Sippial named Auburn University’s director of the Honors College

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Tiffany Sippial, associate professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts, has been named Auburn University’s director of the Honors College, effective July 1.

A scholar in the field of early and modern Latin America, Sippial brings more than 11 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator to the role. In addition to serving as director of graduate studies in the Department of History, Sippial has also completed prestigious fellowships with the Southeastern Conference’s Academic Leadership Development Program, the HERS Leadership Institute and was the university’s Presidential Administrative Fellow in 2017.

As director of the Honors College, Sippial will lead the unit’s distinguished academic programs, including a highly-developed curriculum and the university’s prestigious scholars program, and will continue to facilitate partnerships with faculty to offer innovative academic and research experiences. Working with academic units across campus, Sippial will advance the college’s mission of fostering intellectual development and promoting student engagement.

“Auburn’s Honors College plays a critical role in strengthening our academic community,” Sippial said. “Going forward, it is important that our students continue to have distinctive academic experiences that not only support Auburn’s mission and culture, but also challenge them to take advantage of opportunities for advanced learning, discovery and service.”

Sippial joined the university in 2007 as an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts. Following her promotion to associate professor in 2013, Sippial began serving as the director of graduate studies. Her research interests and teaching areas include early and modern Latin America, gender and sexuality, Cuba, and the Caribbean. Sippial has secured a number of prestigious research grants, including a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Grant, a CCWH Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Award, and an American Historical Association Albert J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the History of the Western Hemisphere. A strong advocate for student international experiences, Sippial has previously led two Honors College study and travel courses to Cuba.

“Dr. Sippial’s innovation, commitment to academic excellence, and support for student success ensures that she is well positioned to carry Auburn’s Honors College forward,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Bill Hardgrave.

Auburn University’s Honors College provides academic programs, research opportunities and prestigious scholar programs for high-potential undergraduate students from each of the university’s academic colleges and schools. Since the program’s inception in 1979, the college has grown from 15 to 1,700 undergraduate students, and this fall will welcome 535 incoming freshmen. The college, and its curriculum, outline a flexible, challenging and individualized path for students to take as they complete their degree. 

Sippial holds doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of New Mexico and bachelor’s degrees from Southwestern University. In 2003, Sippial published an award-winning book on Cuba with the University of North Carolina Press, and is currently completing her second book with that press. Sippial will also serve as president of the Latin American and Caribbean Section of the Southern Historical Association next year. She is a member of the American Historical Association, the Conference on Latin American History, the Latin American Studies Association, and the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, among others. Her appointment fills the vacancy created by Constance Relihan, former associate provost for undergraduate studies, following her retirement from the university in May.

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