Dr. Emmett Thompson and his wife Vi are shown at the presentation of the Emmett F. Thompson Deanship at the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences in March 2021.

Auburn University will host a virtual Dean’s Forum and Alumni Social with Dr. Emmett Thompson on Thursday, October 28, from 6 – 7 p.m. CT, as part of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ 75th Anniversary Celebration.

Dr. Thompson, who retired in 1998, began his career at Auburn in 1977 as head of the Department of Forestry, which was then part of the School of Agriculture. In 1984, he became the School of Forestry’s first dean. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Thompson established the School of Forestry as a stand-alone entity, separate from the College of Agriculture. He also led the effort to create the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center and provided the foundational work for the construction of the state-of-the-art Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building, which was completed in 2005. Most recently, Dr. Thompson’s legacy was honored with the establishment of the Emmett F. Thompson Deanship, an endowed fund in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

Dr. Glenn Glover, alumnus and emeritus professor, will serve as moderator of the question-and-answer forum. After the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to reconnect with other alumni within one of four virtual breakout rooms, grouped into 20-year graduation or enrollment periods: 1947 – 1967, 1968 – 1988, 1989 – 2009, and 2010 – present.  Alumni hosts will be: Frank Walburn ’80, Eric Gee ’94, and
William Green ’14.

The forum and social is open to alumni, faculty, staff, and students via Zoom from 6 – 7 p.m. CT at https://auburn.zoom.us/j/86271587389 and will be live-streamed via the school’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ausfws/live/.