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We’re proud to recognize this impressive group of alumni as our inaugural 30 Under 30 class. Because of their leadership, creativity and drive, they’re making an impact on their professions, improving communities and building a brighter future for us all.
Graduate School: Auburn University
City: Montgomery, AL
Major: Master of Public Administration, 2019
Brian Massey is a 2019 graduate of Auburn University where he earned a Master of Public Administration degree. Currently, Massey serves as the director of government relations for the Alabama Education Association (AEA), one of America’s premiere educational associations. At AEA he oversees the lobby team and establishes statewide strategies, policies, and plans which align with government laws, regulations, and organizational standards. Additionally, he leads analysis of proposed legislative actions, determines the potential impact on the State of Alabama, and develops appropriate responses. Prior to his service with AEA, Massey served as a policy analyst in Governor Kay Ivey’s administration, focusing on education and workforce development.
City: Los Angeles, CA
Major: Media Studies, 2015
Since graduating from Auburn University in 2015, Tiffany S. Watson has worked in various media and entertainment jobs. Her start began at Good Morning America as a production intern. Since then she has gone on to produce digital content for companies such as ATTN: and USA Today. In 2018, she made the switch to entertainment and took a position with the award-winning ABC show, The Talk. Here she refined her social media skills, working as the only social media producer for the show. In February 2021, she accepted a position with Netflix, where she serves as the manager of audience development.
Graduate School: Notre Dame Law School
City: Chicago, IL
Major: Political Science, 2015
After graduating from Auburn University summa cum laude in 2015, Gregory Noorigian attended Notre Dame Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2018. While in law school, he served as the managing articles editor of the Journal of Legislation, a volume editor for the Armenian Yearbook of International and Comparative Law, and a summer law clerk for Judge Paul G. Byron for the United States District Court of the Middle District of Florida. Since 2018, he has worked as an attorney in Chicago and is currently an associate with Dechert LLP where he primarily focuses on internal investigations and securities litigation. As an attorney, he has represented numerous Fortune 100 companies in litigation in federal and state courts throughout the United States. He has also participated in investigations related to insider trading, anti-corruption and anti-bribery matters, fiduciary duties, and various criminal subjects. As an attorney, he has also contributed to and authored numerous publications covering areas of law such as arbitration, securities litigation, and constitutional law. Noorigian also serve his community through various significant pro bono matters and community initiatives. He has submitted multiple briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States, represented numerous individuals in criminal appeals, and worked on matters related to protecting voting rights. Aside from his work as a lawyer, he serves on the Young Professionals Board of Cabrini Green Legal Aid, an organization committed to helping individuals with prior criminal histories secure opportunities to integrate fully into their communities. He was a guest lecturer at Notre Dame Law School (bankruptcy courses) and he frequently mentors Auburn and Notre Dame students.
Graduate School: Auburn University
City: Cullman, AL
Major: Public Administration, 2012
Austin Monk graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in public administration. He went on to pursue a Master of Public Administration at Auburn University and graduated in 2012. Monk is a workforce development professional that actively engages human capital to enhance business operations. He uses internal and external resources to recruitment, onboard, retain and renew team members. He previously worked with AgCor Steel to provide opportunities to grow and improve its team and enhance its company culture. These actions help increase employee satisfaction, increase quality and meet production KPIs. In his prior roles, Monk helped manage economic development and workforce projects for regional business and industry. In his spare time, he owns a small vegetable farm called Flat Rock Farms, which focuses on no-till techniques and best practices in land and water management.
City: Los Angeles, CA
Major: Public Relations, 2015
Cam Brantley-Rios graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations. He is currently working as a production assistant at Lucasfilm in San Francisco and ultimately hopes to have a screenplay go into production. He started his PR internship at Lucasfilm the month after graduation. After the release of “The Force Awakens,” his internship ended and he moved to Los Angeles to look for work. After a stint at William Morris Endeavor, a talent agency that represents clients such as Ben Affleck, Rihanna, and Christian Bale, he found himself wanting to do production and came back to Lucasfilm in northern California.
City: McMurdo Station, Antartica
Major: Aviation Management, 2016
Jackson Moore is originally from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Auburn in 2016 with a degree in aviation management. Moore began his dream job as the aviation operations coordinator in the U.S. Antarctic Program in December 2018. In this role, he is a member of a three-person team that plans and coordinates all the science and cargo missions for U.S. fixed wing flights between Christchurch, McMurdo, South Pole, and all field camps. He works with industry-leading scientists, world-class pilots and generals.
City: Richmond, VA
Major: Master of Public Administration, 2019
Davis Gammon is a 2019 graduate of the Auburn University Master of Public Administration Program. He currently serves as the population health manager for the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. His work primarily revolves around tackling issues of health equity and justice across the Commonwealth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the curtain has been pulled back on longstanding disparities around race, income, and an individual’s health. Gammon is working with Virginia hospitals and a variety of stakeholders to begin to address those inequities though evidence-based solutions. This includes through a hospital-based violence intervention program collaborative. Additionally, the country has experienced a dramatic increase in violence during the pandemic. Gammon and the hospital association have brought together a group of hospitals to work with survivors of violence to limit retaliation, re-injury, and re-traumatization. The collaborative has served over 1,500 survivors in just over a year. He has also used the challenges of 2020 to galvanize leaders in Virginia to address trauma in Virginia’s hospitals. Together, with hospital leaders, Gammon formed the Virginia Hospital Trauma-Informed Care Committee to create guidance and recommendations for Virginia’s medical community in order to be more trauma-responsive in service delivery. In his spare time, he is an elder in his local church and enjoys playing golf, hunting, fishing, cooking, spending time with friends, and of course, cheering for the Auburn Tigers!
City: Atlanta, GA
Major: Communication Disorders, 2016
Sallie Boone graduated with a degree in communication disorders and a concentration in Spanish. Following graduation, she returned to her hometown of Atlanta, GA, where she joined research teams at Emory University and the Marcus Autism Center affiliated with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. At Emory University, she worked as a research assistant for the Rollins School of Public Health on the PrEP project, an emerging HIV prevention drug. She was selected as a specialized volunteer at the Marcus Autism Center, where her work concentrated in the pediatric neuro-imaging core studying eye gaze and brain activity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Following a year of research, she began the master’s program in speech language pathology at the University of Montevallo. She served as a graduate assistant and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Pi honor society. At Montevallo, She received the Vivian L. Roe Award for Clinical Excellence. This award recognizes the top clinical student in the graduating class based on excellent ethical adherence during clinical experiences while providing outstanding speech and language services to clients within the clinical setting. She completed a year-long clinical fellowship and is now a certified bilingual speech language pathologist. She has worked in pediatric private practice for two years in the Atlanta area, primarily working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding and provides intensive feeding therapy to her clients who struggle with co-occuring swallowing disorders. Additionally, she is trained to trial, prescribe, and program speech generating AAC devices for non-verbal children. She credits her time at Auburn University with providing her with the skills and knowledge to succeed in her career.
City: Pelham, AL
Major: Political Science, 2015
Jackson Pruett is experienced in industrial recruitment, business retention and expansion, and workforce development. He began his career at 58 INC. after serving as vice president of business development and support at the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and project manager at the Shelby County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. He received his Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from Auburn University. Pruett is a graduate of the Auburn University Government and Economic Development Institute and the University of Alabama Economic Development Academy. He was also selected for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Business Leads Education and Workforce Fellowship in 2019.
City: Birmingham, AL
Major: Economics, 2018
Jacqueline Keck Chandler is a 2018 graduate of Auburn University where she majored in economics and served as the Student Government Association president. She also served the University as a War Eagle Girl and Plainsmen where she represented the Office of Alumni Affairs, Auburn Athletics, and the Office of the University President. Upon graduation she interned with PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and then joined the City of Auburn’s economic development team as the director of industrial development. She specialized in marketing and representing the Auburn community to perspective clients, project logistics and partnership building with local and regional stakeholders. In her current role with NextSite, she helps communities across the U.S. grow their commercial footprint by providing industry-leading research, consumer analytics and targeted opportunities to commercial development decision makers.
City: North Augusta, SC
Major: Journalism, 2019
Brooklyn Holt graduated summa cum laude from the College of Liberal Arts and Honors College with a degree in journalism and a minor in business administration. Following graduation, Holt joined The Doerr Institute for New Leaders, a globally recognized leader development enterprise at Rice University, as a digital marketing and communications specialist. In this role, she is responsible for all internal and external communications, including engagement with Rice stakeholders, other higher education institutions, and external board members like John Doerr, Al Gore, and Klaus Schwab. Her work is directly related to creating more and better leaders for society and supporting a #LeadershipReckoning movement in higher education to improve the way students are developed as leaders; Brooklyn's work featuring the Doerr Institute was recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. During the pandemic and while working at the Doerr Institute, she obtained a Project Management Certificate from Cornell University. She is using her expanded project management skills to build a digital community for institutions eager to improve their leadership development efforts and share best practices. Prior to joining the Doerr Institute, she worked in a myriad of communications and engagement positions including the Office of Undergraduate Research and Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn University. She also interned at Southwest Airlines and in the press office for the governor of Alabama. While at Auburn, Holt twirled as a majorette in the Auburn University Marching Band and served as Miss Auburn University.
Graduate School: Auburn University
City: Montgomery, AL
Major: Master of Social Work, 2019
Ashley Edwards has called Montgomery home for the past six years and works as a social worker/investigator at the Federal Defender Program for the Middle District of Alabama. Edwards received her bachelor's degree in social work from Auburn University in 2015, and graduated from Auburn's inaugural cohort of Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) students in May 2019. She was licensed by the state of Alabama as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in 2020. During her career, Edwards has worked as a justice fellow at the Equal Justice Initiative, providing trauma-informed services to individuals on death row and children sentenced to die in prison. She has also worked as a parent educator at the Gift of Life Foundation, providing evidence-based, in-home parent education to expectant families and parents of children ages birth to two years old. In her current role at the Federal Defender office, she assists attorneys and legal staff in providing client-centered representation to indigent defendants charged with federal offenses. In the community, Edwards serves as the volunteer president for the Montgomery Bail Out Fund, an organization providing assistance for neighbors who cannot afford the cost of their cash bail. As a part of this work, she advocates for pretrial freedom of individuals incarcerated in the local jails. She also organizes with the Montgomery chapter of Southerners on New Ground (SONG), a collective organizing for economic and racial justice for LGBTQ+ and working class individuals across the southern United States. In 2020, she was one of 30 individuals chosen for a two-year term on the mayor's Young Professional Council, which meets monthly with Mayor Steven Reed to engage in dialogue on city policy and advise the mayor on initiatives to help make Montgomery a more equitable and desirable place to live, work and visit. In 2021, Edwards was selected by Auburn University social work faculty to receive the inaugural Social Work Alumni of the Year award, which acknowledges and honors an Auburn graduate who is making an outstanding professional contribution to the field of social work and is known for their contributions to the larger community. Edwards is committed to working toward a Montgomery where all residents have the freedom to live healthy, happy and fulfilling lives.
City: Washington, DC
Major: Communication & Media Studies, 2012
Samantha Boyd is a 2012 graduate of Auburn University where she majored in communication and media studies. For the past five years, Boyd has served as a communications director at Bloomberg L.P., part of the company's global external relations team, with a day-to-day focus on the Bloomberg News division. Specifically, she serves as an in-house publicist for Bloomberg's U.S. politics coverage, sitting with the editors in the company’s Washington bureau, working on content promotion strategy. During her time at Bloomberg, Boyd has created promotion strategy for national news such as the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, two presidential interviews, as well as exclusives with White House officials, Capitol Hill leadership, diplomats and CEOs. Before Bloomberg, Boyd served as a senior communications manager at the American Diabetes Association. At the Association, she collaborated on press strategy for national awareness campaigns and executive communications.
City: New York, NY
Major: Public Relations, 2013
After graduating from Auburn University in 2013, Carolyn Rush began her career in Washington, DC, to work for CEB (now Gartner) as a business development associate for a year. At age 23, Rush took a leap of faith and blindly reached out to Nicole Aguirre, local DC business owner of Worn Magazine. Together they pivoted the idea of a successful local culture magazine into a branding creative agency called Worn, which focused on empowering women. As head of strategy for the business, she opted to take the lead in opening up an office in New York. Over the next seven years in New York, Worn quickly became the leading creative agency building brands for women. Since launching Worn in 2014, Rush built brands and global campaigns, from startups to Fortune 500s alike, focused on the needs of women. From Bumble campaigns to the world’s first CPG menopause line by Procter & Gamble, Rush took on projects that radically re-shaped the way women are thought about, talked about, and represented in advertising. Her work has been featured in the New Yorker, Fast Company, and the New York Times. In a change of pace, Rush became a birth and postpartum doula. She then joined a Worn-backed company, Robyn, where she served as the head of brand and strategy. Robyn is a company committed to destigmatizing, demystifying, and democratizing one’s right to have a family. Rush is working on a pilot product that would be the first messaging app to connect the urgent needs of a postpartum parent with a licensed maternal provider, e.g. doulas, lactation consultants, and more. Rush is now back in brand strategy and serves as the strategy director at Red Antler, the leading brand company for startups and new ventures like Casper, Allbirds, and Birchbox. Rush works alongside leading entrepreneurs to build the next wave of the world's most sought-after brands.
City: San Francisco, CA
Major: Public Relations, 2015
Leah Seay leads communications for customer-facing delivery products at Uber, where she manages media relations on consumer and merchant-facing technology for both Uber Eats and Postmates. In this role she oversees global strategies for new initiatives, campaigns, and product launches. Prior to Uber, Seay was a crisis and issues management spokesperson at Amazon, where she served as Amazon Operations’ main media contact and lead on-the-record spokesperson for litigation, theft, social media issues, and customer service issues—dealing with the company’s most difficult scenarios. Seay began her career at General Motors (GM) where she led state and local public policy communications in Washington, D.C., executed creative campaigns for the Buick, GMC and Chevrolet brand communications teams in Detroit, Michigan, and managed manufacturing and labor communications at the Flint Metal Center, in Flint, Michigan. Her career highlights at GM include hosting the global reveal of the first-ever mid-engine Corvette and managing a cross-country manufacturing roadshow for GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, and Executive Vice President of Manufacturing, Gerald Johnson, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of Uber, Seay serves as chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, where she leads a team of national agency and corporate PR professionals that create resources for entry to mid-level PR practitioners. She also actively mentors rising PR students through The LAGRANT Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of advertising, marketing, and public relations. Since leaving Auburn in 2015, Seay was named a 2021 Rising Star in PR by Business Insider and a national LAGRANT Foundation scholar in 2016. Seay received her master’s degree from the University of Alabama in 2017, where she received the Bruce Berger Leadership Award in 2016 and was named the Department of Advertising and Public Relations Outstanding Graduate Student in 2017.
Graduate School: Queen's University Belfast
City: Roanoke, AL
Major: History, 2013
Originally from Roanoke, AL, Marian Royston returned home after completing her master's degree in Northern Ireland. Royston, who graduated with honors from Auburn, majored in history with minors in community and civic engagement and political science. She was one of only 12 students selected for the prestigious Mitchell Scholarship in 2013, and to-date, remains Auburn's first and only Mitchell Scholar. She is currently a social studies teacher at Roanoke City Schools, serves on Randolph county's economic development authority board of directors, and is answering a call to ordained ministry. She was recently appointed by the United Methodist Conference of North Alabama to a position in the Northeast District.
Graduate School: The Johns Hopkins University
City: Washington, DC
Major: Political Science, 2013
Emily Scammell is a 2013 graduate of Auburn University where she majored in political science. Currently, Scammell serves as a humanitarian assistance officer at the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. The USAID transforms families, communities and countries so they can thrive and prosper. Prior to her work with USAID, she served as an emergency cash program manager with Mercy Corps in Baghdad, Iraq. Her work in Iraq focused on humanitarian assistance, conflict management, education, post-conflict psycho-social support, and the creation of livelihood opportunities for young adults.
City: Montgomery, AL
Major: Art History, 2015
Madeline Burkhardt is the adult education coordinator and curator at Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University Montgomery. She curates thought provoking exhibitions and campaigns for social justice and inclusion in and out of the museum, and carries the message of Rosa Parks every day. Burkhardt has also inspired actions in her local community and is acting as a resourceful and creative interpretation consultant for another local museum, The Lyme Museum. Burkhart graduated in 2015 with a degree in art history. She says Auburn helped her develop interpersonal skills and public speaking skills by putting both skills into practice during her time in the Department of Art and Art History.
City: Atlanta, GA
Major: Theatre, 2013
Blake Burgess began his acting career at age nine, pairing it with a football career throughout middle and high school before coming to Auburn. Once at Auburn he focused on football and school, earning SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition and playing in every game for the 2010 National Championship team on special teams. Burgess spent the summer of 2019 working in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, playing a leading role in “The Lost Colony,” an outdoor drama that tells the story of an early English colony in Roanoke, Virginia. In addition to acting, Burgess has recently picked up writing and directing. He and his brothers also shot a 30-minute short film last summer, a foray into the world of filmmaking for Burgess.
City: Auburn, AL
Major: Theatre Management, 2014
Taylor Dyleski is currently the director of production for the state-of-the-art Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center on Auburn University's campus. He was instrumental in the center's construction and opening. Previously he served as the production coordinator for the Auburn University Department of Theatre and Dance. Prior to returning to Auburn, Dyleski held positions at the Weston Playhouse, Atlanta Ballet, Broadway Dreams Foundation, and Peach State Theater. He is a graduate of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Auburn University and holds a BFA in theater management. Dyleski is an avid animal lover and works closely with the Lee County Humane Society in his spare time. He and his wife, CLA alumna Allie Dyleski, are expecting their first child this summer.
City: Charlotte, NC
Major: Journalism, 2015
Amanda Foster Dalton graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a degree in journalism and minor in marketing. She was involved in the on-campus television station, Eagle Eye TV, and ESPNU.Currently she serves as the communication lead consultant for Lowe's. Prior to joining Lowe's, Dalton served as a reporter in Charleston and Charlotte. While working in Charlotte for WBTV News, she reported on everything from the popularity of CBD to an officer shooting at police headquarters. Dalton was born and raised mostly in New Jersey, before her family moved to Alabama.
City: Opelika, AL
Major: Political Science and Journalism, Master of Public Administration, 2019
After graduating from Auburn University's Master of Public Administration Program, Ken Ward was named executive director of Opelika Main Street. Founded in 1987, Opelika Main Street is responsible for growing and enhancing Historic Downtown Opelika. At Main Street, Ward leads all administrative and programmatic aspects of the organization. During his time at Opelika Main Street, Ward has helped transform Main Street into a economic development driven organization. Specific projects undertaken include developing a business investment guide to recruit new investors into downtown, hosting downtown Opelika's first craft beer event which now draws over 1,500 people into downtown annually, administering multiple facade enhancement grants, coordinating with Main Street Alabama to host a resource team of downtown experts to provide long term recommendations for the growth of downtown, adding to downtown's successful way finding sign program, navigating downtown's small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating a renovation to the downtown breezeway alley, and increasing partnerships with area stakeholder groups such as the City of Opelika, Opelika City Schools, Keep Opelika Beautiful and the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. In addition to his work with Opelika Main Street, Ward also is an active member of the Opelika Rotary Club and a part of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce's 20 under 40 leadership program.
City: Jacksonville, AL
Major: English Literature, 2016
Laura Hart earned a bachelor's degree from Auburn University in 2016 and an MFA from Columbia University in 2019, where she served as a copy editor for the Columbia Journal. She interned under Susan Golomb at Writers House, one of the country’s top literary agencies, and then joined Bellevue Literary Press as publishing assistant in September 2019. Hart has a passion for cultivating and empowering diverse stories, so the publishing world better represents our modern society.
City: Auburn, AL
Major: Master of Public Administration, PhD in Public Admin and Public Policy, 2019
Dr. Olivia Janay Cook is a multi-passionate, innovative leader who thrives on helping institutions and organizations develop their human capital to gain greater efficiencies and productivity. A native of Auburn, AL and a tri-alumna of Auburn University, Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in polymer and fiber engineering (2014), and a minor in Spanish as well as a Master of Public Administration (2015) and a PhD degree (2019) in public administration and public policy. With impressions on her dissertation research surpassing over 3.5 million, she investigated the authentic leadership style development process for African American women senior leaders to determine factors that may influence their preferred leadership style. Cook has also received a number of fellowships and awards from local to international organizations such as the Auburn University Board of Trustees, Alabama Power, the American Political Science Association (APSA), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The PhD Project by way of the KPMG Foundation, to name a few. She is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Liberal Arts and the Advisory Board for the Women’s Leadership Institute both at Auburn University. She occasionally serves as an adjunct professor for at Auburn University and Texas Southern University’s Executive Master of Public Administration Program. Currently, Cook is a research analyst for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education where she is responsible for spearheading special research projects and leading the Commission on agency briefings. Her endeavors have assisted her greatly in her work globally, which includes international collaborations in Spanish speaking countries, Canada, Europe, and Africa.
City: Pelham, AL
Major: Public Administration & Public Policy PhD, 2019
Dr. Courtney Haun is a multi-passionate, ambitious leader with a love for higher education. With the ongoing quest to give, Haun has been able to promote positive change in organizations and communities through her ability to motivate and inspire others. She is committed to serving others and helping them create a life they love through health, education, faith, and overall well-being. She is also the proud wife of Dr. Cody Haun, business owner of Dr. Haun’s Fitness Lab. A native of Greeneville, Tennessee, Haun earned a Bachelor of Science (2014) in two degrees, one in healthcare administration and one in community health with a minor in marketing and a Master of Public Health (2016) with a concentration in healthcare administration from East Tennessee State University. She received her PhD in public administration and public policy from Auburn University in 2019. Haun is an assistant professor and the director of the undergraduate healthcare administration program in the Department of Healthcare Administration and Informatics at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. In this role, Haun oversees the school’s undergraduate program in healthcare administration, which was recognized as the recipient of the 2020 Upsilon Phi Delta (UPD) Grant for the Graduate Chapter and the UPD Undergraduate Scholarship by the Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Haun has made numerous presentations at national and international conference such as the Academy of Management (AoM), American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), Southeastern Conference of Public Administration (SECoPA), and Southern Management Association (SMA), just to name a few. She has also co-authored a number of internal and external publications, with six peer-reviewed journal articles and four book chapters. Her scholarly work has focused on leadership, policy, organizational outcomes, cultural competency, and workforce improvement with a focus on healthcare and higher education. Haun was recently appointed as the vice president for the American Society for Public Administration Alabama Chapter, a certification reviewer for AUPHA, and an editorial board member for the journal Hospital Topics. Haun also serves as the faculty advisor for two student organizations at Samford University, This is Samford H.E.A.L.T.H. and Upsilon Phi Delta (UPD) student organization. In light of Haun’s community involvement, she takes part in service projects through Church of the Highlands, serves on a variety of committees at Samford University, and recently started a college funding campaign to support high-school juniors and seniors in covering expenses related to the preparation for college, such as exam fees, textbooks, and college visits. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work, some include Birmingham Business Journal’s Rising Star of Education and Workforce Development, Samford University’s Faculty Diversity Development Grant recipient, Auburn University’s Women of Distinction Award, and Auburn University’s Distinguished Dissertation Award. Through these endeavors, Haun wishes to be a transformational, collaborative leader by learning to lead like Jesus.
City: New York, NY
Major: Journalism, 2014
Since graduating from Auburn in 2014 with a degree in journalism, Eva Wohiren has worked for top media outlets, including ESPN, CNN and Yahoo. She is currently a journalist at Facebook, working at one of the biggest social media platforms bringing news, lifestyle and entertainment content to life. Throughout her career and prior to Facebook, she used her skills to interview some well-known people including Miss Universe 2019, Karamo Brown from Queer Eye, and everyone’s favorite couple from Netflix’s Love is Blind, Lauren and Cameron. During her time at CNN, she covered the historic 2016 election, among many other culturally relevant events. She was responsible for bringing the news to audiences through video as well as programming videos on desktop and the CNN app. Before her tenure at CNN, she worked at both ESPN and SEC Network. Wohiren has a passion for mentoring young people, learning about different cultures, and being a champion for inclusion and diversity both in and out of the workplace. She says she feels lucky to have been given the opportunity to tell and share stories that offer different perspectives.
City: Beijing, China
Major: German & Mechanical Engineering, 2014
Since graduating in 2014 with double majors in German and mechanical engineering, Mac Patterson has put both of his majors to use working around the world for Mercedes-Benz. He accepted a job before graduation at Mercedes-Benz US International in Vance, AL, as a series planner working to increase the capacity of the production lines and support the ramp up of the GLE Coupe. This allowed him to network within the larger company, and he was soon given the opportunity of an expat assignment to Stuttgart, Germany. During these two years, Patterson honed his German both in his professional career and by building his social network in Stuttgart. Toward the end of his expat assignment, he was offered a position in the RD and planning headquarters in Stuttgart. After localizing in Germany, he started work on a project outside of Budapest, Hungry; however, he soon changed projects and went on to plan the production lines for the new C-Class in Beijing, China. He currently resides in Beijing, working on the next generation of electric cars in China.
City: Topeka, KS
Major: Political Science and Master of Public Administration, 2014
Chardae Caine-O’Neal serves as a fiscal analyst for the Kansas Legislative Research Department. In this role, she staffs a standing budget committee, analyzes agency data for completion of budget analyses, serves as a liaison between assigned agencies and the legislature, maintains agency data in a fiscal database, drafts reports on bills and fiscal impacts, and presents briefings to legislative committees. Caine also serves as a youth workforce development fellow with the University of Michigan and City of Detroit. Her work focuses on developing and implementing a comprehensive opportunity youth strategy for Detroit residents. Caine has a Master of Public Administration and BA in political science from Auburn University. She is a member and past president of Auburn’s political science honor society chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha. She is also a member of the National Society for Public Affairs and Administration, Pi Alpha Alpha, and Nu Lambda Mu, the honor society for nonprofit management and philanthropy. Since leaving Auburn’s campus, Caine frequently ventures back to the Plains for football games and board meetings. While taking courses for her Master of Public Administration, she also received a Certificate in Election Administration and served on the advisory board for the Graduate Certificate in Election Administration. Caine volunteers as local treasurer of her service sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and was president of Auburn’s Kappa Chi chapter in 2013.
Graduate School: University of Alabama at Birmingham
City: Dallas, TX
Major: Health Services Administration, 2015
Originally from Mobile, AL, Dillan Brewer graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in health services administration with minors in business and Spanish. Following graduation, Brewer completed an administrative internship with the University of South Alabama’s Children's & Women’s Hospital, and then transitioned into the role of senior associate consultant at Cerner Corporation in Kansas City, MO. Here, he traveled the country implementing revenue cycle systems for hospitals, allowing for more seamless and efficient business capabilities. After seeing first-hand the complexities and challenges in the healthcare landscape, Brewer decided to pursue higher education to gain additional understanding and knowledge of the healthcare system. He was accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the nation’s number one healthcare management program, and pursued dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA) degrees. While at UAB, Brewer worked for UAB Medicine and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (Hartford, CT) where he focused on improving processes for physicians, developing strategies to improve healthcare access, and creating a better experience for patients and their families. Brewer graduated and moved to Dallas, TX, where he was an administrative resident for Children’s Health. Through this role, he reported to, and was mentored by, senior executives who saw his leadership potential. Currently, Brewer serves as the program coordinator for operational and strategic planning at the Children’s Health Plano Campus, focusing on operational and strategic functions that improve the lives of pediatric patients in the community. Outside of work, he strongly believes in helping wherever there is a need. He has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity, and was a child life volunteer at multiple children’s hospitals with the goal of helping kids find comfort and happiness during their hospital stays. One of his most impactful opportunities was to manage “Project Homeless Connect,” an annual event that provides comprehensive services such as healthcare and employment placement to those in the community experiencing homelessness. Brewer enjoys being outdoors and spending time with friends and family. As a former student employee of Auburn Athletics, he maintains his support of Auburn and frequently travels the country to various Auburn sporting events. Brewer gives back to Auburn through mentorships and speaking opportunities with current undergraduate students in the Health Services Administration Program.
City: Opelika, AL
Major: Professional Flight, 2020
Brock Gooden is a graduate of the Auburn University professional flight program and a current US Army Reserve instructor with ten years military experience. He currently works as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot for Candrone (owned by Draganfly), a robotics and solutions company. He helped build Candrone's stadium and arena aerial disinfectant application program from the ground up. It is now a first-choice solution for event health security professionals. Gooden has helped mitigate Covid-19 and other pathogens for large events such as Alabama State University's football and basketball programs during the 2021 season, NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, The Magic City Classic 2021 and many more. He also facilitates UAV training through Candrone's service program and recently stepped into drone surveying and mapping through Candrone's LiDar and photogrammetry service department. An advocate for youth outreach and teaching the next generation about aviation, Gooden is a part of Candrone's and Draganfly's efforts to provide a drone, engineering and aviation education curriculum to K-12 programs throughout North America. He and his wife, Tori, have a three-year old daughter, Charleigh, and they currently reside in Opelika, Alabama.