Tess Lindow
Tess Lindow, a graduating senior in wildlife ecology and management, from Huntsville, Alabama, has been chosen to lead the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) class of 2025 at Auburn University’s summer commencement ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Growing up in Alabama, Lindow visited Auburn many times as a child to compete in local swim meets, building a strong bond to the campus and city at a young age. When looking into different colleges, Lindow valued a college experience where she felt challenged, supported and at home.
“I chose Auburn because of the strong sense of community,” Lindow recalled. “It felt small enough to build meaningful relationships with classmates, yet large enough to offer countless opportunities for professional and academic growth.”
Lindow discovered the CFWE after volunteering with the Auburn University Raptor Center. There, she met many CFWE students who encouraged her to check out the college, leading her to meet Ginger Donaldson, CFWE director of student services.
“From that moment on, I felt a responsibility to be part of the effort to protect our natural world,” said Lindow. “The encouragement I have received since then has only strengthened my commitment to making a lasting impact in conservation.”
Lindow was involved in many different areas as a student, contributing her time and skills to the Willoughby Conservation Genetics Lab, Auburn University Raptor Center and the Auburn Deer Lab. She was also an active member of several student organizations, including the CFWE Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, Angling Unlimited and Auburn Aquatics. Lindow also had the opportunity to study abroad twice, once on the wildlife and ecology management program’s trip to Eswatini and South Africa, and once on a natural resource policy-focused trip to Kenya and Uganda.
“Tess Lindow’s academic excellence and contributions to research, service and international studies set a high standard for her peers,” said Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE. “We are honored for her to represent our college as this semester’s graduation marshal at summer commencement.”
Thinking back on her time at Auburn, Lindow is grateful for the variety of opportunities, collaboration and unwavering support of her mentors and peers that guided her. After graduation, she will be continuing her work with Angling Unlimited in Sitka, Alaska, where she will also be pursuing a master’s degree focusing on the integration of geospatial technologies with conservation genetics to better understand landscape level changes in biodiversity.
Auburn will begin its graduation weekend at Neville Arena at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 9. For more details, including updates on any potential weather-related changes, please visit the commencement website. Information will also be shared on the university’s social media platforms.
All ceremonies will be live-streamed, and recordings will be available on the commencement website after the weekend. Graduates and their families are encouraged to check the website frequently for the latest updates.
