AU students get new dorms at Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center

The new dormitories at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center near Andalusia will provide more space and allow Auburn University students in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences to participate in a longer practicum.

The Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation provided the majority of the funding for the project, $950,000 of the $1.2 million total cost.

Forestry Dean Richard Brinker presided over a recent dedication ceremony. AU President Dr. Jay Gogue expressed appreciation to the foundation for its generous contribution. Jimmy Rane of Abbeville, representing the AU Board of Trustees, stressed the importance of this gift to Auburn and the school.

The dormitories include five four-room cottages that will accommodate eight students each. With an increased capacity, the curriculum for the wildlife science major can be expanded to include a 10-week practicum that will provide students with a hands-on experience. It will also be used for adult continuing education programs sponsored by Auburn and for in-service training for employees of state and federal natural resource agencies.

For the past 29 years, Solon and Martha Dixon and their foundation have given more than $3 million to the school as well as the 5,300 acres on which the center is built.