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• Mike and Leann Rowe support future of flight

Auburn alumni Mike, Leann Rowe invest in School of Aviation’s mission to shape the future of flight

If there’s one thing to know about Mike ’78 and Leann Rowe ’78, it’s that they believe in Auburn and love it.

Mike is an agricultural business and economics graduate who once cheered so hard at the Iron Bowl that he threw out his shoulder. Leann is a speech alumna who writes letters recommending Auburn to people interested in the Plains.

Leann said Auburn has changed a lot since they were both students in a political science class – she went every day, Mike did not, and they met when Mike asked her for notes. That was before Tiger Transit was invented, and before Bo Jackson and Charles Barkley became household names.

What hasn’t changed, Leann said, is the warm family atmosphere and a mission worth supporting.

“It just wraps around you. You can’t shake it. It’s still there. Just like Coach Dye said, ‘Auburn people love Auburn,’” Leann said. “We want to spread the word about Auburn. Most people don’t realize all that it offers and tuition alone doesn’t cover all of it. If we want to fulfill the vision that President Chris Roberts has, it takes financial support to do it.”

Their latest gift to Auburn, a $1.5 million pledge to the School of Aviation, will support scholarships, career services, student success and safety. These areas will ensure Auburn recruits and develops the nation’s brightest talent.

Flying is Mike’s passion, and he said what’s happening at the School of Aviation struck a chord with him. As a pilot, he’s always training to be better, and a huge part of that is safety.

Auburn is working to be among the first to fully adopt the FAA’s safety management system guidelines for commercial airlines. For a collegiate program, it’s going above and beyond what’s required, and includes things such as technology to review every decision a pilot makes while in the flight deck for a better educational experience.

“From the safety aspect of it, when they brought this program, it got me excited,” Mike said. “I can totally see that really helping somebody become a better pilot. Everything changes every day when you're up in the air. I don't think we were throwing money into a system. We were putting money into a cause that made sense.”

The School of Aviation prioritizes developing prepared aviators and managers who will positively influence the future of flight.

Its Delta Air Lines Aviation Education Building hosts state-of-the-art training technology including flight simulators. The Auburn University Regional Airport includes two runways, several hangars and a partnership with Southern Union State Community College to help train maintenance technicians. All safety, teaching, research and outreach initiatives are led by faculty with decades of experience.

Leann said their contribution is part of the Auburn mission to turn students into leaders. Just as parents provide better opportunities for their children, the Rowes want to see the Auburn students who followed them succeed.

“Eventually, they’re going to be responsible for hundreds of people themselves. When they feel like they’re cared for, then they will have the caring sense to take care of their passengers,” Leann said. “With us being a step ahead on that, our students will probably be hired quicker, or have better job opportunities, because they have this extra safety knowledge. That’s an advantage.”

The Rowes have also supported the College of Agriculture, the College of Human Sciences and other departments in the College of Liberal Arts, including through endowed professorships. These are transformational for faculty to pursue excellence in teaching, research and outreach as the education landscape evolves alongside the need for skilled labor and the growing use of artificial intelligence. The endowed professorship they established in CLA is currently held by Professor Jeffrey Katz in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

Mike and Leann found success in automobile and farm equipment dealerships using their Auburn education, networking skills and ability to learn more every day. Now retired, Mike said the mission is to pay it forward.

“We were fortunate. I think we made more good decisions than bad decisions and it rewarded us financially, and I just think it's a responsibility to give back,” Mike said. “You go through phases: you start your family, you raise your family and then once they’re on their own, you’ve got to do something yourself. That’s fulfilling. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dollar or hundreds of millions of dollars, as long as you’re fulfilling your commitment of giving back.”

Give back. Support the School of Aviation.

Tags: Alumni Aviation Speech Language and Hearing Sciences