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Warhawk Weekly 11-14: Honor society induction; Outstanding Library staff

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First-gen Warhawks earn honor society induction

a group of people posing for the cameraLast week, the Zeta Tau Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) National First-Generation Honor Society held its second induction ceremony during First-Gen Celebration Week.

The ceremony highlighted the achievements of 21 first-generation college students, four faculty and staff, and five honorary inductees. To qualify for induction, students must complete at least 60 credit hours, have an overall GPA of at least 3.2 in all coursework, and come from a family where neither parent nor legal guardians earned a bachelor’s degree.

Student inductees

The Fall 2023 student inductees were: Francisca Arroyo, Amber Austin, La’Porsha Bowman, Soudsaichay Cargill, Leigha Carter, Starbresha Core, Asil Hazama, Eriona Huguley, Shimiya Jones, Nathan Jordan, Grace Langston, Mirya Lessman, Lachina Potts, Morgan Powell, Aerielle Sanford, Justin Slater, Anaya Torbert, Iyanla Williams, Jasmine Williams, Nyla Williams, and LaQuesha Wright.

Faculty and staff inductees

Zeta Tau Chapter inducted faculty/staff first-generation graduates — Samantha McNeilly, Brenda Mitchell, Val Winkelman, Dr. Lee Farrow, and Brad Robbins.

This induction also included its first set of honorary members. Honorary members include people who were not first-generation students but offer mentorship, advocacy, and/or support of an institution’s initiatives for first-generation students.

Honorary inductees

The honorary inductees were: Dr. Brooke Burks, Stephen Bray, Dr. Matthew Ragland, Rachael Mann, Dr. Christine Harrington.

All future induction ceremonies will take place during First-Gen Celebration Week in November.

Tri-Alpha promotes academic excellence and provides opportunities for personal growth and leadership development for first-generation college students.

Recognize outstanding AUM Library faculty and staff

The AUM Library is accepting nominations for the 2023 Betty J. Tims Friends of the AUM Library Faculty and Staff Service Awards.

The awards recognize library faculty and staff for their outstanding dedication to activities and functions, which lead to improvements in library services. Library faculty and staff also are honored for their dedication to providing or improving access to library holdings and efforts to offer quality recommendations that result in more efficient and/or more cost-effective library operations.

One AUMazing library faculty member and staff member will be selected for this year’s honor.

Submit your nomination online by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1.

Women’s hoops, volleyball, highlight week in Athletics

AUM’s volleyball team will carry a seven-match winning streak into the Gulf South Conference tournament, while the women’s basketball team will play its home opener this week.

The volleyball team will carry a school-best 23-8 record into the GSC Tournament as the league’s No. 3 seed. The Warhawks earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of the Mississippi College-Lee University first round match on Friday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida. Follow tournament results on the GSC website.

After splitting its first two games on the road in Florida, the women’s basketball team will host Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. Junior guard Allasha Dudley has led the Warhawks through the first two games, averaging 27 points per game and shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.

In other AUM Athletics action:

Men’s basketball: After a pair of three-point wins over Saint Leo and Florida Southern on the road, the Warhawks (2-0) will travel to face Spring Hill College in Mobile on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Jalil Robinson (17.5 points per game) and Jalen Gaston (17 ppg) have led the way for the Warhawks thus far.

Soccer: The Warhawks’ season ended with a 1-0 loss to Delta State in the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament. It marked the program’s third consecutive berth in the conference semifinals in its five seasons as a postseason-eligible program. Junior defender Seth Buchanan, a biology major with a 3.97 GPA, earned the Gulf South Conference’s Champion Scholar-Athlete Award.

Follow the Warhawks!

Celebrating International Education Week

As one of the most diverse campus communities in the state, with more than 35 nationalities represented, AUM is celebrating International Education Week through Thursday.

Celebrate AUM’s many cultures by participating in one of these remaining events:

Wednesday, Nov. 15
12 p.m.-2 p.m. – Global Accessibility
Learn about accessibility around the world with the Center for Disability Services in the Taylor Center lobby.

Thursday, Nov. 16
12 p.m.-2 p.m. – International Crawl
Stop by Taylor Center 230 to enjoy tea, treats and games with @studentaffairsofaum and the Office of Distance Education.

Harris-Fain looks behind-the-scenes of ‘A Christmas Carol’

“How the Dickens Did ‘A Christmas Carol’ Become a Classic?”

AUM Honors Professor and Distinguished Research Professor Darren Harris-Fain will explore the question and others in a discussion on the life of English novelist Charles Dickens at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Harris-Fain’s talk will be held at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 in the Patrons Lobby of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. The event is part of ASF Insights, an AUM sponsored series providing a thought-provoking and behind-the-scenes look at play productions on the stage and the art of theatre.

For his talk, Harris-Fain will give insight on how Dickens’ life and experiences in Victorian England inspired him to write “A Christmas Carol.” He also will touch on how the short novel was received in Christmas 1843, and why do we still enjoy it 180 years later.

Harris-Fain teaches and writes about British and American literature and popular culture. His courses include surveys of British and American literature as well as upper-level and graduate classes on editing, American film history, and science fiction, fantasy and graphic novels. Dr. Harris-Fain was a reference book editor and writer before beginning his teaching career. He has taught at AUM since 2011. In 2015, he was a three-day champion on Jeopardy!

Learn more with Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Poet Katherine Gaffney to speak at AUM

AUM’s Department of English and Philosophy and the AUM Lectures Committee will welcome award-winning poet Katherine Gaffney to campus to discuss her latest poem collection and the craft of poetry.

Gaffney’s talk is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in Theatre AUM. Following her talk, she will answer questions from students, faculty and staff about the creative process for poetry writing.

Gaffney, an accomplished poetry writer, released her first chapbook, “Once Read as Ruin,” in 2001. Her first full-length collection, “Fool in a Blue House,” won the 2023 Tampa Review Prize for Poetry. Her poems have also appeared in publications such as jubilat, Harpur Palate, Mississippi Review, Meridian, and many other journals. She is currently on faculty at the University of Illinois.

Gaffney earned a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Writers.

AUMTeach offers webinar on new program for STEM majors

AUMTeach will host an informational webinar, “Transforming the Future of Stem Education,” to introduce a new program for STEM majors at AUM from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30.

The webinar will provide information on how students in STEM majors can earn college credit, engage in experiential learning opportunities and more through the new program.

AUMTeach allows students to pursue an undergraduate degree in STEM focused degrees in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and earn a minor in education that includes a teaching certification at the same time.

Register for the webinar online or email Molly Trammell at [email protected].

Get updates on 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.

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