program toward his degree."

Special group projects and assignments are a large part of the EMBA curriculum. With Wichers away, Auburn faculty lent support to his team by extending deadlines and redefining project objectives so as to lessen the impact of his absence.

"I know that I speak on behalf of the faculty and staff when I say that we are truly honored to receive this award," said Kuerten.

ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. ESGR operates through a network of more than 4,500 volunteers throughout 54 committees located in each state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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CONTACT: Kuerten, 334/ 844-4060.