Three faculty members named 2013-14 SEC Fellows

Three Auburn faculty members were announced as 2013-2014 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows.
The SEC Academic Leadership Development Program's mission is to identify, develop, prepare and advance faculty as academic leaders among research universities.
Jennifer Adams, director of the School of Communication and Journalism, Sushil Bhavnani, professor in Henry M. Burt Jr. School of Mechanical Engineering, and Richard Burt, head of the McWhorter School of Building Science will join a number of fellow SEC faculty members in two workshops.
The workshops will be held Oct. 14-16 at the University of Georgia and Feb. 5-7 at the University of South Carolina.
These workshops seek to enhance and develop the next generation of academic leaders in the SEC.
"It's meeting with similarly appointed folks from other universities," Bhavnani said. "We will listen to other SEC leaders about how a university operates, how the budgeting process works, where the income sources are, what it takes to be a good steward of resources and make sure that students benefit in the greatest way possible, as well as employees."
Adams, Burt and Bhavnani will join 46 other South Eastern Conference faculty and administrators in hopes of enhacing their already-honed teaching skills.
According to WireEagle.auburn.edu, these three faculty members have excelled, both in and outside of the classroom, and therefore were given the opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas with a number of SEC colleagues.
As noted by the nomination to be considered an SEC Academic Leadership Development Fellow, these faculty members have clearly made a difference in the lives of their students, as well as fellow faculty members although they will not admit it,
"I've just been doing what any other faculty member does in terms of teaching courses at various levels, mostly upper level and graduate level courses," Bhavnani said.
While many professors set core class values, the values these faculty members used to guide themselves through their time as a faculty member have been the difference maker in their classroom.
Burt, whose core teaching value is "you never stop learning and you never stop learning how to learn," said it has helped him in his career at Auburn and has led him to the top of the McWhorter School of Building Science.
Bhavnani, who strives to reach out to every type of student and different learning style, has succeeded according to his students.
In an attempt to make sure the average student, the excelling student and the struggling student is getting something out of the class, Bhavnani receives feedback from his all of students.
Bhavnani said the feedback he gets back from his students is usually positive.
"I'm pleased with how students react to it," Bhavani said. "Attendance in my class has always been in the upper 90 percent, so I think people are getting something positive out of my class."
These three Auburn faculty members exemplify Auburn University and all that it stands for.
These faculty members will share the knowledge they have accrued throughout their years at the University alongside other great SEC faculty member and staff.