About Us.

The Auburn University team includes outreach, community intervention, and active travel design experts.  Reach out if you have any questions to help implement the PARTNER Program in your community.​  We have spent years working with rural Alabama communities, and we would love to share our experience to help support other communities.

PARTNER at Auburn University

Our team of experts represent two recognized programs at Auburn University: the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, supported by Auburn University Transportation Research Institute. We bring together years of experience and complimentary expertise in equitable public outreach, community interventions, and active travel design. 

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is the primary outreach and engagement organization for the land-grant mission of Auburn University. You will find an Extension Office in all 67 Alabama counties, supported by Regional Extension Agents across the state.

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, in the Ginn College of Engineering is a top 30 public engineering college, as reported by US News and Work Report.  The CEE Department is internationally recognized for its research work.

CDC DNPAO HOP Grant

This program was developed through a 5-year cooperative grant from the Centers for Disease Control Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (CDC DNPAO) High Obesity Program (HOP).  

PARTNER Team Members

Katie Funderburk
Asst. Director, Fed. Nutrition Programs
Alabama Cooperative Extension
Outreach & Management
[email protected]
334.734.3149​

Ruth Brock
Specialist
Alabama Cooperative Extension
Outreach & Management
[email protected]
334.844.1035

Mitch Carter
Specialist
Alabama Cooperative Extension
Outreach & Assessment
[email protected]
334.734.0427

Jeffrey LaMondia, PhD
Professor
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Active Travel Design and Modeling
[email protected]
​334.246.1693

Beth Reeves
Specialist
Alabama Cooperative Extension
Marketing
[email protected]
​334.844.5622

PARTNER Program Development Support 

The PARTNER Program was developed with support from the following internationally recognized experts in equitable active transportation planning:
    
Mark Fenton Transportation/planning/public health consultant, author, PBS television host, and pedestrian and bicycle advocate markfenton.com
Charles Brown, MPA, CPD, LCI Founder & CEO, Equitable Cities LLC ​equitablecities.com
Joe Gilpin Vice President, Alta Planning + Design, Inc. altago.com

This website was supported by the Cooperative Agreement 5 NU58DP007335-02 funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. 
Trade and brand names used in this publication are given for information purposes only. No guarantee, endorsement, or discrimination among comparable products is intended or implied by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. 
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating because of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Human Resources Department at (334) 844-5531 or the State of Alabama Governor’s Office on Disability (GOOD) at (888) 879-3582 or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; Fax: (833) 256- 1665 or (202) 690-7442; or Email: [email protected]. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 
​www.aces.edu