Steve Jobs' announcement earlier this week that he is stepping down from his day-to-day duties as CEO of Apple has many people worried about the future of the company. Stock holders are nervous as the company's stock values have taken a dip, and many college students who are constantly attached to their iPhones, iPods, and Mac books are concerned that Apple will no longer be on the forefront of trendy cutting-edge technology. However, Auburn students know there is no need for concern because one of our own is stepping in during Jobs' absence.

Tim Cook, an Alabama native, will run Apple while Jobs is away. Cook graduated from Auburn in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He worked for IBM and Compaq before joining Apple in 1998. He was promoted to COO in 2005, where he has overseen worldwide operations. This is not the first time Cook has stepped in for Jobs. He also served as CEO for two months in 2004 while Jobs took time off to be treated for pancreatic cancer.

Apple insiders do not seem to be worried about Cook's leadership. He is known as a workaholic with great leadership skills.

"Tim runs Apple, and he has been running Apple for a long time now," says Michael Janes, the general manager of Wired, Apple's online store. "Steve is the face of the company and very involved with product development but Tim is the guy who takes all those designs and turns it into a big pile of cash."

Cook is also known to be a devoted Auburn football fan.