May 14, 2012
Researchers discover, name Auburn Tiger Trapdoor Spider
Auburn researchers have discovered a new species of trapdoor spider in a well-developed housing subdivision in the heart of the city of Auburn. Myrmekiaphila tigris, referred to as the Auburn Tiger Trapdoor Spider, is named in honor of mascot Aubie. The research team, directed by Jason Bond, director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, and Charles Ray, a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, was excited at the prospect of such a remarkable find just underfoot. Bond and Ray actually live in the neighborhood where the new species was discovered. Trapdoor spiders, related to tarantulas, funnel web spiders and their kin, construct subterranean burrows that they cover with a hinged door made of a mixture of silk and soil. Female spiders spend nearly their entire lives in a single silk-lined burrow from which they forage as sit-and-wait predators. Prey are captured, usually at night, when an insect or other animal causes a vibration, provoking the spider to leap from the burrow entrance, bite and envenomate the unsuspecting victim, and then return to the bottom of the burrow to feast on its prize. To read more, see the featured story.
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Lowder Lounge coffee shop opens Tuesday
Tiger Dining is opening the Lowder Lounge coffee shop in 0003 Lowder Hall on Tuesday, May 15, where students, faculty and staff can enjoy taking a break and indulging in coffee, pastries, snacks and grab-and-go sandwiches. It will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the summer. This location is temporary until a new full service cafe and lounge can be constructed. 
Baseball team hosting five home games
The Auburn baseball team will begin a five-game homestand Monday, May 14, when it hosts Florida A&M at 6 p.m. The game is Fan Appreciation Night and all fans will receive free general admission tickets. Tuesday night the Tigers will take on Jacksonville State at 6 p.m. It's Two-for-Tuesday and fans can buy one ticket and receive one free. The final SEC series of the season will begin Thursday at 6 p.m. against the Florida Gators. First pitch for Friday's game is at 6 p.m. and fans that check in to Plainsman Park on Foursquare could win a prize. The series finale will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday. There will be a pregame ceremony to recognize the 2012 Auburn baseball team's senior class. For more information or to purchase tickets call 855-AUB-2010 or go to AUBTix.com. 
Audiology program receives grant to fund Tele-Health in Guatemala
The Audiology program in the College of Liberal Arts' Department of Communication Disorders has received a 2012 Competitive Outreach Scholarship Grant from Auburn University's Vice-President for University Outreach. The grant will fund "Tele-Health in Guatemala: Serving Hearing Healthcare Needs of Impoverished Children." Students and faculty in the Audiology Outreach in Guatemala Project were recently in Guatemala City providing support for the hearing health care program that has been developed in the city schools. To follow their work by "Liking" their new Facebook page, go to the website. 
Muslim Students Association hosting speaker Friday
The Muslim Students Association is hosting speaker Sheikh Areeb Islam on Friday, May 18, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in 2222-2223 Student Center. He will present "Seriously!? Is Islam still relevant in the 21st century? What you always wanted to know, but were always too scared to ask." Pizza will be served. 
Section of West Samford Avenue to close temporarily
The section of West Samford Avenue between South Donahue Drive to Duncan Drive will be closed May 29-July 27. The purpose of this road closure is to install underground utilities that will serve the new Student Residence Hall at West Samford Avenue and South Donahue Drive. Please use South Donahue Drive, Lem Morrison Drive and Duncan Drive as a detour. A map of the area is available here. For questions or concerns, contact Ben Chapman at 750-4635 or wbc0004@auburn.edu. 
Win a round of golf during International Museum Day
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is celebrating International Museum Day on Friday, May 18. The first 100 visitors through the door will be entered to win a round of golf for two at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National. The museum staff will be serving refreshments throughout the day and the museum shop will offer a 20 percent discount on any one item. Admission to the museum is free. |
Spring graduates awarded Fulbright and French Teaching Assistantships
Hanna Gordon, an Auburn University spring 2012 summa cum laude Honors College graduate with a major in French, has been awarded a Fulbright-French Ministry of Education English Teaching Assistantship. She will be placed in a middle school in the Besancon region of France. Gordon will be joined by fellow Auburn graduate Kaylin Stephens who has been awarded the competitive Teaching Assistant Program in France assistantship, sponsored by the French Ministry of Education. To read more, see the news release. 
Take 5 with Dwayne Cox
Dwayne Cox, head of Special Collections and Archives for the Auburn University Libraries, is the subject of this week's Take 5 segment on the Auburn University homepage. A Lexington, Ky., native, Cox holds a bachelor's degree in history from Kentucky Wesleyan College, a master's in history from the University of Louisville and a doctorate in history from the University of Kentucky. After working as the University of Louisville's associate archivist, he came to Auburn in 1986 to be the university's archivist. Cox is the co-author of "A History of the University of Louisville," published by the University Press of Kentucky, and is currently writing "A History of Auburn University" under contract with the University of Alabama Press. 
Class of '64 students revisit attempted integration of Macon County public schools
Anthony Lee and Willie Wyatt Jr., two of three seniors who attempted to integrate Macon County High School in Notasulga in 1964, will discuss their experiences related to the event May 23 at 2 p.m. at the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center, 104 South Elm Street in Tuskegee. The event stems from a collaborative and ongoing project between the Community and Civic Engagement Initiative in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University and the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center to document and preserve citizen memories related to the desegregation of public schools in Macon County. To read more, see the news release. 
War Eagle Way traffic and pedestrian improvement project begins Wednesday
A traffic and pedestrian improvement project on War Eagle Way will begin Wednesday, May 16, to address traffic flow and safety concerns. The project is expected to be finished before fall classes begin. Throughout the construction period, two lanes of traffic will be maintained with flag persons on site. Parking Services will assist with parking and access issues during construction. For parking concerns or questions, call 844-4143. For construction questions or concerns, contact Buster Reese at 703-7212 or reesegp@auburn.edu. A map of the area is available here. 
Deadline for Biofuels Workshop poster presentation abstracts is Tuesday
Undergraduate and graduate students conducting research on biofuels, bioproducts and related topics are invited to submit abstracts for the student poster competition at the Biofuels Workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation, on June 14. Students working in both thermochemical and biochemical platforms are invited to submit abstracts. The deadline to submit an abstract is Tuesday, May 15, before 5 p.m. The top three posters will receive awards in the amount of $500, $300 and $200 for the first, second and third place finishes, respectively. The guidelines for abstract submission can be found online. |
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