Journey Magazine 2015 | Page 7

GIVING BACK: SPOTLIGHT COSAM faculty make a difference through generous support Auburn University has one of the highest faculty and staff participation rates in the SEC. In 2014, campus employees contributed almost $300,000, enough for 300 annual scholarships. COSAM faculty and staff give back for a variety of reasons through meaningful, charitable donations to areas of the college that inspire them personally. Ortiz is Recipient of Stone Award Vincent Ortiz, Ruth W. Molette Professor and former chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is the recipient of the Charles H. Stone Award. The Stone Award of the CarolinaPiedmont Local Section of the American Chemical Society is given every two years to the most outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States. The prestigious award recognizes contributions to the field of chemistry through activities in the scientific community, public outreach, education, and research. Previous winners from Auburn are Stewart Schneller (2001) and Dave Worley (2004). Why I give: Stewart Schneller Why I give: Kat Milly West After serving as chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of South Florida, Stewart Schneller became dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University in 1994, a title he held until 2010 when he assumed his other academic role as professor of chemistry and biochemistry where he leads a team of researchers. Kat Milly West is the faculty coordinator for the Laboratory Science and Medical Laboratory Science curricula within the Clinical Laboratory Science program in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “When I turned 5, my mother, Nancy Johnson Milly, went to work as an aerospace engineer for NASA. As the youngest of five siblings, I fondly remember mom coming home from work, starting dinner, and heading out to exercise with my dad. She raised five kids and helped send man to the moon. We did our homework at the kitchen table and had an amazing science and math tutor: Mom. “Her model for me was, ‘