Warhawk Weekly 10-21: Stockton elevated to GSC president; Miss AUM crowned
GSC elevates Dr. Carl A. Stockton to president of board of directors
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) has announced that AUM Chancellor Dr. Carl A. Stockton will serve as President of the GSC Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Dr. Stockton’s two-year term as president and chair of the GSC Executive Committee was originally scheduled to begin in July 2026, but his tenure was expedited following the appointment of Valdosta State President Dr. Richard Carvajal to the same role at Cal Poly Humboldt.
“It’s an honor to serve on the executive committee of the Gulf South Conference, the powerhouse conference in NCAA Division II,” Dr. Stockton said. “I am excited to work with Commissioner Wilson and our fellow institutions to continue to build on the success of our athletics programs and to meet the evolving needs of our student athletes in the changing environment of collegiate sports.”
Dr. Stockton previously served as GSC vice president and a member of the finance committee. He also serves on the Expansion & Strategic Planning Committee. As AUM’s chancellor, he was part of the university’s transition to NCAA Division II and full GSC membership in 2019. This fall, he began his 10th year leading AUM.
Payton Jackson crowned Miss AUM 2025
Sophomore and pre-nursing major Payton Jackson, of Eclectic, Alabama, captured the title of Miss AUM 2025 during the scholarship pageant on Saturday, Oct. 18.
An active member of the Service & Leadership Club, Payton enjoys working out in the Wellness Center and studying in the library. She works part time at Jackson Hospital as a Labor and Delivery Patient Care Tech. As Miss AUM, she plans to raise awareness for mental health and advocate for the overall wellbeing of the student body. After graduation, she plans to pursue a doctorate in nursing to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist.
Hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA), the pageant featured six contestants in the categories of personality wear, talent, and evening gown/on-stage questions before the crowning ceremony.
- First runner-up: Kaylie Spears, senior business major from Monroeville, Alabama
- Second runner-up: Jennifer Tolbert, communications major from Mobile, Alabama
- Miss Congeniality (voted on by contestants): Gabriella Anglin, social work major from Montgomery, Alabama
- Fan Favorite (voted on by pageant audience): Jennifer Tolbert
Other contestants included Tamaya Hasley, a senior nursing major from Georgiana, Alabama, and Nicole Pegado, a junior communication disorders major from Cotia, Brazil.
Get fired up for Hoops Madness
AUM Athletics, in collaboration with SGA, will host its annual Hoops Madness event on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in the AUM Athletics Complex. The free event serves as the unofficial tip-off to the 2025–26 men’s and women’s basketball seasons.
Students can score big with prize giveaways, including:
- Air fryer
- Mini fridge
- Polaroid camera
- JBL speakers (2)
The first 150 students through the doors will also receive a Hoops Madness t-shirt, along with free food and plenty of Warhawk spirit.
Get the 2025-26 schedules for men’s basketball and women’s hoops.
Workshop equips students with deep learning skills
Dr. Olcay Kursun, assistant professor of computer science, will lead a NVIDIA “Fundamentals of Deep Learning” workshop on Friday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in Taylor Center 310.
Open to students, the hands-on workshop will introduce deep learning as a powerful AI approach for tasks such as object detection, speech recognition, and language translation. Participants will explore how businesses worldwide are leveraging AI to solve challenges in healthcare, retail, transportation, and more.
Graduate teaching assistant Nicholas Harsanyi will assist in guiding students through the training. The session is part of a National Science Foundation grant awarded to AUM to expand AI in research and learning spaces.
Seating is limited. Register now.
Send off the Warhawks Cross Country teams
Help AUM Athletics give a spirited send-off to the men’s and women’s cross country teams as they head to the Gulf South Conference Championships. The celebration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the AUM Athletics Complex, with donuts before the teams depart at 9 a.m.
Both teams recently competed at the Old Glory Gallup in Dallas, and now set their sights on the GSC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, Tennessee.
Read about our cross country men’s team and women’s team.
Find your cause at EEEC’s Service-Learning Expo
Want to engage with the community and gain valuable experience?
AUM’s Experiential Education and Engagement Center (EEEC) will host a Service-Learning Expo from 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 in Goodwyn Hall lobby.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to come out to meet and connect with representatives from area organizations to learn about available opportunities.
Funded by a Title III “Strengthening Institutions” grant by the Department of Education, AUM’s Experiential Education and Engagement Center (EEEC) is an on-campus resource with a mission to increase student retention, persistence, and graduation rates through early engagement. The center also connects students to campus and the community through high-impact practices including peer mentoring, undergraduate research, internships, and service-learning opportunities.
Kickstart your future with AUM’s MS-SLP program
Applications are now open for our Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology online program’s Fall 2026 cohort.
Open to individuals with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders or a related field, the MS-SLP program prepares graduates for licensure and certification.
Apply before the January 15 deadline.
Keep up with campus events
There’s an easy way to keep up with all of the fun events offered on our campus. Enroll in AUM365 and get the 4-1-1 from Curtiss The Warhawk himself. Text curti$$ to 334-398-6025 to receive reminders about upcoming happening.
