Faculty, staff and friends of the College of Charleston gathered on Friday, May 13, 2022, to celebrate the dedication of the newly named Michael J. Auerbach Auditorium in the School of Sciences and Mathematics Building.
Funded through a generous gift from alumna Dr. Cathy Seymore ’78 and her husband, Dr. Jeff Seymore, the auditorium, located in room 129, is named in memory of the late Michael J. Auerbach, former dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics, who passed away in 2019.
“While I did not have the pleasure to meet and work with Mike, I continue to learn about his impact on the College from those who knew him best,” said CofC President Andrew T. Hsu. “Mike had a great passion for undergraduate research, and truly laid the groundwork for the College of Charleston as an institution of academic distinction. Excellence in undergraduate research has become a differentiator for us because of Mike and his faculty’s dedication to our students doing science in our labs and in the field.”
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The Seymores worked in coordination with Sebastian van Delden, current dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics, to honor Auerbach and support new academic opportunities for students studying science and mathematics.
Cathy Seymore said she she was “grateful for today on so many levels,” noting that she was grateful to have met and befriended Auerbach and his wife, Nitsa, and that she was “grateful to the College of Charleston for giving me a scholarship to attend here many years ago and start my academic journey.”
She added, “Lastly, I want to thank Mike for just being himself: an educator, a leader and, most of all, a partner.”
Nitsa Auerbach thanked the Seymores for their contribution to honor her late husband.
“It touched my heart and brought great joy to my son, Danny,” she said.
