Five of Auburn’s 12 summer semester commencement marshals have local ties

AUBURN – Five of the 12 students selected to represent their colleges at Auburn University’s 2021 summer commencement ceremony this weekend have ties to the local area. Two are from Madison and three are from Huntsville.

Lindsey Erin Fish of Madison (Raymond J. Harbert College of Business), Brittany Griffin of Huntsville (The Graduate School), Daniel Leaphart of Madison (College of Sciences and Mathematics), Dylan McGlamry of Huntsville (School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences) and Cammie Payne of Huntsville (College of Human Sciences) will lead their respective colleges into Auburn Arena during the graduation festivities on Saturday, Aug. 7.

Each college at Auburn enlists a special committee to select a student marshal who best represents the values and level of excellence within the college and carry its flag at the front of the commencement procession. Due to August’s temperatures, Auburn’s Aug. 6-7 commencement ceremonies will take place at Auburn Arena, but all graduates also will have the opportunity to take family photographs inside Jordan-Hare Stadium immediately following the ceremonies on Saturday.

The university will kick off its graduation weekend at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 6, with a commencement address from Auburn alumna Nelda Lee—an aerospace and aviation pioneer from Carrollton, Alabama, who was the second woman to earn an aerospace engineering degree from Auburn. Open to all graduates and families, the evening will include the group recognition of graduates with academic honors, conferral of degrees by the Auburn University Board of Trustees and the Graduate School ceremony for master’s and doctoral graduates.

Lee’s commencement Friday night address will immediately be followed by the Graduate School ceremony for the conferral of master’s and doctoral degrees. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, the university will host 10 undergraduate ceremonies at assigned times throughout the day in the arena.

Additional information is available on the commencement website and information will be posted on the Facebook and Instagram accounts. All ceremonies will be livestreamed, with recordings available on the commencement website following the weekend festivities. Graduates and their families are encouraged to check the website regularly for updated information.

Lindsey Erin Fish

Lindsey Erin Fish, Madison, Alabama

Raymond J. Harbert College of Business

Fish will receive a bachelor’s degree in management and a minor in human resource management. She has been a Harbert College teacher’s aide and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. She also did an internship with GE Appliances as an area business leader in Kentucky.

Dean quote: Harbert College Dean and Wells Fargo Professor Annette L. Ranft

“The Harbert College of Business is dedicated to producing highly desired graduates who are professionally prepared, ethical and globally minded. Lindsey meets all of these standards and more. We have no doubt that she will make a positive impact on the business world through her leadership skills, collaborative nature and by her example.”

Brittany Griffin

Brittany Griffin, Huntsville, Alabama

The Graduate School

Griffin will be receiving a doctorate of philosophy in mechanical engineering. Her research focuses on utilizing acoustic metamaterials to mitigate high-frequency acoustic noise from MEMS devices, and she has two patent applications filed for the designs developed during her research. She received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn in 2004, then went on to earn her master’s in mechanical engineering from Auburn in 2008.

“I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of support and guidance from some wonderful teachers and professors who have helped me tremendously,” Griffin said. “During my time at Auburn and my career with the Army, I have been fortunate enough to work in environments that have been a healthy mixture of office and laboratory settings. My background in mechanical engineering, combined with my hands-on experience with the Auburn Lady Tigers Mini Baja Team (2003-04) has given me the skill set to continue being hands-on in a professional capacity.”

Currently, Griffin works as a project lead at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center, which accepted her into its sabbatical program and gave her resources to perform her research.

Dean quote: George Flowers, dean, The Graduate School

“Dr. Brittany Griffin is a highly respected leader and an extremely talented engineer. Her doctoral research has developed an innovative technology for protecting electronic and mechanical devices from the damaging effects of high levels of acoustic noise.  er work is applicable to a wide variety of civilian and military systems.  We are very proud of her outstanding accomplishments and applaud her selection as Graduate Marshal. She truly embodies the Auburn spirit.”

Daniel Leaphart

Daniel Leaphart, Madison, Alabama

College of Sciences and Mathematics

Leaphart will earn a degree in geology and played trombone for four years in the Auburn University Marching Band. He wants to become a paleontologist and believes his geology degree will serve as a strong foundation for a career in paleontology. Leaphart hopes to return to Colorado or Utah to study and research dinosaurs after graduation.

COSAM quote: John Fronimos, lecturer, Department of Geosciences

“Daniel Leaphart is a talented and hard-working researcher whose innovative problem solving was vital to my investigations of the structure and mechanics of giant dinosaurs. In the course of this work, he co-authored a research talk, representing COSAM and Auburn University at the southeastern section meeting of the Geological Society of America. I look forward to seeing his future accomplishments.”

Dylan McGlamry

Dylan McGlamry, Huntsville, Alabama

School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

McGlamry will be receiving a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and management and plans to work with either endangered or invasive species in wildlife land management. At Auburn, he has worked a number of years with the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Southeastern Raptor Center and as a classroom technology support technician for the university’s Office of Information Technology. He also has served as a volunteer with AU Impact and the local foodbank.

Dean quote: Janaki Alavalapati, dean, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

“Dylan has been a dedicated student and valued member of our campus community. He serves as an example for other students to embrace opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom where they are able to apply their knowledge and skills through real-world experience. We are proud of his accomplishments and that he will serve as graduation marshal for the school.”

Cammie Payne

Cammie Payne, Huntsville, Alabama

College of Human Sciences

Payne will be receiving a bachelor’s degree in human development and family science. Payne was a member of several honor societies and the Human Development and Family Studies Professionals Club. She also was an undergraduate teaching assistant, Auburn Rec and Wellness personal trainer and a part of AU Dance Marathon and CHAARG.

This fall, Payne will begin her pursuit of a master’s degree in Child Life at Auburn. Her goal is to become a Certified Child Life Specialist at a children’s hospital.

“In this role, I will have the opportunity to ensure that children and their families experience a hospital environment that encourages expression of emotion, reduces stress and promotes coping through therapeutic interventions,” Payne said.

Dean quote: Susan Hubbard, dean, College of Human Sciences

“Cammie Payne has shown a true passion for improving quality of life for others as she pursued a degree in Human Development and Family Science and now in moving forward to earn her Master of Science in Child Life this fall. She displayed true leadership and meaningful connection with her peers through her involvement in multiple honor societies and outreach opportunities. We are eager to see the difference Cammie will make in the health care field as she elevates her education to the next level and helps families navigate through difficult medical journeys, and she will no doubt have a significant impact.”