RICHARDSON APPOINTS LEADERS IN AU'S INSTITUTE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES

Auburn University President Ed Richardson has made three appointments to lead AU’s newly created Institute for Natural Resources, naming Larry Fillmer as executive director, Steve Taylor as head of its Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, and Graeme Lockaby as head of its Water Resources Center.

The appointments follow Richardson’s commitment last year of $3 million to Auburn’s alternative energy initiative, capitalizing on the university’s research expertise in forestry, engineering and agriculture and positioning AU as a national leader in converting natural resources into fuels. Similarly, the Water Resources Center will serve as national resource for addressing water problems caused by salt water intrusion, contamination, weather, lower water tables and inadequate distribution systems.

Named in December, Fillmer, a senior executive and CEO with more than 35 years experience in organizational management, has worked at AU since 2005 as a development director for major gifts and corporate relations. Before that, he served as president and CEO of the I-85 Corridor Alliance and for several corporations in the technology field. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn and also holds a master’s degree in industrial management from the University of Alabama. He is a distinguished military graduate of the U.S. Air Force.

Taylor, department chair and professor of biosystems engineering, was named in January as head of the Alternative Energy Committee and the soon-to-be-established Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts. Lockaby, associate dean and professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, was named this month as head of the Water Resources Center. He and the Water Resources Committee will begin by planning water management programs and hosting a national water management conference in June.