Warhawk Weekly 5-5: Celebrate #AUMgrads; Help shape AUM’s future
Celebrate #AUMgrads with a billboard tribute
As part of our celebration of spring 2026 #AUMgrads, we are spotlighting graduates in their regalia.
Now through commencement, share your graduation portraits with us for a chance to appear on an AUM digital billboard or AUM’s official social media platforms. You can submit your photos and future plans two ways:
- Upload your photos (2MB to 10MB) at aum.edu/aumgrad/
- Or email your photo, name, major, and future plans to [email protected].
The future of every #AUMgrad is bright, and your next chapter might just be on a billboard.
About Commencement
Approximately 700 students are expected to celebrate their achievements during two commencement ceremonies this Saturday at the AUM Athletics Complex. Graduates of the Colleges of Nursing & Health Sciences, Business, and Education will be recognized at 10 a.m., followed by graduates from the Colleges of Sciences, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and University College at 2 p.m. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.
Full commencement details & livestream: www.aum.edu/registrars-office/graduation/
Help shape the future of AUM
AUM has partnered with Ologie, a national branding and marketing agency with deep expertise in higher education, to understand the perceptions, strengths and opportunities associated with the AUM brand. This research will allow us to measure and establish clear pathways to grow brand awareness, clarify our story, and cultivate trust and pride among our stakeholders.
As part of their discovery process, Ologie has created a short survey. Take the online survey.
For your participation, you can opt into a drawing at the end of the survey to win one of 100, $20 Amazon e-gift cards.
Your voice and feedback are critical to shaping AUM. We appreciate your time and participation. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will close on May 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm. EDT.
Thank you for helping shape the future of AUM.
Questions? Email the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications at [email protected]
Meet AUM’s spring 2026 graduation marshals
Seventeen students will have the honor of serving as graduation marshals for AUM’s spring 2026 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9.
Selected by their respective colleges, these outstanding students stand out for their academic success.
AUM’s Spring 2026 student marshals are:
College of Business
- Gracy Leigh Dean, Business Administration – Marketing, Alexander City, Ala.
- Logan A. Burkhart, Information Systems, Millbrook, Ala.
- Lynleigh Stephen, Accounting, Montgomery, Ala.
College of Education
- Anna Steen, Exercise Science, Montgomery, Ala.
- Diana Ford, Master of Education (MEd) in Instructional Technology, Leesburg, Va.
- Robert Bowen, Education Specialists (EdS) in Instructional Leadership, Eufaula, Ala.
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Jurjen Smies, History, Den Haag (The Hague), the Netherlands
- Brandie Greathouse, Social Work, San Diego, Calif.
- Michael Pritchard, Communication – Theatre, Montgomery, Ala.
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Alejandro Perez, Nursing, Huntsville, Ala.
- Gabriela Vail-Delgado, Nursing, Union Springs, Ala.
- Hannah Bell Russell, Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, Elmore, Ala.
College of Sciences
- Jasmine Bell, Psychology, Montgomery, Ala.
- Levi B. Lowery, Mathematics, Prattville, Ala.
- Sarah Jayne Belcher, Chemistry (minor in Mathematics), Kingman, Ariz.
University College
- Mandi Sellers, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mobile, Ala.
- Sara Jo Gilmore, Interdisciplinary Studies, Alpine, Ala.
Join us in celebrating their academic achievements.
AUM stepmother and daughter graduate on same day
Ashley D’Elia’s own educational journey helped her stepdaughter, Kennedy D’Elia, see what was possible for herself. This Saturday, the two will walk the commencement stage at Auburn University at Montgomery on the same day, marking a meaningful milestone in their shared journey as students.
Ashley, an assistant clinical professor at AUM, will graduate at 10 a.m. with her Doctor of Nursing Practice from AUM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Kennedy will follow at 2 p.m., receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from AUM’s College of Sciences.
For the D’Elia family, commencement won’t just mark two degrees. It will celebrate a mother and daughter relationship built on trust, mentorship and the kind of encouragement that can reshape someone’s future.
Kennedy was 14 when Ashley first entered her life. A year later, Ashley married Kennedy’s father, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, and officially became her stepmother.
Kennedy admits she was already “grown up in my own mind” at 15, but Ashley quickly became far more than a new parental figure.
“She’s my mom,” Kennedy said. “She just came into my life later in life a little bit.”
Over time, Ashley became a mentor, confidante and example of what can happen when someone pursues their goals with determination.
AUM faculty member Ashley D’Elia and her stepdaughter student Kennedy D’Elia smiling in regalia outdoors on campus.
Ashley D’Elia, left, and Kennedy D’Elia celebrate their upcoming spring 2026 commencement at AUM.
“She was the first woman in my life who pursued a doctorate and showed me how it was possible,” Kennedy said as tears welled in her eyes. “She became that educational role model for me and helped me really understand that maybe I did want a college degree.
Their academic interests may be different — nursing and psychology — but both are passionate about improving mental health care and expanding opportunities for their communities.
That passion has brought them both to their full-circle moment at commencement. Their graduation day will be long — their family plans to spend nearly the entire day on campus attending both ceremonies — but neither would want it any other way.
Learn more about their journey to graduation in the AUM Newsroom.
AUM Athletics, Whataburger celebrate educators
AUM Athletics has teamed up with Whataburger to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week by offering faculty and staff a free hot breakfast from 5-9 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at participating locations.
Faculty and staff can choose from breakfast favorites including a breakfast on a bun, honey butter chicken biscuit or taquito. A valid school ID is required. The offer is available for dine-in, takeout or drive-thru orders.
First MS-SLP cohort mark milestone moment
The first graduates of AUM’s online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology are preparing to turn their training, teamwork and passion for helping others into meaningful careers of service.
AUM will award degrees to eight students from the program’s inaugural cohort this Saturday during the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony for the College of Nursing & Health Sciences at the AUM Athletics Complex. The graduates are Hannah Bell Russell, Olivia Ellis Mixon, Caitlin N. Grant, Amy Lee Horton, Shandria Yolanda Johnson, Theresa Pasha, Allyson Price Smith and Diamonel Smith-Manigault.
Launched in fall 2024, AUM’s MS-SLP program is designed to offer an innovative, intellectually engaging and student-centered learning environment that integrates academic and clinical training.
Russell said the road to graduation required resilience, adaptability and a deep commitment to supporting one another.
“Being part of a new program brought its challenges,” she said. “Our cohort didn’t have former students to turn to for advice. The strong bond within our cohort kept us going.”
The 10-course program began with two weeks of intensive clinical training, setting the foundation for hands-on learning. Built on active learning principles, the program emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, self-analysis and research-based discovery.
Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists, working to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
AUM AV Storytelling Camp returns June 8-11
AUM’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Department of Communication and Theatre will offer the fifth annual Audio-Visual (AV) Storytelling Camp June 8-11.
The free, four-day camp is open to 24 area high school students interested in producing multimedia stories. Participants will explore podcasting, television, voice acting, news writing and strategic communication while learning how to create media projects for their portfolios.
Campers will have the opportunity to develop projects such as documentaries, creative photography pieces or fictional radio dramas.
The camp is supported by a grant from the Alabama Press Association and the AUM Office of the Provost. The registration deadline is June 1.
Build in-demand data analytics skills this summer
Data drives decisions, and professionals who can interpret it are in demand across industries.
AUM’s 2026 Summer Data Analytics Certificate Program helps students, professionals, and practitioners build high-impact skills in data science, statistical learning, statistical modeling and data-driven decision making.
In this three day, six-module course, participants will gain practical tools to analyze, interpret, and leverage data across industries such as business, healthcare, academia, and public policy.
Take your analytical skills to the next level this summer by registering for a session:
