Dear Colleagues,
While the calendar still says it's spring for a few more weeks, our campus is already filled with the energy and activity that differentiates summers in Auburn. Although official enrollment numbers will not be finalized until next month, preliminary figures show that nearly 13,000 students are enrolled in summer coursework, internships or study abroad. If these numbers hold, Auburn is on pace for another record summer enrollment.
This week, we are once again welcoming incoming students and their families to campus for our third Camp War Eagle session of the summer. Across all 12 orientation sessions, we anticipate welcoming approximately 6,300 first-year students this fall, along with nearly 900 transfer students and 3,800 graduate and professional students. As we continue hosting students and families throughout the summer, I thank the faculty and staff whose time, energy, and dedication help make Camp War Eagle such a meaningful introduction to Auburn.
We also look forward to welcoming visitors from around the world as we host the World Cup friendly soccer match between Argentina and Iceland next week (June 9th). Thank you in advance for your flexibility as we balance this exciting event with our ongoing academic and scholarly work. Colleges have been asked to determine instructional plans for any courses impacted during the day, including options such as maintaining in-person instruction, moving courses online or making course-specific accommodations. Following 3 p.m., campus operations will transition to gameday mode, and faculty teaching later classes are encouraged to work directly with students to determine appropriate instructional arrangements.
As we settle into summer, we are already looking ahead to the fall and August commencement. I am pleased to share that we will welcome Harbert College of Business alumnus and decorated military veteran Dr. Gordon Sumner as our summer commencement speaker on August 8. Dr. Sumner is a nationally recognized leader in military service, veteran advocacy, and organizational leadership who has dedicated his career to supporting veterans and advancing public service initiatives. A retired U.S. Army officer and former National Director of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Dr. Sumner will give the address during our ceremonies for all bachelor’s graduates at 10 a.m. and graduate students at 3 p.m.
It has been exciting to see several of our colleagues and units receive national recognition in recent weeks. Please join me in congratulating the interdisciplinary faculty team from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction on receiving an $875,000 award from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program for the “Ready to Adapt” initiative focused on coastal resilience and sustainable community design. The college also recently celebrated Dr. Busra Yucel, a recent Building Science doctoral graduate who was recognized with Auburn’s Outstanding Doctoral Student Award for her innovative research advancing construction innovation through data analytics, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Congratulations also to Dr. Gretchen Oliver, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Sports Medicine and Movement Lab, on being elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology, one of the discipline’s highest honors recognizing sustained scholarly achievement and leadership. Additionally, Dr. Valentina Hartarska has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics Mentorship and Outreach Legacy Award for her contributions to mentorship, outreach and leadership within the profession. Finally, Dr. Elijah Gaddis, Hollifield Associate Professor in the Department of History, was recently selected as one of only eight faculty nationwide invited to join Harvard University’s Warren Center Faculty Fellowship on Commemorative Acts.
As always, I thank you for all you do to support Auburn University! | 
