Auburn College of Education alumnus and ENGAGE Council chair leads a career focused on inspiring others

Michael Dugan has held several varied roles, all involving teaching and inspiring others.

He was a football coach, taught high school A.P. Physics and Chemistry, entered the corporate training and development world, and became an innovation and creativity consultant.

“My career path is a curvy mountain road,” said Dugan, a native of Stuart, Florida, and 1997 graduate of Auburn University’s College of Education.

The latest title to add to Dugan’s list of leadership roles is chair of the new Auburn University College of Education ENGAGE Council.

"As anyone who has ever taught, coached, mentored, or helped heal another knows, the gratification comes from seeing those you poured your gifts into thrive,” Dugan said. “This council is excited to build and strengthen relationships with alumni, current students, and those who have not yet begun their Auburn journey. We want those who came before us to be proud of the work we do and can't wait to see how the next generation builds on our work so Auburn and its family continue to flourish." 

The council, comprised of 15 College of Education alumni and friends, launched in February and will focus on strategies for engaging alumni through events and activities, with council members being present at College of Education activities as well as representing the college at local high school career and recruiting events.

In his presentation before the group at its first official meeting, Dugan put his skills of coaching, team building and inspiration to work, having council members play a game in which they selected various words that represented their character traits. At the end of the exercise, each council member stuck their words to a wall and all were able to see similarities among the group as well as the varied expertise that each brought to the new initiative.

On any given day

Beyond Auburn, Dugan said that on any given day he is either teaching, coaching or learning.

“Sometimes it is law school students, sometimes large groups at a conference, sometimes one-on-one conversations with business leaders on supporting new product and process development,” he said. “Auburn gave me the skills to do what I do and an appreciation for lifetime learning and helping others.”

Dugan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in secondary science education from Auburn’s College of Education in 1997.

“I started Teaching Chemistry and Physics. I left teaching to work in a laboratory doing actual chemistry,” he said. “That led to an opening the company had in corporate training and development. From there, I got involved with innovation tools, and I eventually became an expert in that field — traveling the world, consulting, speaking, and eventually writing a book on the critical first steps companies or teams can take when they start incorporating innovation as a practice.” 

Following the publishing of his book “Saving Innovation,” he has focused on innovation coaching and his role as an adjunct professor of innovation at the University of Minnesota Law School.

“Several years ago, I was asked to be a guest lecturer on innovation for a Patent Law course at the University of Minnesota,” he said. “The students always learned the patent process and the legal side of things but not always in-depth about how innovation works in companies. I had a unique set of experiences they found valuable. The department chair asked if I would like to design a course that covers the business of innovation and the role patent practitioners could play in that process. Eight years later, the course is still going strong, and I love that I am still teaching.” 

Outside of the classroom, Dugan also has written six film screenplays. How did he get into that?

“Another Auburn connection,” he said. “At one of the Alumni Association events during the 2019 Auburn basketball Final Four appearance in Minneapolis, I ran into an old friend from my time in Auburn, Laura Ivey. She has had a great career in the movie business as a producer and said that knowing me as she did, she always thought I’d be great at screenwriting."

Dugan said Ivey connected him with a writing coach, and he jumped right in, writing several film scripts and a TV pilot.

“And I'm just finishing up my first adapted screenplay from a book written by an up-and-coming author,” he said.

Dugan said he remains amazed at how the connections he made at Auburn have bettered his life. To this day, he said Auburn continues to inspire him, and he has such fond memories of his time on the Plains. For one thing, Auburn is where he met his wife, Jennifer, who also is a vital member of the College of Education’s ENGAGE Council. To this day, Dugan said he also keeps in touch with his former roommates, adding that “those relationships made have never faded.”

And from his time on air on the campus’ radio station, WEGL, to writing for the student newspaper, The Plainsman, and working in Auburn’s library and art department, Dugan said he wanted to experience all Auburn had to offer. He said that all leads to the advice he now gives to students attending Auburn today.

“Enthusiastically say YES to everything you ever wanted to try or learn more about,” he said. “Once you leave the college campus, you may never get the chance to be a DJ for a radio station, write for a newspaper, be a leader/member of multiple clubs, be a tour guide or any of the thousands of opportunities Auburn offers. I can say that every one of those experiences you say YES to will give you priceless experiences, friendships, and memories that you will never regret or forget.”