Description

Join us as we invite Dr. Jeffrey Fairbrother, Dean of the Auburn University College of Education, to address the business community! Dr. Fairbrother will speak on the new building on Samford Avenue, providing an update on the school and its impact on local education, and any new initiatives starting with adding the new building. Don't miss this opportunity to take a peek into training teachers for the future!

BIO: 

Dr. Jeffrey Fairbrother serves as Dean of the Auburn University College of Education. Founded in 1915, the college enrolls over 2,500 students (~1,600 undergraduate; ~900 graduate) and has 105 faculty and 54 staff members. It houses three academic departments and one academic school - Curriculum & Teaching; Educational Foundations, Leadership, & Technology; Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling; and Kinesiology. As of 2024, the college is in the top 23% of Schools of Education ranked in US News and World Report. It has three Top 20 and one Top 10 rankings for online master's programs – Overall (#10; top 4%), Educational Administration & Supervision (#14), Curriculum & Instruction (#17). The School of Kinesiology is 12th in the National Academy of Kinesiology's doctoral programs ranking. The college’s work is centered around education and health, with the common themes of service to others, experiential learning, disability, health disparities, and leadership. As I leader, Dr. Fairbrother works to help aspiring people achieve success so that they can make a more positive impact on the world. His chief responsibility is to advance the college and its programs through operational oversight, fundraising, faculty development, academic innovation, and the establishment of shared strategic priorities. In his nearly four years as dean, the College of Education has accomplished some noteworthy achievements. He successfully secured final Board of Trustee approval for a new $77 million building consisting of 167,000 square feet to house three academic departments, classrooms, student services, and the college’s comprehensive transition program. Construction is currently underway and slated for completion in 2025. He also gained final Board approval for a new Doctor of Physical Therapy program housed in the School of Kinesiology. The first cohort of students will begin in 2025. Other notable accomplishments include record-setting years in fundraising and external funding for the college. Recent awards include $3 million for the development of a new science education degree program and $18.4 million for a 7-year college readiness initiative. Prior to joining Auburn, he spent 17 years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, serving as a department head, associate dean, and interim dean. His extensive professional contributions include service as a member of the Board of Directors and later President of the American Kinesiology Association. He is currently the President-Elect of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. He has been recognized with awards for his teaching, research, and leadership. In 2015, he was named a fellow of the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program and this year he will receive the Emerging Leader Award from the American Association of University Administrators.