"I feel very grateful, honored, and humbled by the extremely strong support that I've had both from colleagues here at Auburn and fellow researchers around the world ... What is most important to me about the award is to know that the work I have done in mathematics over the last 38 years at Auburn is held in high regard by my mathematical friends and colleagues."

Gary Gruenhage has been at Auburn for 38 years. His research area is set-theoretic topology, a melding of set theory and general topology. The two fields are fundamental mathematical disciplines with common historical roots and serve as essential tools in many areas of mathematics. Gruenhage has published more than 100 articles in research journals and as book chapters and his work is commonly cited by other leading researchers. He is a frequent invited speaker at major national and international conferences in his field and his work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. Gruenhage says his proudest moment was the day he returned to work at Auburn after sustaining a spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the chest down in April 2006. His doctor was skeptical and suggested that he be "realistic," but Gruenhage's goal was to be home in time for fall semester. He finished rehabilitation and returned home on Aug. 10, 2006, and returned to Auburn University on Aug. 15, 2006, the first day of the semester.