Warhawk Weekly 9-1: Student embraces advocacy; Winkelman honored for theatre contributions
AUM senior embraces civil rights advocacy as inaugural Deborah Gray Scholar
Auburn University at Montgomery senior Annie Anderson has been named an inaugural Deborah Gray Scholar by the Fred D. Gray Institute, an honor that connects her academic interests and commitment to service with a passion for civil rights advocacy. She joins eight other scholars in the inaugural cohort representing universities across the U.S.
The Deborah Gray Scholars Program honors the life and career of Deborah Gray, a longtime managing director of the Tuskegee History Center and advocate for civil rights and social justice.
“Being selected as a Deborah Gray Scholar is incredibly meaningful to me because it connects so closely with the work I hope to spend my life doing,” Anderson said. “To be part of the inaugural cohort makes it even more special. The Fred D. Gray Institute represents a legacy of courage, service and civil rights advocacy that has shaped not only Alabama, but the country. Being able to learn within that legacy while developing the skills to continue that work in my own generation is an opportunity I do not take lightly.”
Anderson is a double major in economics and communication with a concentration in journalism and a minor in gender, race and ethnic studies. She is also a member of AUM’s University Honors Program.
While her areas of study span multiple disciplines, Anderson sees them as connected by a common purpose.
“My studies in economics, journalism, race and ethnic studies, leadership and public policy may seem like separate areas, but to me they all help answer the same larger question: How can we better understand the systems that shape our communities and use that knowledge to create meaningful change?,” she said.
For Anderson, who is from Morristown, New Jersey, studying in Montgomery — the birthplace of the civil rights movement — adds another persepctive to her education.
“Montgomery has become an important part of my academic, professional and community life,” she said. “I am pursuing my education in a city that played an extraordinary role in the Black freedom struggle and the development of modern civil rights law. Being able to learn from that history while preparing to carry that work forward is deeply meaningful.”
Anderson expects to graduate in 2028 and plans to pursue a joint Juris Doctorate and doctorate in African American Studies. Her long-term goal is to combine law, research, scholarship and advocacy to help advance civil right and create greater opportunities for African American communities.
AUM’s Val Winkelman honored for contributions to Alabama theatre
Val Winkelman, Distinguished Research Professor in AUM’s Department of Communication and Theatre, was recently awarded the 2026 Marian Gallaway Award for Contributions to Alabama Theatre by the Alabama Conference of Theatre (ACT).
Winkelman was honored at the 2026 ACT Annual Summit, “Why Theatre Matters,” held at Auburn University at Montgomery in late August. The event featured a keynote address and a full-day conference consisting of various workshops, roundtable discussions, and business meetings.
“I am extremely honored to receive this award for contributions to the field of theatre,” Winkelman said. “My career has been dedicated to collaborating with the next generation of theatre professionals at AUM and beyond.”
The Marian Gallaway Award is presented annually to an individual with a sustained history of service and contribution to Alabama theatre at the local and statewide levels. Recipients must have served on the ACT Board or held leadership roles with organizations such as the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) or theatre unions. Their contributions may include scholarship, leadership, workshops or competitions that raise the profile of Alabama theatre.
Winkelman currently serves as a national co-chair for ACTF and previously served as a national chair for design, technology and management with the festival. Throughout her career, Winkelman has served in numerous theatre leadership roles and received honors, including the AUM Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Service and the Region IV American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion. She has designed costumes for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and serves of the Board for Booker T. Washington Magnet High School.
Winkelman is the third Theatre AUM faculty or staff member to receive the Marian Gallaway Award. Katie Pearson received the award in 2018, followed by Neil David Seibel in 2020.
About the Alabama Conference of Theatre
The Alabama Conference of Theatre (ACT) is a network of theatre artists dedicated to promoting, strengthening, and sustaining theatre in Alabama. The organization builds connections throughout the theatre community to improve the quality of the theatre and performing arts at all levels throughout the state.
ACT serves as a premiere resource for theatre through their five branches: Theatre for Youth, Secondary, College/University, Community, and Professional. The organization hosts theatre festivals and provides resources and professional development opportunities to theatre artists throughout Alabama.
Summer internship helps AUM junior discover passion for archaeology
When AUM junior Gabrielle “Ren” Dawson, an Honors student majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in anthropology, stepped onto the grounds of Old Cahawba Archaeological Park for her summer internship, she knew she was embarking on a learning experience unlike anything she had encountered in a classroom laboratory.
“I had no prior experience in field archaeology. I’d only done the lab side of things,” Dawson said. “It was an excellent way to learn on the job and see if it was something I would want to pursue.”
At the recommendation of her professor and mentor LisaMarie Malischke, an assistant professor of anthropology who specializes in archaeology, Dawson spent the summer working as a crew chief for first phase excavations at the Dallas County-based archaeological park.
During her internship, Dawson gained hands-on experience in wide range of archaeological practices, including flagging shovel test pits for students, conducting field surveys, identifying, cleaning and processing artifacts, and participating in workshops on photogrammetry and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. She also helped researchers examine culturally significant flora for clues that could indicate possible unmarked grave locations.
“The work is hot, strenuous and exhausting, but this summer taught me a lot about field practices and techniques and also led to some character development,” Dawson said. “Something that I heard several times throughout the program from students, staff and even potential employers is that the job is so much easier when people can keep a good attitude.”
Dawson also participated in two Public Archaeology Days, giving members of the community an opportunity to join her excavation team and experience archaeological fieldwork firsthand.
Among artifacts uncovered by Dawson’s team was a bell-shaped object that may have originated from the area across the street from the site, where Bell’s Tavern, an old Civil War-era building, once stood.
“Another find was a lithic that dated to the late Middle Woodland period, around 500 B.C. to A.D. 800, which predates the projected date of earliest occupation,” Dawson said. “It does not prove that there were people living there that early, but it suggests people were at least passing by.”
Dawson and her team will present their research, conducted during workshops and in the field, at the Southeastern Archaeological Conference in November.
“The entire experience was life changing,” Dawson said. “I learned not only about the history behind the Old Cahawba Archaeological site but about some of the people that lived there and how the space has been used by different groups over such a short amount of time. It truly is a wonder, and I can’t recommend enough for everyone to check it out!”
Dawson is expected to graduate in Spring 2028. While she is still exploring where her career will take her, her summer at Old Cahawba has given her a clearer idea of what she hopes to pursue after graduation.
“I’m not fully sure where I’ll end up, but after graduation I intend to jump back into the archaeological field,” she said. “If it somehow becomes possible, I’d love to return to Old Cahawba and continue learning whatever it’s willing to teach me.”
Theatre AUM opens fall season with ‘The Mercy Project’
Theatre AUM will open the Fall 2026 season with “The Mercy Project: A Showcase Honoring Playwright Mercy Otis Warren,” which celebrates the life, writings and legacy of the American Revolution playwright and political satirist.
Performances will be held Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 8-10 at 7:30 p.m., with a final performance at 2 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Taylor Center Theatre.
Directed by Distinguished Research Professor Val Winkelman, the production features a student cast exploring Warren’s contributions to American history, politics, and theatre.
Born in 1728 in Barnstable, Massachusetts, Warren was a published poet and historian during the American Revolution. At the time when women were largely expected to remain silent on political matters, Warren became an outspoken commentator and one of the leading female intellectuals of the Revolution and early American republic. Through her writing and political commentary, Warren left an enduring mark on the nation’s revolutionary history.
Theatre AUM tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for seniors. Admission is free for AUM students, faculty, staff, alumni, military, and OLLI members with a valid ID.
Help recognize an outstanding AUM faculty member
The AUM Alumni Association’s Faculty Service Award recognizes an outstanding faculty member for their excellence in teaching, service to the AUM community and commitment to student success.
Awarded by the AUM Alumni Association, the Faculty Service Award is presented to one faculty member during Fall Convocation. The recipient receives a $1,000 award.
Nominations from faculty, staff, students, and friends are encouraged and accepted. Beginning this year, nominations will only be accepted through the online nomination form. Each nominee also must have a letter of support submitted by their department chair and/or dean.
Submit your nomination by the deadline Sept. 30.
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