Office of Sustainability

Science Cafe: Black History Month
2025-02-20 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | Event Venue | Well Red, 223 Opelika Rd, Auburn, AL, 36830, United States
COSAM Outreach invites you to join them for this month’s Science Cafe, celebrating Black History Month at Well Red: Second Story. They’ll have two incredible speakers: Jalaan Avritte, a Postdoctoral Plasma Researcher in the Department of Physics, and Destini Thornton, a PhD student in Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Drug Development and Discovery at the Harrison College of Pharmacy.
Come out for an evening of fascinating research and great conversation!
This event is free and open to all ages.

Parkerson Mill Creek Litter Cleanup
2025-02-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Event Venue | Parkerson Mill Creek Outside of Wellness Kitchen, 370 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL, 36832, United States
Join Auburn’s Risk Management and Safety and the City of Auburn to address litter issues along Veterans Blvd. in Auburn. They will provide gloves, trash bags, buckets, and grabbers to support this cause. If you have a safety vest, please wear it. If not, wear a bright color (orange is always welcome). Help work to protect Parkerson Mill Creek and the community!

Location and Parking:
Veterans BLVD runs across Parkerson Mill Creek into the Auburn Technology Park just off South College Street near South College Veterinary Clinic.
Parking can be done in a couple of ways. You can park alongside Veterans Blvd, or you can park in the parking lot at in front of the Military Recruiting Station. Please use the spots closest to College Street.

Third Thursday Poetry Series
2025-03-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Event Venue | Pebble Hill, United States
Join the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Department of English, and Southern Humanities Review in the College of Liberal Arts at Pebble Hill for the Third Thursday Poetry Series featuring Julia Phillips & Rodney Leonard.
Julia Phillips is the author of the bestselling novels Bear and Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year.
Born in Nixburg, Alabama, Rodney Terich Leonard is the author of Sweetgum & Lightning (Four Way Books). His next collection, Another Land of My Body, is forthcoming from Four Way Books.

Beyond the Farm
2025-03-26 11:00 - 14:00 | Event Venue | Student Center Greenspace
Join the Ag Council for the 2024 Beyond the Farm event! Come by to learn more about agriculture and to interact with the different offices, groups, and organizations that will be tabling!

NAIA Spring Cultural Festival
2025-03-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Event Venue | Campus Green, 500 Heisman Dr, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
The Native American & Indigenous Alliance is having their biggest event ever: The NAIA Spring Cultural Festival! Come to the Campus Green on March 29th to enjoy this free event! There will be Native food, art vendors, demonstrations, cultural dancing, and drumming! This event is free to everyone!

Global Community Day Festival
2025-04-05 10:30 - 18:00 | Event Venue | Cater Lawn, Auburn University
The Global Community Day Festival is a day for uniting international and domestic communities to foster a shared exploration of global culture, history, and other related opportunities. OG believes that bringing communities together to experience diverse perceptives will enhance awareness and critical thinking about social issues such as cultural differences, customs, traditions, religion, politics and the world economy. This festival will include an international fair, business and trade opportunities, food and drink tastings, a fashion exhibition, and several international vendors. For more information click here to visit Auburn University’s Outreach website.
Festival, Global, Global Community Day Festival, Community, International, Outreach, International Student Organization, Food, Drinks, Vendors

Geographic Indigenous Futures Ft. Dr. Smiles
2025-04-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Event Venue | ACLC – Room 208, Duncan Drive, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
Join the Department of Geosciences for an important and timely talk by Dr. Deondre Smiles, Director of the Geographic Indigenous Futures Collaboratory, as he explores the powerful possibilities of Indigenous scholarship for the discipline of Geography in the face of climate and political instability.
Learn more about Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles:
a research associate in the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. They are an Indigenous geographer who focuses on Indigenous cultural and political responses to human-driven climate and environmental change. They also direct the Geographic Indigenous Futures Collaboratory, an international research group that works with Indigenous communities on geographic-based projects. Dr. Smiles holds a PhD in Geography from The Ohio State University.

Donate Professional Clothing
2025-04-21 07:00 - 18:00 | Event Venue | Ross Square, Ross Square, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
Looking to clean out your closet and give back? Drop off your gently used men’s and women’s business professional clothing at our curbside donation drive behind Samford Hall!

Volunteers will be on-site all day to assist with unloading your donations—no need to leave your car. All clothing will go directly to support the Auburn University Career Closet, helping students look and feel confident for interviews, internships, and beyond.

Help us support students and promote sustainability—one outfit at a time!

Earth Day Extravaganza
2025-04-22 11:00 - 14:00 | Event Venue | Campus Green, 500 Heisman Dr, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
UPC’s most-attended event last year is back again! Come to the Campus Green to decorate tote bags, participate in plant-potting, make bouquets, and eat some free food, just to list a few! Many clubs, organizations, and departments will be present to interact and celebrate with. Learn more at UPC’s AU Involve page.
The Office of Sustainability will be present with multiple activities, including a sustainability bike tours with Auburn Outdoors!

Spirit of Sustainability Awards Ceremony
2025-04-23 15:30 - 16:45 | Event Venue | The ALFA Pavilion at Ag Heritage Park
The Auburn University Spirit of Sustainability Awards program exists to recognize individuals or groups of Auburn University students, faculty, staff, and alumni that exemplify the Auburn spirit by making significant contributions toward sustainability on campus or in a community at any point along the Sustainability Compass: Nature, Economy, Society, individual or collective Wellbeing. Nature undertakings exemplify how we can restore, protect, and live in accord with the laws of Nature. Economic achievements contribute to a prosperous economy that is viable, fair, and inclusive. Societal work cultivates connectedness, caring, equity, and engagement. Efforts for Wellbeing nurture individual health, fulfillment, happiness, and collective wellbeing.
While all nominations echo various points of the Sustainability Compass, awardees are chosen based upon their motivation and commitment to sustainability; the impact of their work; and the degree to which they engage and involve others in their efforts.
We will be distributing the awards at the Spirit of Sustainability Awards Ceremony on April 23rd, 2025. For more information about these sustainability awards, please click here to visit the award page on our website.

Professional Development Sponsorship Program Application Period
2025-05-01 00:00 - 2025-05-31 23:30 | Virtual Event | Check Event Page for Link, United States
Auburn University non-student employees may submit an application for consideration for the Office of Sustainability’s Professional Development Sponsorship Program. The funds support learning opportunities related to sustainability and current job responsibilities, and applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central on May 31, 2025, to be considered.

Mike Kensler Retirement Reception
2025-05-13 15:00 - 16:45 | Event Venue | Wellness Kitchen, South Donahue Drive, Auburn, AL, 36832, United States
Friends and colleagues from across the university and city are invited to join the Office of Sustainability at the retirement reception for director, Mike Kensler. The reception-style event will feature a few words from Mayor Ron Anders, campus collaborators, and an alumna guest. Wear your favorite baseball cap to give Mike a tip of the ol’ ballcap.
Light refreshments will be provided.

Nature Walk: Reptiles
2025-09-11 08:30 - 09:30 | Event Venue | Kreher Preserve & Nature Center, United States
Join our guides for a peaceful morning walk as you take in the many sights and sounds of the Preserve. Nature Walks offer excellent opportunities to socialize and learn, while enjoying fresh air and exercise in our beautiful outdoors.
Nature Walks are for adults only and offered the second Thursday of each month from 8:30 – 9:30 AM. Each month features a new seasonal theme. Groups meet at the pavilion and pre-registration is not required.
Nature Walks are free – donations are welcomed. Cancelled in the event of rain

Branching Out: The Public History of Trees with Brian Dempsey and Carrie Barske Crawford
2025-09-17 11:30 - 13:00 | Event Venue | Pebble Hill, United States
Part of the OLLI at Auburn Brown Bag Series
Trees are often viewed primarily as natural resources, yet they also hold powerful places in our cultural landscapes and collective memory. Branching Out: The Public History of Trees, a 2025 essay collection from the University of Massachusetts Press, explores trees through this cultural lens and examines their important role in public history practice.
University of North Alabama historians Dr. Brian Dempsey and Dr. Carolyn Barske Crawford each contributed essays to the volume. In “An Island of Trees Called Old Hickory: History and Place in the Mississippi Delta,” Dempsey examines a small stand of trees on the edge of Cleveland, Mississippi. Though ordinary in appearance, the site embodies deep cultural associations that illuminate how people connect with and interpret their local landscapes.
In “‘The Most Useful Tree:’ The American Chestnut, Stories, and Species Restoration,” Crawford explores how the American Chestnut Foundation leverages memories of the tree’s once-vital economic, social, and cultural role in Appalachia to support ongoing restoration efforts. Her work highlights the potential for powerful partnerships between scientists and public historians. Together, Dempsey and Crawford will share insights from their research and invite the audience to reflect on why trees matter—not only ecologically, but as anchors of meaning in public history and cultural life.

Constitution Day Speaker - Fred Gray
2025-09-17 16:00 | Event Venue | Foy Hall – Room 258
Mr. Gray, perhaps the most noted civil rights attorney in the nation, will reflect on his unique and storied journey arguing for the constitutional rights of African Americans. In his first ten years as a lawyer, Attorney Gray was legal counsel in what would become four landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases and for over seven decades handled numerous civil rights cases, including the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. His clients include Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Congressman John Lewis. Gray represented Harold Franklin in the lawsuit that desegregated Auburn University. In 2022. President Joe Biden awarded Gray the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given in the United States.

Sponsored By: the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University Libraries, the Department of Political Science, and the Charles Wesley Edwards, Sr.
Endowment for the Humanities. The Constitution Day lecture is a part of the Discover Auburn Lecture Series.

All Made In Taiwan
2025-09-23 12:00 - 14:00 | Event Venue | Melton Student Center – Room 2222, 225 Heisman Dr., Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
The Taiwan Center Seminar Series Presents: All Made In Taiwan
A seminar, featuring Eric Au, on the development of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan and its impact for the future world.
Free and open to all, free lunch included!

Professional Development Sponsorship Program Application Period
2025-11-01 00:00 - 2025-11-30 23:30 | Virtual Event | Check Event Page for Link, United States
Auburn University non-student employees may submit an application for consideration for the Office of Sustainability’s Professional Development Sponsorship Program. The funds support learning opportunities related to sustainability and current job responsibilities, and applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central on November 30, 2025, to be considered.

College Teaching with the U.N. SDGS
2025-11-07 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Event | Check Event Page for Link, United States
Join the Multi-Institutional Community of Practice, with Auburn University’s Miriam Wyman, for exciting examples from university instructors that will help you find ways to enhance your teaching with the U. N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each of the speakers will provide a short presentation highlighting course examples. Then, you can engage with them in small groups to gain further insights. This meeting is via Zoom.
Register today to receive a meeting invitation and Zoom link!
Register here.
https://forms.office.com/r/zpZCNuX8aM

Taiwan Movie Night
2025-11-07 17:00 - 19:30 | Event Venue | Foy Hall – Room 208, United States
The Taiwan Center will be hosting a Taiwanese movie night at Foy Auditorium. There will be a Taiwanese film (w. Eng subtitles), and free drinks and food. Come by, relax and watch a movie with us!

Handmade Holidays: Creating Upcycled Gift Wrap
2025-11-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Event Venue | Innovation & Research Commons – RBD Library, Mell Street, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
Create upcycled gift wrap, cards, and tags using paper scraps, reused textiles, biodegradable potato stamps, and more! We hope you can join The Office of Sustainability and our cosponsors, the AU Libraries, the Waste Reduction and Recycling Department, and the Association of Visual Artists. Stop by the RBD I&RC on Tuesday, November 18, from 5 pm to 7 pm. Feel free to bring along any holiday gifts you may need wrapped and get creative!

Third Thursday Poetry Series - Joe Wilkins
2025-11-20 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Event Venue | Pebble Hill, United States
Refreshments and book sales will be available at 6 PM; the reading will begin at 6:30 PM.
Joe Wilkins was born and raised on the Big Dry of eastern Montana and now lives with his family in the foothills of the Coast Range of Oregon, where he directs the creative writing program at Linfield University. He is the author of two novels, The Entire Sky and Fall Back Down When I Die, both of which have garnered wide critical acclaim. Wilkins is also the author of a memoir, The Mountain and the Fathers, winner of a GLCA New Writers Award, and five collections of poetry, including Pastoral, 1994 and When We Were Birds, winner of the Oregon Book Award. You can find him online at joewilkins.org.

Parkerson Mill Creek Cleanup
2026-02-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Event Venue | Parkerson Mill Creek Outside of Wellness Kitchen, 370 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL, 36832, United States
Join Risk Management and Safety on Friday, February 6th, from 1 pm-3 pm for a fun-filled creek cleanup with Gloves, bags, and water provided. They had over 40 participants in November! They will meet up at the Outdoor Classroom in front of the Wellness Kitchen (across from Beard-Eaves Parking). Please help them welcome Team Braveheart to the cleanup! They hope to see you on February 6th from 1 pm-3 pm.
Contact 334-740-1267 or freemms@auburn.edu for more information.

Third Thursday Literary Series: Cecily Parks
2026-02-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Event Venue | Pebble Hill, United States
Cecily Parks received a BA from Rice University in 1999, an MA in poetry from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars in 2000, an MFA in poetry from Columbia University in 2005, and a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2011. Parks is the author of three poetry collections: The Seeds; O’Nights; and Field Folly Snow. Parks teaches at Texas State University and lives in Austin, Texas. Refreshments and book sales will be available at 6 PM; the reading will begin at 6:30 PM.y

Professional Development Sponsorship Program Application Period
2026-05-01 00:00 - 2026-05-31 23:30 | Virtual Event | Check Event Page for Link, United States
Auburn University non-student employees may submit an application for consideration for the Office of Sustainability’s Professional Development Sponsorship Program. The funds support learning opportunities related to sustainability and current job responsibilities, and applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central on May 31, 2026, to be considered.

Alabama Statewide Primary Election 2026
2026-05-19
Polls in Alabama open for in-person voting in the 2026 Statewide Primary Election.er
Visit aub.ie/vote for more information.

Primary Runoff Election 2026 (If Needed)
2026-06-16 07:00 - 19:00 | Event Venue | Various Locations
Polls in Alabama open for in-person voting in the 2026 Primary Runoff Election, if needed.
Visit aub.ie/vote for more information.

Election Day 2026
2026-11-03 07:00 - 19:00 | Event Venue | Various Locations
Polls in Alabama open for in-person voting in the 2026 General Election.
Visit aub.ie/vote for more information.
