2024 Alumni Professors announced

The following five faculty members have been selected as the 2024 Auburn University Alumni Professors. Sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association, the professorships represent the highest standard of teaching, research and service awarded by the association. These faculty members will be acknowledged alongside other faculty honorees at the Endowed Faculty Recognition Ceremony hosted by the Provost’s Office later this fall.

 

Eve Brantley

Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences
College of Agriculture

Brantley, a professor and the associate director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn, is a renowned expert in water quality and management. Her research focuses on developing science-based solutions for water resource management, securing over $8.5 million in grants to study water protection through innovative stormwater practices, bioretention media and other devices that slow water flow and filter pollutants. Brantley collaborates internationally with partners in Cuba and Guyana and domestically with the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee, the USDA National Resources Conservation Service and the University of Alabama in Huntsville to advance statewide watershed planning. She is also committed to mentoring students and often leads tours at the restored creek on campus, a project she worked on with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and Auburn University Facilities.

 

Stephen Bullard

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences
College of Agriculture

As the director of the Southeast Cooperative Fish Parasite and Disease Laboratory, Bullard is a distinguished authority in fish health and aquatic conservation, where he leads a multi-state fish disease diagnostics laboratory backed by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bullard’s research focuses on fish disease diagnostics and aquatic pathogen surveillance in the Southeastern U.S. In addition to overseeing the five-year grant, Bullard collaborates with graduate students and fellow scientists in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences to establish partnerships with Southeastern state agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gulf of Mexico Initiative and the U.S. National Sea Grant Program. His groundbreaking work led to the first discovery of whirling disease in Southeast trout and includes research on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Bullard has authored over 160 scholarly works and has received the Grantsmanship Award from the College of Agriculture. Internationally, he has conducted research in Africa, South America and Asia, with funding for his research programs exceeding $20 million.

 

Murali Dhanasekaran

Department of Drug Discovery and Development
Harrison College of Pharmacy

A professor and director of International Programs within the Department of Drug Discovery and Development in the Harrison College of Pharmacy, Dhanasekaran is driven by a commitment to improve health care. With grant funding nearing $3 million, Dhanasekaran's research emphasizes the development of innovative and impactful treatments for Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. His research investigates the pharmacological properties of synthetic drugs and natural bioactives. A distinguished scholar, Dhanasekaran has authored 11 books and more than 210 journal articles and book chapters. In addition to his research and teaching, Dhanasekaran is a strong advocate for student mentorship programs and community outreach initiatives. Working with the Office of International Programs and University Outreach, Dhanasekaran established the college's India Study Abroad and Maldives Healthcare programs.

 

April Smith

Department of Psychological Sciences
College of Liberal Arts

An associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Smith is the current director of the college’s Research on Eating Disorders and Suicidality Laboratory. Renowned for her contributions to the fields of eating disorders and suicidality research, Smith has provided critical research to help identify risk factors and develop accessible interventions. Working alongside faculty in the department, Smith’s efforts helped launch the Auburn Eating Disorders Clinic in 2021, a resource that offers training and treatment through accessible payment options. As the author of over 130 peer-reviewed publications, Smith has secured nearly $6.5 million in external funding from the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Mental Health, and her research has been recognized by several premier journals, including the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, Psychological Medicine and Clinical Psychological Science. Smith’s commitment to advancing her academic field is also evidenced by her efforts to promote undergraduate research by creating opportunities for students to publish peer-reviewed articles. She has been recognized with several accolades, most recently the College of Liberal Arts Competitive Teaching Release Support for Grant Writing Award in 2023 and the 2022 Outcomes to Military Implementation Scholars Program.

 

Geetha Thangiah

Department of Nutritional Sciences
College of Human Sciences

Thangiah is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences specializing in health disparities. Her scholarly work delves into the multifaceted causes of childhood obesity, including lifestyle factors, environmental influences, biological mechanisms and genetics, with a particular emphasis on minority populations. She has secured over $2.2 million in grants and contracts for her groundbreaking research on childhood obesity and its links to racial and ethnic disparities. Thangiah has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed abstracts and manuscripts, and her work has been presented at over 125 national and regional conferences. Thangiah serves as a peer reviewer for prestigious organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and Diabetes UK. She is also an active member of several professional associations including the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and the Society for Neuroscience, as well as the Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program. Thangiah is dedicated to fostering scholarly excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows she has mentored are now employed in leading industries and hold tenure-track faculty positions.