Community Planning graduate Nicole Davis was one of 51 students nationwide to receive the Outstanding Student Award presented by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) for 2007.

Davis, a native of Gulf Shores, Ala., graduated in the Spring with a Master’s degree in Community Planning and an undergraduate degree in geography, also from Auburn.

“Nicole’s consistently strong performance in the areas of academics, research, and service exemplifies the best of graduate student achievement in our program,” John Pittari, Community Planning Program Chair, said. “She was a dedicated learner who graduated with one of the highest academic averages in her class and impressed the professional colleagues with whom she worked in her planning internship so much that they have now hired her on a permanent basis.”

This marks the second consecutive year that an Auburn Community Planning graduate has received the Outstanding Student Award. The Community Planning program is a part of the School of Architecture in the College of Architecture, Design & Construction (CADC).

“This is excellent national recognition for Auburn as the award is open only to accredited planning programs throughout the United States,” Dan Bennett, Dean of the CADC, said.

The purpose of the Outstanding Student Award is to recognize outstanding attainment in the study of planning by a student who is being graduated from an accredited program during the academic year of the award.

The AICP is the professional institute of the American Planning Association. It provides recognized leadership nationwide in the certification of professional planners, ethics, professional development, planning education and the standards of planning practice.