Thomas Davis
Thomas Davis, an exemplary senior graduating in forestry with a minor in business administration, from Tampa, Florida, has been chosen to lead the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) class of 2025 at its commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10.
Born and raised on the Gulf Coast, Davis admired Auburn from afar his entire childhood. An Auburn legacy student, he faithfully followed Auburn football and aspired to further his education on The Plains.
Davis also values outdoor recreation such as hunting, fishing and spending time with friends and family. Following his own compass, his adoration for the outdoor world is what eventually led him to enroll in the CFWE. Davis’ first year at Auburn provided him with the opportunity to reflect between classes and studying to realize his path forward.
“My freshman year, I spent a lot of my free time between classes outdoors, and that helped me realize I had an interest in the outdoors,” Davis said. “I decided that I wanted my work to match my passions and began exploring careers in forestry and eventually switched my major.”
While progressing through his major curriculum, Davis became fascinated with forest business and strategies through statistical analysis. He says that this focus will be beneficial for understanding the ever-changing timber market. His long-term career goals are to take this skillset and work with portfolio management within timber investments.
An exceptional student, Davis was active in several student organizations and selected for many leadership roles within the CFWE. Some of these groups included the Forest, Environment and Wildlife Leadership (FEWL) Academy, the CFWE Strategic Planning Committee, and Honors Congress. He also served as a CFWE student ambassador and Auburn student recruiter. With his outstanding service in these roles, Davis was recognized with numerous awards such as the Alabama Division of Society of American Foresters Junior Leadership Award, F&W Forestry Services Rising Senior Award, Weyerhauser Forest Economics Award and CFWE Forestry Club Outstanding Membership Award.
Beyond these accomplishments, Davis was chosen as graduation marshal for his leadership qualities and active student engagement. During his time as a CFWE student, he was known to seek out and share viewpoints with CFWE faculty and staff so that they could better understand and improve upon the college’s student experience.
“Thomas has been a model representative of our college,” said Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE. “His hard work and exemplary academic record have exceedingly qualified him to lead our students on this remarkable day.”
Upon graduation, Davis plans to attend the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
The university will begin its graduation weekend at Neville Arena at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, May 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 pages.
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.
