Warhawk Weekly 1-14: New Science & Technology Complex; Register for MLK Breakfast

AUM opens $36 million Science & Technology Complex
Auburn University at Montgomery’s (AUM) new $36 million, state-of-the-art Science & Technology Complex officially opened on Monday, marking the beginning of a new era in educating students pursuing degrees in life sciences and STEM fields.
The two-story, 57,000-square-foot facility, located on the perimeter of campus and visible from Interstate 85, created a flurry of activity on the opening day of spring semester classes. University administrators toured the building while staff directed students to classrooms and Warhawk transit buses transported students to and from the facility.
“We love it,” said AUM Provost Mrinal Varma. “It’s going to enhance the learning experience for all students while serving as a valuable recruitment and retention tool. We wanted to build a world class facility that would make AUM a destination campus for people in the River Region, and this new building achieves that. It really changes and elevates AUM’s profile within the region.”
Equipped with cutting-edge classroom technology, modernized labs, open collaborative spaces, and advanced meeting rooms, the new complex’s opening coincides with the launch of AUM’s new master’s program in biochemistry and molecular biology.
The facility aims to transform how AUM students engage with disciplines such as biology, chemistry, environmental science, and other STEM fields, said Douglas Leaman, dean of AUM’s College of Sciences.
“We’ve worked on this facility for a long time, so it’s fantastic to see it come to fruition,” Leaman said. “We finally get to share this beautiful building with the students who will benefit from it.”
Every design decision — ranging from microphones in classrooms to automatic window shades in labs — was made with students and faculty scientists in mind.
“It’s a super nice facility,” said Shannon Warlick, a graduate student in AUM’s master of biochemistry and molecular biology program. “I’m about to dive into the research phase of my degree program so the facility’s new lab spaces and technology will be critical for completing my thesis.”
Register for the MLK Reflections Breakfast
Author and activist Sarah Collins Rudolph survived the KKK’s 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, but carries physical and psychological wounds from it. She lost vision in one eye as one of 22 victims wounded in the blast and she lost her sister, 14-year-old Addie Mae, who was one of four children killed.
Rudolph will discuss the terrorist attack, the loss she experienced and the healing process that happened in the aftermath during AUM’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Reflections Breakfast on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The free event will begin at 9 a.m. in Taylor Center 221-223. Attendees are asked to register in advance.
From 1977 to 2002, KKK members Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., Bobby Frank Cherry, Herman Frank Cash and Robert Edward Chambliss, were convicted for their roles in the bombings.
Rudolph shared her experiences in “The 5th Little Girl: Soul Survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing (The Sarah Collins Rudolph Story),” co-authored by Wright State University Associate Professor Tracy Snipe.
Celebrating AUM Athletics Hall of Fame inductees
AUM Athletics’ incoming Hall of Fame class includes a former university chancellor, a four-time women’s soccer All-American, a multi-time men’s tennis All-American, the all-time wins leader for the baseball program and the first women’s cross country program representative.
The new class will be inducted on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Taylor Center 221-223. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased online.
AUM’s 16th Hall of Fame class includes former AUM Chancellor Guin Nance, former women’s cross country student-athlete HollyAnn Goble, former women’s soccer star Lindsey Hudson, former men’s tennis scholar-athlete Daniel Plasa and former baseball pitcher Jeff Hawkins.
Read more about the inductees in the AUM Athletics Newsroom.
Make some noise with the AUM Spirit Band
AUM’s Spirit Band, which performs at basketball games and other special events, is currently accepting new members with an emergency need for an experienced drum set player.
All students who have band experience are encouraged to consider joining. The ensemble practices Thursday evenings and performs at all home men’s and women’s Basketball games.
All members of the Spirit Band receive $500 semester scholarships for their participation. Please contact Spirit Band Director Chapel McCullough for more information ([email protected]).
Apply for Graduate Study Merit Scholarship
Current AUM graduate students who have completed at least six credit hours and maintained a GPA of 3.4 or better may be eligible for the 2025-2026 Graduate Study Merit Scholarship offered by the AUM Alumni Association.
To be considered, students must submit the following to [email protected] by the March 14 deadline:
- Two letters of support (preferably from AUM faculty or staff), emphasizing leadership skills
- A 250-word essay outlining educational and career objectives, academic honors/awards/civic activities, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals
- Current resume listing employment, dates of employment, hours worked, campus and/or community leadership and academic achievements
- A completed AUM Alumni Association Graduate Study Merit Scholarship application.
Register for math placement tests
AUM’s free math placement program can help students save time and tuition costs. Students can take math placement tests on the following dates in Goodwyn Hall 115:
- Friday, January 17, 9 a.m.
- Friday, March 7, 9 a.m.
- Friday, April 4, 9 a.m.
Register for a placement test: www.aum.edu/mathplacement
Keeping up with all campus events
There’s an easy way to keep up with all of the fun events offered on our campus. Enroll in AUM365 and get the 4-1-1 from Curtiss The Warhawk himself. Text curti$$ to 334-398-6025 to receive reminders about upcoming happening.