Spencer

Mark Spencer, a 2000 graduate of Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, was recently named a recipient of one of the university’s 2012 Young Alumni Achievement Awards.

The award, sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs, was created in 2011 to recognize extraordinary accomplishments by members of the Auburn family, age 40 and under. Sixteen recipients were recognized for significant achievement in their professional lives and for distinguished community service.

“Auburn graduates are making significant contributions in a variety of occupations all across the globe, and some of the more interesting stories are happening with our young alumni,” said Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs at Auburn University. “It’s a great honor to recognize them in this way. Auburn’s future is shining a bit brighter due to the impact made by these impressive individuals.”

Spencer earned his degree in computer engineering from Auburn and began his first start-up company, Linux Support Services, while he was still a student. Spencer began exercising his engineering and entrepreneurial expertise at a young age when he wrote a grading program that he sold to his eighth grade teacher for $5. He is now the chairman and chief technology officer of Digium, the leading open source telecommunication provider in the world.

“I’m honored to be selected as Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient,” Spencer said. “Although I had the opportunity to attend many schools, the experience at Auburn uniquely set the foundation for what has been an exciting and unusual professional track. Auburn University not only provided an education for my career, but also the support and people who helped me to do something extraordinary with those skills.”

Awardees were selected for distinguished community service locally, regionally, nationally or globally and for prominence in their business, profession or vocational endeavors.