Light — abundant light from all corners that represents a brighter future for all.

That’s what visitors to the College of Education’s new home will likely notice first upon opening the building’s large glass doors.

The college raised $7,242,460 in support of the new building. In total, 41 spaces have been named so far to make the new facility a reality.

“It is such an honor to be a part of the first group of student ambassadors able to give tours in the new building,” said Ainsley Watts, who will take the helm this fall as secretary of the college’s Student Ambassadors group, a leadership organization whose members serve as hosts and volunteers for the college, assist in the Dean’s Office and promote the college through other activities and events. “As the daughter of two Auburn graduates and teachers, being able to represent something so important to me means a lot.”

Jada Kohlmeier has a clear approach to addressing complex issues. And it’s a process she’s hoping to convey to future generations of educators and students alike.

Helping others live out the American dream toward a full and healthy life is a goal Brian McCabe has had for some time.

Rooted on the Plains of Auburn and with a local, state and national focus in mind, a new Plains Research Consortium was recently launched by Auburn University’s College of Education to serve as a leading voice in educational policy and actionable health insights.

Deep in the heart of rural Alabama in a town called Webb, population 1,270, Jason Bryant was raised by his grandparents and seemingly destined to follow a path of poverty all too common for the area near Dothan.

In 2012, Sean Forbes planted a garden at his son’s school.

“My son was upset when he came home from school one day. He was sad that his first-grade class only spent five minutes outside that day,” he said. “We were already gardening together at home so that gave us an idea.”

Kennedy McClure says her desire to become a teacher is all thanks to one key person in her life: her mom.

“I was home-schooled on and off throughout my childhood,” said McClure, an early childhood education major in Auburn University’s College of Education. “So, watching my mom lead my sisters and me while juggling all of her other tasks encouraged me to be half of the teacher she was.”

Auburn University College of Education graduate student Katelyn Nelson’s aspirations are solidly focused on artificial intelligence.

Karli Yarbrough, a graduate student in Auburn University’s College of Education, has discovered her lofty purpose. It was spurred on by the support of two amazing professors and an inspiring group of EAGLES.

When the first cohort of physical therapy students arrives at Auburn University this summer, they will be greeted by two hallmarks of the program – top-notch faculty and educational technology. The faculty who will be leading future physical therapists through their studies boast more than 150 years collectively of physical therapy experience.

In 2008, JoEllen Sefton received a phone call from U.S. Army Major Todd Burkhardt at Fort Benning that went a little bit like this:

“Dr. Sefton, the commander of our training unit tells me we have way too many injuries and we need to fix it. Can you help?”

Auburn University Alumni Professor Michael Roberts’ laboratory in the School of Kinesiology is on a path to grow research exponentially thanks to a $300,000 commitment in 2023 from Nutrabolt, an Austin-based performance nutrition and beverage company. The three-year naming opportunity will make the Nutrabolt Applied and Molecular Physiology Laboratory one of the few premier university research laboratories in the world dedicated to understanding the factors that impact muscle physiology at the molecular level.

When Auburn University alumnus Kyle Wasserberger was researching graduate schools, he had a pretty good idea of what he was looking for. And when he found information on College of Education Professor Gretchen Oliver’s Sports Medicine and Movement Lab, he knew it was exactly where he wanted to be.

If he hadn’t been in the right place at the right time, Auburn University faculty member Ford Dyke knows his life might be very different.

“If I had attended or worked at any other institution, I wouldn’t be doing all the really cool work that I’ve done in the past 10 years,” he said. “It’s really humbling, and I am super grateful to have all these opportunities. That’s how things transpire when you’re connected to really good people.”

Mary Rudisill believes everyone has the right to live a long, healthy life. It’s become her mantra when talking to people about the work being done in the School of Kinesiology – the research, teaching, and outreach all come back to finding ways to help people improve their health to improve their lives. Rudisill, the director and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor in the School of Kinesiology, says there is nothing more important than a person’s health. Her life’s work shows that it’s not just something she says – she believes it and lives it each day.