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Auburn Speaks is a public speaking competition held each fall and spring semester. Students are nominated for the competition by their peers. What begins in the classroom with more than 1,800 speeches gets narrowed to 70-75 semi-finalists that present in front of a panel of judges. From there, six finalists are selected to compete for the Philip Lutzenkirchen Excellence in Public Speaking Award.
This award was established in March 2017, and honors the memory and lasting lasting legacy of communication graduate and former Auburn football great Philip Lutzenkirchen. Philip was a young man of great character and his life and legacy are still felt on Auburn's campus. He was tragically killed in a car accident on June 29, 2014. The top finalists in the Auburn Speaks competition are the recipients of this distinguished award.
For more information about this event or questions about donating to the award fund, please contact Public Speaking Director Jennifer Johnson at mcculj1@auburn.edu or visit the award fund link.
Previous Winners
- Spring 2017: Nikki Panzica - The Zodiac Killer
- Fall 2017: Maddie Sullivan - Photography
- Spring 2018: Kaytlyn Podein - LeBron James
- Fall 2018: Harrison Rudd - The Gardner Museum Heist
- Spring 2019: John Sluis - Sketching a Dragon
- Fall 2019: Allen Li - Accents
- Fall 2020: Jordan Branchman - Food Desserts/Food Insecurity
- Spring 2021: Jewel Krings - Rip Currents
- Fall 2021: Isabel Zecher - Things You See on the Auburn Jumbotron
- Spring 2022: Abigail Stephenson - The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton
- Fall 2022: Sarabeth Wajnberg - Sex Trafficking
- Spring 2023: Melinda Walker - To Cuss or Not to Cuss
- Fall 2023: Dalton Dismukes - The Role of a Conductor
- Spring 2024: Lexi Garrett - Lake Martin
- Fall 2024: Lucy Kate McKee - The Civil War of Professional Golf
- Spring 2025: Isabelle Kiser - The Psychology of Suspense in Cinema