Virginia Thompson, marketing director for East Alabama Medical Center, was selected as a member of Auburn University's Board of Trustees in 2004. She fills the vacancy left by the late Jimmy Sanford.

Thompson summarized many of the university's recent enrollment, alumni and research successes. Currently there are more than 23,000 students, with a near 50-50 split in the male-to-female student ratio. The incoming freshman profile is a student with a 3.5 GPA and 24.3 on the ACT. Of the current enrollment, 63 percent of students are Alabama residents. Thompson noted that the university budgets on a certain percentage of expected tuition revenue coming from out-of-state students.

The university has been cited for its success in developing corporate leadership. It current leads other southern institutions as first in the region for producing CEOs. It is ranked fourth nationally.

The university has also been acclaimed for a number of research accomplishments. Some of its current intellectual property efforts include nanotechnology used in air-bag safety, glaucoma relief and heart sensors; fiber engineering (bulletproof material); contamination safety (water and meat); asphalt test track; solar vehicles; and micro-chips and body robots.

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Virginia Thompson (center) is pictured with Club President Debbie Shaw (left) and program host Jon Waggoner.