The Auburn Engineer - Spring 2021

Also in this issue // A U T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H I N S T I T U T E // 1 8

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SPRING 2021

SPRING HAS SPRUNG The flowers are in bloom in front of Ross Hall, home to the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the campus is returning to a sense of normalcy after a year of disruptions due to COVID-19.

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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S

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College honors students, faculty and alumni at spring awards ceremonies

Auburn University launches Transportation Research Institute

“If I can see you, I can be you”

This year’s ceremonies honored the exceptional work of 23 students, 13 faculty and 10 outstanding alumni.

National transportation leader Laurence Rilett tapped to lead the institute as its inaugural director.

African American engineering alumni inspire the next generation through stories of resilience and success.

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New civil engineering grad conquers cornhole

Biosystems alumna takes a hike

Thank you to our alumni, donors, friends and partners

Recent grad Travis Moore and his teammate are enjoying newfound fame as the college cornhole national champions.

Biosystems engineering graduate Jessica Mills has become a YouTube sensation with her hiking videos.

The annual Cupola Report recognizes donors who have contributed to the college during the past calendar year.

ON THE COVER // MENTORS IN THE MAKING Mechanical engineering junior Brittany Ransom looks toward alumni such as Shirley Boulware and Kenneth Kelly as a shining example of what she can be.

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SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

FROM THE DEAN

SPRING 2021 // Volume 31, Issue 1

DEAN Christopher B. Roberts DIRECTOR AND EDITOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Austin Phillips CONTRIBUTORS Chris Anthony Jeremy Henderson Cassie Montgomery Virginia Speirs Alyssa Turner Lauren Winton GRAPHIC DESIGNER Danny Doyle WEB MANAGER Tyler Patterson VIDEOGRAPHY/PHOTOGRAPHY Marcus Kluttz Jim Killian John Sluis Visit Auburn Engineer online at eng.auburn.edu/magazine for videos, photos, podcasts and more. You may also submit news items, suggestions or comments by clicking the Contact Us tab.

Auburn Engineer is published twice yearly by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Engineering Communications and Marketing c/o Editor 1210D Shelby Center Auburn, AL 36849 334-844-2444

Over a year ago, everything changed. COVID-19 had spread through the United States, virtually shutting down life as we know it.

But it could not stop the Auburn Spirit.

Now, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. COVID cases are on the decline in the Auburn area, vaccinations are increasing daily, and our students, faculty and staff are almost completely back in person on campus.

Our hope is for the fall to look, and feel, as normal as possible.

This feat has only been made possible through the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, the resiliency and determination of our students, and the support and commitment of our alumni, donors and friends.

As we make our way back toward normal, we’re excited to share some of the transformative and groundbreaking news from the college, while also celebrating the many accomplishments of our distinguished alumni.

In this issue, you will read some of the stories we compiled in February as part of our Black History Month celebration, with some of our students and alumni shedding light on how other underrepresented engineers who came before them have inspired and motivated them to press on. These alumni have paved the way for the current generation, and today’s students are carrying that torch and blazing their own path.

You’ll also read about our newly formed Auburn University Transportation Research Institute, which is providing a unified presence and strategic direction for promoting the renowned transportation-related research conducted within the academic departments and research centers in the college. National leader Larry Rilett has joined us to lead this effort, and we are thrilled to have someone of his caliber and expertise.

We’ll also catch you up on all the happenings from the college during the past six months and celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty, while also telling some fun stories about our creative alumni along the way.

Indeed, it is a great time to be an Auburn engineer and we look forward to seeing many of you back on campus in the fall.

War Eagle!

© 2021 Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

Christopher B. Roberts Dean of Engineering 5

HAPPENINGS

Alabama legislators tour the Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory.

Auburn Engineering posts banner year for research in fiscal year 2020

The Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has again posted a banner year for externally sponsored projects, bringing in more than $74 million in awards during fiscal year 2020.

“We have now had two consecutive years of just outstanding grantsmanship,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. “Our faculty and research staff have really raised the bar in our extramural research program, and I commend them for all of their successes.

They are a big reason why we are ascending among the nation’s top engineering colleges.”

Of the $74 million received in the fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept.

30, 2020, $70 million funded new research efforts and $4 million supported new outreach and instruction programs.

Auburn Engineering’s research expenditures have historically placed the college among the nation’s top engineering institutions, including in the top 10% for the past 15 years, according to data from the American Society of Engineering Education.

Happenings online Visit our magazine online at eng.auburn.edu/magazine for videos and photos of all these stories.

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Auburn Engineering ranks No. 18 in latest U.S. News online graduate program rankings

For the fifth consecutive year, the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has landed in the top 25 in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Engineering Programs rankings. The program moved up five spots from last year to No. 18.

In addition, Auburn Engineering’s civil engineering program ranked No. 11 within the online engineering specialty rankings, which are based on responses to the peer assessment survey administered to highranking academic officials at engineering colleges with online programs.

Auburn’s online computer science and software engineering program ranked No. 21 in this year’s Best Online Information Technology Programs.

“This year’s overall ranking is a reflection of our hard-working faculty and Engineering Online staff as we continue to focus on offering the highest quality online programs that mirror the traditional classroom experience,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. “In addition, the graduate online civil engineering program’s individual ranking exemplifies our efforts and we’re honored that it is so highly regarded by our peers.”

The annual U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Graduate Engineering Program rankings are based on five factors: student engagement (25%), faculty credentials and training (25%), expert opinion/peer assessment (25%), student services and technology (12.5%), and student excellence (12.5%). View the full rankings at usnews.com/online.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Legislators, transportation officials marvel at new Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory Dozens of state legislators and transportation officials toured Auburn University’s brand new $22 million Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory (ASEL) during the final leg of the legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee’s “Alabama Roadshow,” a weeklong statewide tour providing a workshop environment for legislators to interact with local planners that took place in December 2020.

Organized by Rep. Margie Wilcox and Alabama Transportation Planners Association President Kevin Harrison, the event doubled as the ATPA’s Southeast Region meeting and allowed representatives of several Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Rural Planning Organizations an up-close look at the game-changing resources the ASEL brings to the structural engineering field.

“It’s great to have representatives and senators from throughout the state here to see what’s happening in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and to understand its importance when we’re making budget priority requests in Montgomery,” said Rep. Joe Lovvorn, who represents Auburn in House District 79.

“This lab isn’t just important for Auburn University — the work that will be done inside this incredible facility will improve the lives of everyone.”

Listen to our podcast with ASEL Director Justin Marshall at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

HAPPENINGS

Assistant civil and environmental engineering professor receives NSF Early Career award Assistant civil and environmental engineering professor Jack Montgomery has been selected for the prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program.

Montgomery, whose focus is geotechnical engineering, was awarded $531,818 to explore the relationship between soil piping and rainfall-induced landslides in unsaturated soils.

“Most people are familiar with surface erosion caused by flowing water, but a similar process can take place below the surface as well,” Montgomery said. “Soil piping can lead to sinkholes and failures of dams and levees. We have methods

Auburn taps prominent cybersecurity expert to lead research for McCrary Institute

Marcus Sachs, a security executive with nearly 40 years of public and private sector professional experience, was announced as the McCrary Institute’s deputy director for research.

Sachs will lead, coordinate and expand the institute’s cyber and critical infrastructure security research portfolio. He will initially

really unique experimental capabilities at Auburn,” he said.

Jack Montgomery

to assess how likely it is for piping to start, but once the erosion begins we don’t have many ways to predict how it will progress. This project is specifically focused on piping in slopes, but the findings will apply to many different areas, including dam safety.”

Much of Montgomery’s previous research has focused on field work or computational analyses.

“But this grant will allow me to build some

serve as Auburn’s principal investigator supporting a multi-institution initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create a national network of institutes that will educate and train dynamic and diverse cybersecurity professionals.

“Marc has decades of experience in the cybersecurity arena and is a crucial addition to our team to lead such an important endeavor,” said Frank Cilluffo,

Incoming Auburn transportation director honored by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Laurence Rilett, the incoming director of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute, has earned one of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s highest faculty honors.

Rilett was one of three Nebraska faculty to receive the President’s Excellence Awards. He was honored with an Innovation, Development and Engagement Award, which recognizes faculty who have extended their academic expertise beyond the boundaries of the university, enriching the broader community.

Laurence Rilett

At University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rilett served as professor of civil engineering, Keith W. Klaasmeyer Chair in Engineering and Technology and director of the Nebraska Transportation Center and Mid-America Transportation Center. He previously served on the faculty at Texas A&M University.

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Specifically, he plans to take advantage of the 4,700-cubic-foot geotechnical test chamber — one of the few test chambers in the nation included in a university laboratory — inside Auburn’s new $22 million Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory.

“We’ll be using the geotechnical test chamber to build some near full-scale slope models,” he said.

Montgomery, who came to Auburn in 2015, is the fifth Auburn Engineering faculty member — and the third in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering — to earn the Early CAREER Award in 16 months.

Marcus Sachs

McCrary Institute director. “Having Marc spearhead our research and training efforts bolsters our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

Rilett will join Auburn Engineering later this year and hold the Ginn Distinguished Professorship. As the inaugural director of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute, Rilett is tasked with fostering continued growth and expansion of Auburn’s rich history of excellence in transportation research.

Established earlier this year, the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute provides a unified presence and strategic direction for promoting the renowned transportation-related research conducted within the academic departments and research centers in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

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HAPPENINGS

Members of Auburn’s ACI student chapter pose during a 2020 service project.

10 Auburn engineers named to 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll

Auburn named American Concrete Institute Excellent University

The 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll includes the sports of cross country, football, soccer and volleyball. It is based on grades from the 2020 spring, summer and fall terms.

The designation is the ACI’s highest honor for universities, and is meant to recognize ACI student chapters for excellent participation in institute-related projects and activities.

Listed below are the Auburn Engineering student-athletes who earned recognition from the SEC, along with their majors:

“Considering that ACI currently has more than 15,000 student members and over 250 student chapters around the world — and that our chapter is one of only seven American universities to receive this distinction — this is a great accomplishment,” said Auburn chapter advisor Anton Schindler, the Mountain Spirit Professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Ten Auburn Engineering student-athletes earned a selection to the 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, the conference office announced in February.

For the sixth year in a row, Auburn University has been named an American Concrete Institute (ACI) Excellent University.

CROSS COUNTRY • Hannah Dyal – Chemical Engineering FOOTBALL • Zion Puckett – Mechanical Engineering • Jacob Quattlebaum – Electrical Engineering • Malcolm Russell – Civil and

Environmental Engineering • Clarke Smith – Master of Engineering • Barrett Tindall – Civil and Environmental Engineering • Jacob VonEschenbach – Industrial and

Systems Engineering • Brooks Walton – Aerospace Engineering SOCCER • Marissa Arias – Mechanical Engineering • Alyssa Malonson – Biosystems Engineering

Listen to our podcast with

Jacob VonEschenbach

at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

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“That we’ve kept the streak alive even during the pandemic is especially something to be proud about,” he added.

Auburn’s ACI student chapter focuses on connecting students with concrete industry professionals through educational seminars, an annual Concrete Day event, and by sending students to represent Auburn at national ACI conventions.

“Our ACI student chapter also collaborated with the local concrete industry to complete a service project last fall,” Schindler said. “They constructed a driveway and parking area for a homeowner impacted by the 2019 tornadoes in Beauregard.”

Auburn’s chapter will be recognized at the 2021 ACI Virtual Concrete Convention.

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Auburn online computer science degree ranked among nation’s top 10 Auburn University’s online bachelor of computer science program has been ranked among the nation’s top online computer science programs, according to Computer Science Degree Hub.

Computer Science Degree Hub ranked the programs based on estimated cost, return on investment and graduation rate. Based on its findings, Auburn Engineering’s degree program came out ranked atop the top 10.

“This ranking affirms the quality and affordability of our online bachelor of computer science program,” said Hari Narayanan, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. “When we launched the program in 2018, translating our top-tier on-campus bachelor’s degree in computer science into an equally high quality student-centered online experience for adults with a college degree or college credit was our primary objective. I believe this ranking shows that we have been successful in doing that.”

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Auburn’s program is an interdisciplinary learning experience offered entirely online that allows students to graduate in as few as two years.

With an emphasis on both theoretical computer science and application of learned skills, the program offers courses on a wide range of topics, including information technology, operating systems, database management, web and mobile app development, network platforms and computer network design.

HAPPENINGS

Aerospace researcher to study surface samples returned from asteroid Ryugu

The successful return of a Japanese space capsule carrying surface samples from asteroid Ryugu sparked international celebration, including in Auburn where Masatoshi Hirabayashi, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, is a co-investigator of the optical navigation camera team involved in the mission. The 16-inch diameter capsule was recovered Dec. 5 in the Woomera Desert in the Australian Outback and securely delivered to the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Dec. 8.

Researchers such as Hirabayashi are eager to examine its contents.

Faculty to research lead-free defense electronics as part of $7M award

Auburn University will help strengthen the economic and force posture of the United States’ lead-free defense electronics industrial base through participation in the newly-launched Defense Electronics Consortium (DEC).

The DEC was established by the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics through an award from the U.S. Department of Defense. The total award amount is expected to exceed $42 million – $7 million of which is expected to come to Auburn – and will be distributed during a period of five to seven years.

The first year of the project was funded

Mentor for the Moment program aims to offer flexible mentoring service Students looking for a focused opportunity to gain networking and learning experiences in their field need look no further than the newly-launched Mentor for the Moment program.

“Through Mentor for the Moment, students have the opportunity to learn

opportunity to “approach the secrets of the birth of the solar system and the birth of life.”

Asteroid Ryugu

Launched six years ago by JAXA, Hayabusa2 spent more than three years orbiting the sun to position itself in proximity to Ryugu, an asteroid approximately 1 kilometer in diameter.

The spacecraft arrived at its destination, 177 million miles from Earth, in 2018 and made two landings on the asteroid in order to collect surface samples. JAXA scientists have described potential findings from the sample as an

“Ryugu is a carbonaceous asteroid that was originally thought to not have experienced intense heat since the formation of the solar system, thus containing plenty of water,” Hirabayashi said. “However, remote sensing observations implied that it would not be rich in water as compared to asteroid Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid that was recently sampled by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Detailed geochemical studies using the sampled materials will explain how carbonaceous asteroids formed, and how they delivered water to the EarthMoon system.”

at $3.9 million, with $830,000 awarded to Auburn Engineering. Auburn faculty will partner with researchers from Purdue University and the University of Maryland to focus on the Lead-Free Defense Electronics Project, the first initiative to flow through the DEC.

From left: Sa’d Hamasha, John L. Evans, Jeffrey Suhling and George Flowers.

The interdisciplinary project is a collaboration between faculty in Auburn’s industrial and systems engineering and mechanical engineering departments.

From the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, principal investigator and associate professor Sa’d Hamasha will direct the research program, department chair John L. Evans is a co-principal investigator and will manage the USPAE consortium interface, and assistant professors Daniel

Silva and Peter Liu are also co-principal investigators. Participating faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering include department chair and Quina Professor Jeffrey Suhling and professor George Flowers, Graduate School dean, as co-principal investigators.

Emeritus professors Wayne Johnson from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Michael Bozack from the Department of Physics will also contribute.

about job-related skills, network with professionals, explore career paths and gain new engineering knowledge, all in a one-time mentoring setting,” said Janet Moore, assistant dean and director of student services for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

term basis for one-hour sessions where they offer support and interaction via phone, video conferencing or face-to-face, as appropriate.

Hosted by engineering student services, Mentor for the Moment pairs professionals with students on a short-

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Mentors work with their mentee to determine what kind of support will be most useful – specific feedback related to finding jobs, general career advice, information on higher studies, technical information or personal encouragement.

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HAPPENINGS

Auburn Engineering faculty member receives NIH award to shed light on ‘dark’ protein families

Debswapna Bhattacharya, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering and Ginn Faculty Achievement Fellow, has won the Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Bhattacharya received the MIRA, which grants $1.86 million over five years, for his project which aims to develop novel computational and data-driven methods to structurally annotate the “dark” protein families – protein families that are undiscovered by modern structure determination techniques and are inaccessible to molecular modeling. The study aims to gather key information in the understanding of biological systems at the molecular level.

Debswapna Bhattacharya

“Nearly a quarter of protein families are currently dark, where molecular conformation is completely unknown,” Bhattacharya said. “The key challenge is how to shed light on this unknown protein universe to gain a comprehensive understanding of biology and disease, thereby paving the way to structurebased drug design at a genomic scale.”

Bhattacharya’s laboratory focuses specifically on the computational modeling of protein structures. Computational protein modeling plays a crucial role due to its scalability and wide applicability, Bhattacharya explained.

ASTM International, Auburn receive America Makes award for additive manufacturing cybersecurity training

ASTM International and Auburn University were awarded more than $260,000 in funding from America Makes for the development of additive manufacturing (AM) cybersecurity training.

“As additive manufacturing technologies are being broadly adopted, the need to counter cyber threats is becoming more prevalent,” said Paul Bates, ASTM International additive manufacturing lead project engineer and co-principal investigator of the effort.

“This award will help ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) offer training programs to train the workforce and prepare it to combat cybersecurity threats,” he added.

ASTM International is working closely with Auburn University and their additive manufacturing and cybersecurity experts

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“Latest developments on computational and data science based on artificial intelligence and machine learning are getting more and more matured,” he said. “We now can interrogate a biological system through the lens of computation.

We can try to mine biological big data and develop a new generation of datadriven predictive models that can help us understand the unknown protein universe at the molecular level and their impact in human disease.”

The goal of the MIRA funding mechanism is to enhance the ability of investigators to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively, according to NIH. This is the second early career award that Bhattacharya has received this year, the first being a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, which granted him more than $550,000.

help ensure the integrity and security of the entire value chain.”

The other co-principal investigators on this project are Mohsen Seifi of ASTM International and Nima Shamsaei of Auburn University.

Graduate student Arash Soltani-Tehrani in the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence is pictured operating an additive manufacturing machine.

to create a comprehensive training program. Auburn University, a founding partner of the AM CoE, is the home to the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME), Auburn Cyber Research Center (ACRC) and McCrary Institute.

“Security is a critical gap for digital manufacturing-related technologies,” said Mark Yampolskiy, associate professor of computer science and software engineering and principal investigator of the effort. “This contribution ensures the creation of new curricula and programs to train the AM industry in the subject and

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The award was presented as part of $2.23 million in funding to help accelerate the adoption of AM and address the needs of the supply chain.

It was awarded by America Makes for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering OUSD (R&E).

Visit our magazine online at eng.auburn.edu/magazine for videos, photo galleries and more.

HAPPENINGS

Auburn purchases new technology to advance quantum research Auburn University is now home to a piece of equipment that will allow faculty and students to advance research in materials for quantum information science.

Students are pictured with the Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) DynaCool in Broun Hall.

A state-of-the-art Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) DynaCool has been installed in Broun Hall, home of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Alabama Micro/Nano Science and Technology Center (AMNSTC).

The Quantum Design PPMS houses a 9-Tesla cryogen-free magnet and can reach a temperature as low as 1.7 Kelvin (-456 degrees Fahrenheit). With various measurement set-up options accompanying the user-friendly system, the PPMS is a wide temperature range materials and device characterization system that allows for extensive studies of electronic, magnetic and thermal properties.

Assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Peng Li, together with Michael Hamilton, the James B. Davis Professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of AMNSTC, and Ryan Comes, assistant professor of physics, worked with other faculty members in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Sciences and Mathematics to define and acquire the system.

The PPMS significantly advances Auburn University’s research capabilities in quantum materials and devices, as well as materials and components for advanced packing technologies. It will provide fundamental information to support the work of multiple research groups across campus and will allow researchers to be more competitive for additional externally sponsored research awards.

Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y. and ranking member of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, discussed the 117th Congress’ cyber and homeland security priorities.

“One of the biggest threats to homeland security right now is cyber – there’s no question about that,” Katko said. “It’s a cause for great collaboration and it’s quintessentially bipartisan and one of the reasons I’ve been so attracted to homeland security is that I like trying to get things done. To me, being bipartisan can’t be better explained than in the

Auburn civil engineering society chapter celebrates 100th anniversary

The Auburn University student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) turns 100 this year.

Founded in 1921, it was the first student chapter in the Deep South and one of the first in the nation.

“We have a membership of more than 100 students and we’re still growing,” said Auburn University chapter president Melanie Monaghan.

“We’re proud of the opportunities for involvement we provide.”

That Auburn’s ASCE student chapter is one of the most active in the nation hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“ASCE is proud of the Auburn University ASCE student chapter and of the generations of students, faculty and practitioners who have made it possible for this student chapter to thrive for 100 years,” said Beth Wiley, senior manager of Student and Younger Member Programs for ASCE.

McCrary Institute hosts U.S. representative, cyber chief in virtual talks

Auburn University’s McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo moderated two recent virtual discussions focused on cybersecurity.

Members of the Auburn ASCE student chapter pose while competing in the organization’s annual steel bridge competition.

Rep. John Katko and Frank Cilluffo

Monaghan credits the chapter’s accomplishments not only to its members, but the university.

cyber realm.”

Brandon Wales, acting director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Department of Homeland Security, also joined Cilluffo to discuss the state of ransomware and ways his agency is combatting it.

“Incidents of ransomware have been increasing exponentially,” Wales said.

“It’s affecting more and more types of businesses and public-sector entities.

We’re seeing manufacturing companies, schools [and] hospitals [being hit].”

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“We have been grateful for the support Auburn University has given us through the years, most recently providing us space in the new Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory,” Monaghan said.

Listen to our podcast with Melanie Monaghan at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

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HAPPENINGS

Molekule co-founder addresses Auburn students

Students showcase an augmented reality sandbox.

Biosystems engineering students build augmented reality sandbox

The Department of Biosystems Engineering has built an augmented reality sandbox designed to demonstrate the real-time water flow of any hypothetical topographic situation. The structure and program of the sandbox was originally designed by engineering researchers at the University of California, Davis.

The landscape of Auburn’s sandbox was designed through geographic information systems (GIS) and mimics part of the university’s campus. One of the incorporated 3D-printed building models is a replica of the Haley Center.

“The sandbox itself was designed through a grant by UC Davis, and so they are the ones that actually did the heavy lifting,” said Jeremiah Davis, associate professor of biosystems engineering and director of the National Poultry Technology Center. “They made the program and the instructions on how to build it… and I came across it one day and we started talking about building one ourselves.”

With the basic components of an Xbox Kinect camera, a computer and a box full of kinetic sand, students can dig, move or shape the sand into any form, while a projector illustrates in real-time what would happen to the land in real life after rainfall.

The sandbox was built to help students understand topographic material that may be more difficult to learn from a twodimensional map.

At Auburn, you’re never too old to play in the sand.

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Noted Auburn Engineering alumnus Yogi Goswami, the director of the Clean Energy Research Center at the University of South Florida and cofounder of industry disrupting air purifier manufacturer Molekule Inc., made a virtual return to the Plains in February.

Goswami, who earned both a master’s and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Auburn in 1971 and 1975, respectively, spoke to mechanical engineering students on solar photocatalysis.

Solar photocatalysis is the underlying process in Molekule’s patented photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology, an innovation that has become even more invaluable amid a viral pandemic.

Molekule’s professional grade purifier, a fast-growing favorite in medical facilities, actually satisfies Food and Drug Administration performance criteria for use not just in capturing, but

Yogi Goswami

destroying SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19. Recently conducted laboratory tests at the University of Minnesota determined that more than 99% of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate virus was inactivated after just a single pass through a Molekule Mini unit.

“With other filtration devices, bacteria and viruses can stay viable on the filters and get back into the air, and mold can continue to grow on the filter,” Goswami said. “But through PECO, Molekule destroys organic compounds at the molecular level so that they are permanently eliminated.”

Goswami ultimately traces development of the game-changing innovation to his time at Auburn.

3 Auburn Engineering grads named NSF Graduate Research Fellows

Three recent Auburn Engineering alumni have been named National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows.

The prestigious fellowship program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in NSF-supported disciplines in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

From left: Tyler Toner, Bryana Harris and Elizabeth M. Pryor

of associate professor Kira Barton and professor Dawn Tilbury.

The following alumni were recognized by the NSF:

Bryana Harris, a 2019 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, is now a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, working with professor Jeffrey Saucerman.

Tyler Toner, a 2019 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and minor in computer science, is currently pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan under the direction

Elizabeth M. Prior is a 2019 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech under the guidance of professors Cully Hession and Valerie Thomas.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

HAPPENINGS

Auburn Engineering receives 14 awards in Educational Advertising Awards competition

Doctoral student Pooriya Nezhadfar (center, right) won best student presentation at the recent ASTM International Conference on Additive Manufacturing.

Auburn researchers win big at major additive manufacturing conference

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s thought-leading expertise in additive manufacturing (AM) was on full display at the recent ASTM International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (ICAM), the largest virtual event ever hosted by the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence.

An Auburn mechanical engineering professor and a doctoral student working in Auburn’s National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) both received prestigious awards during the conference, which was attended by nearly 600 AM researchers and professionals from more than 30 countries.

“It was an incredible honor to present my research at ICAM 2020,” said Pooriya Nezhadfar, who last year was named one of Auburn University’s Outstanding Doctoral Students.

Nezhadfar’s research presentation on the structure-property relationships of additively manufactured metallic materials used in critical load-bearing applications was deemed the best among more than 55 other student presentations.

Associate professor Shuai Shao received the ASTM Young Professional Award in Additive Manufacturing, which recognizes outstanding research contributions to the field of additive manufacturing, specifically in support of standarization development.

“Only 10 young professionals received the award,” Shao said. “I was deeply honored.”

The Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has won 14 awards for communications and marketing excellence in the 36th annual Educational Advertising Awards competition.

In total, Auburn Engineering won seven gold awards, two silver awards, three bronze awards and one merit award. The Auburn Engineering website also earned a Best of Show award for being the top selection among all website entries by exhibiting the highest standards of creativity and professionalism.

“These awards highlight the phenomenal work our staff has done to elevate the Auburn Engineering brand and showcase the college’s outstanding accomplishments,” said Austin Phillips, director of engineering communications and marketing. “It is an honor to be able to tell the stories of our exceptional students, faculty, staff and alumni, and we are excited about what is yet to come.”

The following projects won awards in the Educational Advertising Awards competition: - Best of Show award, Website category, eng.auburn.edu - Gold award, Student Viewbook category, Auburn Engineering Viewbook - Gold award, Podcasts category, #GINNing podcast - Gold award, Brochure category, Career Development and Corporate Relations Brochure - Gold award, Logo/Letterhead Design category, SignENG Day logo - Gold award, Online Publications category, Auburn Engineer e-magazine - Gold award, Outdoor category, Engineering Concourse banners - Gold award, Website category, eng.auburn.edu - Silver award, Advertising Industry Self-Promotion Out-Of-Home category, Huntsville billboard - Silver award, Annual Report category, 2019-20 Dean’s Report - Bronze award, Brochure category, Top 10 Reasons brochure - Bronze award, Direct Mail category, Recruiting postcard - Bronze award, Online Display Ad category, Securing Our Nation digital ad - Merit award, Publication/External category, Auburn Engineer Magazine Judges for the Educational Advertising Awards consisted of a national panel of higher education marketers, advertising creative directors, marketing and advertising professionals. There were more than 2,000 entries in the competition from more than 1,000 colleges, universities and secondary schools from across the United States and the world.

Gold awards were granted to 313 institutions, silver awards were awarded to 170 institutions and bronze awards were bestowed on 104 institutions. Only 14 institutions were recognized by the judges with a Best of Show award.

Read them all online

Visit our magazine online at eng.auburn.edu/magazine for videos, photo galleries and more.

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HAPPENINGS

Kenneth Kelly

Electrical engineering alumnus addresses graduates at spring commencement

Prominent banking executive and philanthropist Kenneth Kelly delivered the commencement address to Auburn’s spring 2021 graduates in Jordan-Hare Stadium, which kicked off the university’s commencement weekend.

Kelly, ’90 electrical engineering, who also holds an MBA from the University of Alabama, is chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank of Detroit, the seventh-largest African Americancontrolled bank in the country, and chairman of MAC Leasing, a Michiganbased and minority-owned equipment lease financier. He currently serves on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s

Advisory Committee on Community Banking, sits on the American Bankers Association Board of Directors and recently completed a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank’s Seventh District Community Depository Institution Advisory Council.

“I was humbled to deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2021 in one of the greatest venues in our nation,” Kelly said. “Auburn University provided a foundation for me that was life-changing, and having the opportunity to share this impact was an honor and tribute to all my family, instructors, classmates, peers and administrators who believed in me. My goal was to ensure that the Class of 2021 knows that I believe in them.”

Prior to entering the financial sector, Kelly served in numerous leadership roles for Southern Company. During his nearly 30year career with the energy corporation, he negotiated the company’s $500 million investment in its first solar facility located in the state of California. Kelly also led

Industrial and systems engineering graduate students place second in national contest

Two industrial and systems engineering doctoral students have placed second in a national 3D design competition hosted

by Physna, a Cincinnati-based technology start-up. Allison Brown and Mohsen Nikfar competed against teams from other top engineering schools around the country earning the runner-up position for their design, Space Shuttle Launch.

Physna recently introduced Thangs, an advanced geometric search platform for 3D models. Student competitors were tasked with solving problems using 3D design on the Thangs platform.

The goal behind the competition is to support engineering talent across the country and expose students to advanced technologies of geometric search and smart collaborative tools.

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Allison Brown and Mohsen Nikfar earned second place in a national 3D design competition for their design, Space Shuttle Launch.

acquisitions of solar projects totaling $3.4 billion in partnership value, producing $146 million in first-year net income.

To empower the next generation of Auburn engineers, Kelly established an endowment for minority engineering students from his hometown of Eufaula, Alabama. In honor of this commitment, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering named the Engineering Academic Excellence Program Office Suite Reception Area in the Brown-Kopel Center in his honor. He served as vice chair and treasurer of the Auburn University Engineering Alumni Council before becoming chair last year, making him the first African American to chair the council in its 55-year history.

“Kenneth Kelly personifies the value of an Auburn University degree and the potential it holds,” Auburn President Jay Gogue said. “He is a true servant leader, and his efforts have made an impact on his profession as well as on our students, who are empowered by the expertise and resources he shares.”

well-suited to accomplish this,” she said.

“We ended up using nine models from the Thangs repository including a jet, a decorative plate, a mechanical shaft and, my personal favorite, a lightsaber chassis.

We had to plan our design so that it could be made in a short period of time, and to me this was the most challenging, but also one of the most fun, parts of the competition.”

Inspiration for their space shuttle design came to Brown while listening to an audiobook of Gene Kranz’s “Failure is Not an Option” about the early days of the U.S. space program.

Nikfar also thought the space shuttle launch idea was perfect for the design challenges it presented and would build upon their design of Samford Hall submitted in the competition’s first round.

“I suggested to Mohsen that we do something related to NASA or space travel. The goal of this competition was to create a brand-new design by combining models already uploaded to the Physna Thangs website, and we thought that a space shuttle was

“I really liked the idea because it was challenging and at the same time, manageable in the short period of time we had to complete it,” he said. “I’ve been fascinated by the idea of humankind exploring space since I was in middle school.”

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HAPPENINGS

Auburn engineers win world’s richest student startup competition

Mit Patel, a senior in mechanical engineering and accounting, and Daniel Mazur, a senior in mechanical engineering, recently won the Grand Prize in the 2021 Rice Business Plan Competition, the largest and richest student startup competition.

The duo took home several awards, including the Business Angel Minority Association Investment Prize, and almost $450,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.

The two are among the first occupants of Auburn University’s New Venture Accelerator, where more than 8,000 square feet of office space is dedicated to fostering student startups.

(AWS) U.S. University Startup Competition, one of the premier student events of its kind in the country.

Mit Patel (left) and Daniel Mazur

Patel and Mazur are co-founders of SwiftSku, a scan data solution that leverages business intelligence and machine learning for independent convenience stores.

SwiftSku is no stranger to pitching before judges. Last spring, the startup captured the annual Tiger Cage Student Business Plan Competition and secured $25,000 in capital funding. The duo also recently took third place in the Amazon Web Services

Auburn Office of Cooperative Education joins College of Engineering

More than 90% of all Auburn University students who complete a co-op position are pursuing their degree in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. To better serve these students, the Office of Cooperative Education has joined the Engineering Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations (CDCR) in the Brown-Kopel Center. The merger firmly establishes three distinct teams within the CDCR infrastructure: corporate relations, cooperative education, and student career development and coaching.

“The cooperative education team is a welcome addition to the College of Engineering, and we remain committed to continuing to serve our students, and the entire campus community, through their co-op expertise,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. “Our Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations has been a vital force in connecting our students with employers and equipping them with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. I look forward to seeing how this dedicated team continues to serve our students.”

“We were delighted to see an Auburn student-team place third in this prestigious national competition,” said Lou Bifano, director of Entrepreneurship Strategy at Auburn University. “Mit and Daniel are bringing an exciting data analytics service to market for independent convenience store owners.

They will be able to put their AWS winnings to good use.”

Listen to our podcast with Daniel Mazur at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

research experience,” said Ed Lewis, senior advisor to the dean in the College of Engineering. “We think it’s critical that engineering students are engaged with the CDCR office.”

The cooperative education team serves an average of 450 students per year, representing all engineering disciplines plus students in the McWhorter School of Building Science and the Harbert College of Business.

In the fall of 2019, approximately onethird of engineering graduates completed at least one co-op during their time at Auburn, while nearly 40% had completed at least one internship.

According to Charlie Wilder, associate director for cooperative education, data shows that 97% of the students who coop have a positive career outcome within six months of graduation.

“It’s much easier for students to find employment if they have experiential learning through a co-op, internship or

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Co-ops and internships provide students with valuable industry experience.

Whereas internships typically last a single semester, co-ops are three semesters of alternating work terms. For example, a student may work full time for a co-op employer in the fall, come back to Auburn for school in the spring and then head back to work in the summer.

“The big difference between co-ops and internships is the students’ opportunity to build a skillset and gain up to one year of experience within the workplace,” Wilder said. “After their first work term, they start adding value back to the workplace, so our co-op employers really rely on them.

Toward their third work term end, these students are functioning like full-time engineers in the workplace, so when they graduate, they’re ready to hit the ground running.”

The cooperative education program at Auburn dates back to 1937.

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HAPPENINGS

Auburn Engineering honors student, faculty and alumni achievement

The Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has announced its 2020-21 outstanding students, faculty and alumni, recognizing scholarship, leadership and a demonstrated commitment to the college.

This year’s ceremonies honored 23 students, 13 faculty and 10 outstanding alumni.

“Each year, we look forward to recognizing the outstanding students, faculty and staff in our college and this year was no exception,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. “Their accomplishments, and the support of our Auburn Engineering alumni, corporate partners and friends, have made this academic year a great success.”

100+ Women Strong Undergraduate Leadership Awards • Swati Baskiyar, Computer Science • Lindsey Waggoner, Aerospace Engineering 100+ Women Strong Graduate Leadership Awards • Fatemeh Jamshidi, Computer Science

and Software Engineering • Sylwia Stawska, Civil and Environmental Engineering J. Alley Family Fellowship • Fatemeh Jamshidi, Computer Science

and Software Engineering • Zahra Karimi, Chemical Engineering Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Award for Most Outstanding Engineering Student Organization • War Eagle Motorsports Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Award for Most Improved Engineering Student Organization • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers

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Outstanding Student Awards • Lindsey Waggoner, Aerospace Engineering • Mary Beth Cassity, Biosystems Engineering • Joseph Dekle, Chemical Engineering • Allison Licavoli, Civil and Environmental Engineering • Nicholas Alex Jones, Computer Engineering • Jason Barbieri, Computer Science • Madeleine Norman, Electrical Engineering • Sarah DeFalco, Industrial and Systems Engineering • Leyton A. Janowsky, Materials Engineering • Laura Breckenridge, Mechanical Engineering • John Connor Johnston, Software Engineering • Duncan Wisniewski, Wireless

Engineering (Hardware) • Joshua Lazenby, Wireless

Engineering (Software) Samuel Ginn Outstanding Student Award • Lindsey Waggoner, Aerospace Engineering Frank Vandegrift Co-op Award • Parth Ranchhod, Industrial and

Systems Engineering Jeff and Linda Stone Leadership Awards • Swati Baskiyar, Computer Science • Jake Hickman, Aerospace Engineering

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• Alex Lewin, Software Engineering • Miller Parker, Mechanical Engineering • Brittany Ransom, Mechanical Engineering Mark A. Spencer Creative Mentorship Award Student • Mollie Sabo, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty • Lauren Beckingham, Civil and

Environmental Engineering Outstanding Faculty Awards • Blake Melnick, Aerospace Engineering • Jonathan Davis, Biosystems Engineering • Joseph Shaeiwitz, Chemical Engineering • Benjamin Bowers, Civil and

Environmental Engineering • Clint Lovelace, Computer Science and

Software Engineering • Michael C. Hamilton, Electrical and

Computer Engineering • Erin Garcia, Industrial and

Systems Engineering • Xiaoyuan Lou, Materials Engineering • Rick Williams, Mechanical Engineering 100+ Women Strong Leadership in Diversity Faculty Award • Virginia Davis, Chemical Engineering Fred H. Pumphrey Teaching Award • Rick Williams, Mechanical Engineering

HAPPENINGS William F. Walker Teaching Award Merit • Molly Hughes, Civil and Environmental Engineering • Bill Josephson, Chemical Engineering Superior • Jonathan Davis, Biosystems Engineering Auburn Alumni Engineering Research Awards for Excellence Junior Awards Lauren Beckingham, Civil and

Environmental Engineering

Sa’d Hamasha, Industrial and Systems Engineering Senior Awards Song-yul Choe, Mechanical Engineering Selen Cremaschi, Chemical Engineering Outstanding Alumni Awards • Walt Rutledge, Aerospace Engineering • Gregory Nichols, Biosystems Engineering • Beverly Banister, Chemical Engineering • Christopher Kramer, Civil and

Environmental Engineering

Industrial and systems engineering seniors win technical paper competition

A student team of three industrial and systems engineering seniors was recently announced as the winner of the Southeast Regional Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers’ (IISE) Technical Paper Competition.

Annie Dorsey, Caroline Allen and Anne Curtis Giovanelli have been invited to present at the 2021 Virtual IISE Annual Conference and to compete at the national level competition.

The students completed the technical paper as part of a term project for their Simulations course, taught by assistant professor Konstantinos Mykoniatis.

The project required students to research challenges that a local business in Auburn faces and “propose an innovative, pragmatic solution that has the potential to improve the business’ operations during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mykoniatis said.

• Idongesit Mkpong-Ruffin, Computer Science and Software Engineering • Amy Dobbs, Electrical and

Computer Engineering • Nancy Bissinger, Industrial and

Systems Engineering • Dave Edwards, Materials Engineering • J.D. McFarlan, Mechanical Engineering • Amy Goddard, Polymer and

Fiber Engineering

move on to the national competition level in May,” he added.

From left: Caroline Allen, Annie Dorsey and Anne Curtis Giovanelli

brainstorming sessions, we settled upon a drive-thru location that was a popular choice for students looking for a quick bite to eat, but instead led to frustratingly long wait times,” Allen said.

“Beyond that, with the ongoing pandemic, drive-thrus quickly became the new normal, and often the only option if you wanted to enjoy your favorite fast-food meal. With more customers utilizing the drive-thru, it became even more imperative to find ways to improve the speed of service and overall customer experience,” she added.

One of the biggest challenges the trio encountered was learning to use the simulation software Simio, a program that they hadn’t worked with prior to the start of the course in fall 2020.

The students chose to focus their project on a local drive-thru fast-food restaurant, evaluating the behavior of the system, identifying inefficiencies and problems and exploring opportunities for improvement of the drive-thru system.

“As we worked through building the model, we ran into several bumps in the road, but Dr. Mykoniatis was always available to assist us with any troubleshooting,” Giovanelli Tsaid.

“When we were first assigned this project, we knew we wanted to pick a system that impacted Auburn students. After a few

“To go from Simio novices to having our paper recognized has been a great accomplishment. We are so excited to

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Mykoniatis commended the team for the work they put in above and beyond the course requirements to submit their work to IISE for consideration.

“The students demonstrated the ability to handle every task I assigned them efficiently and effectively through hard work. They often requested more challenging tasks to acquire new simulation skills and improve their existing ones,” he said.

“As a result, they improved and expanded their technical report by integrating advanced simulation techniques, such as dynamic scheduling and optimization,” he added.

Overall, the team is proud of their accomplishment and looking forward to the challenges to come.

“Our biggest takeaway has been to not allow inexperience to stop you from trying new things,” Dorsey said.

“No one on the team had used Simio before or had entered a technical paper contest. Dr. Mykoniatis really encouraged us to enter this competition and was there to support us throughout the entire process. The industrial and systems engineering faculty is truly one of a kind.

The team is so excited that we took this chance and that it paid off,” she said.

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F E AT U R E S

// B Y C O N T R I B U T O R S

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH U N I V E R S I T Y

Established in 2021, the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute provides a unified presence and strategic direction for promoting the renowned transportation-related research conducted within the academic departments and research centers in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Thanks to the reputation of the units under the Institute’s umbrella — the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and its affiliated asphalt test track, the Highway Research Center (HRC), the Alabama Transportation Assistance Program (ATAP) and the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory (GAVLAB) — extramural funding for transportation is greater than any other single topic within Auburn University’s research footprint.

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F E A T U R E // T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H U

The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) operates the nation’s premier, full-scale asphalt testing center and a 1.7-mile oval test track that has seen nearly 10 million miles of heavy traffic, which has led to advancements in pavement design, construction and maintenance across the country.

As the Southeast’s leader in transportation research and education, Auburn University is taking another step forward with the announcement of the formation of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute.

The institute, hosted and supported within Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, will provide greater visibility and a shared identity for all transportation-related research and educational programs at the university. It will foster continued growth and expansion of Auburn’s rich history in its transportation research programs, ranging from advanced roadway design, aviation systems, next generation vehicles and transportation related logistics. It will also help elevate these programs to a position of greater national prominence based on the scholarship generated by its participating faculty.

The institute will serve as an umbrella for units that are heavily involved in transportation research, including the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and its affiliated asphalt test track, the Highway Research Center (HRC), the Alabama Transportation Assistance Program (ATAP) and the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory (GAVLAB). In fiscal year 2020, these various centers secured a combined total of more than $24 million in extramural funding for research, education and outreach efforts. This

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level of extramural funding for transportation is greater than any other single research topic on the Auburn campus.

“While each of these programs has proven to be highly productive individually, we believe that the time is right to create an administrative structure that will heighten our stature as a powerful force in transportation research and subsequently enhance our ability to produce even more growth in our transportation research programs,” said Steve Taylor, associate dean for engineering research.

Auburn’s research and education in transportation engineering dates back to the inception of a civil engineering program nearly 150 years ago. Auburn has hosted the annual Alabama Transportation Conference every year since 1958, allowing engineering researchers and practitioners to share innovative advances in transportation planning, engineering design and construction with state and federal highway personnel, county engineers, consulting engineers, construction contractors and construction material vendors.

Auburn strengthened its commitment to deliver engineering solutions to transportation challenges for the Alabama Department of Transportation, or ALDOT, in 1985 with the creation of the Auburn University Highway Research Center. The center, led by director Anton Schindler and

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S supported through the work of faculty in civil engineering, has contributed advancements to the transportation sector that include: development of and guidance for the application of high performance concrete in bridges, new designs for upgrading the structural capacity of steel girder bridges, new bridge load rating methods, new bridge foundation designs and construction guidelines, new sonic testing methods and scour screening tools for bridge foundations and new procedures to apply fiber-reinforced polymers in repairs of Alabama bridges, all of which have saved Alabama taxpayers countless millions of dollars in road and bridge construction and maintenance costs.

navigation of vehicles using GPS in conjunction with other sensors, such as inertial navigation system sensors. The laboratory has several research thrusts including: sensor fusion/integration, on-line system identification, adaptive and robust control algorithms and vehicle state and parameter estimation. These research thrusts are focused on vehicle dynamics and transportation, including heavy trucks, passenger cars, off-road vehicles, as well as autonomous and unmanned vehicles. The laboratory supports the largest single group of graduate students in the College of Engineering, and it’s led by David Bevly, the Bill and Lana McNair Professor of mechanical engineering.

In 1986, in partnership with the National Asphalt Pavement Association Research and Education Foundation, Auburn created the National Center for Asphalt Technology to provide practical research and development to meet the needs of maintaining America’s highway infrastructure.

NCAT, led by Director Randy West, provides the most comprehensive asphalt pavement research program in the United States that attracts millions of dollars in research funding each year from outside of the state of Alabama.

This group consistently secures funding of approximately $5 million per year, and its research sponsors include manufacturers of automotive, industrial, agricultural, forest and construction equipment. A significant portion of their research is sponsored by various groups within the Department of Defense and provides a variety of engineering solutions for positioning, navigation and timing across all branches of the military.

The work of NCAT is supported by ALDOT and the transportation departments of many other states, saving these organizations an estimated $160 million per year. NCAT operates the nation’s premier, full-scale asphalt testing center and a 1.7-mile oval test track that has seen nearly 10 million miles of heavy traffic, which has led to advancements in pavement design, construction and maintenance across the country.

The Alabama Transportation Assistance Program, led by Director Rod Turochy and working in conjunction with the Highway Research Center, is an organization created to bring the newest developments in technology to state and local public works agencies in Alabama. ATAP combines the resources of three organizations: the U.S. Department of Transportation, ALDOT and Auburn University.

Training seminars are a significant part of ATAP using the expertise of professionals from throughout the region.

Seminar topics covered in the past have included value engineering, public works management, railroad highway grade crossing improvements, local road supervisor skills, standards for land surveyors, retaining wall design, slope maintenance, traffic control in construction, maintenance and utility operations, storm water control and management techniques. Seminars are taught at locations throughout Alabama.

In 2001, Auburn’s Department of Mechanical Engineering created the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory. The GAVLAB focuses on the control and

Through the years, Auburn’s HRC, NCAT, ATAP and the GAVLAB, coupled with numerous collaborating units at the university, have established themselves as the foremost entities in the state of Alabama and the region to provide engineering solutions that advance safe, durable and sustainable asphalt pavements, roadways, bridges, transportation infrastructure and vehicle guidance and automation technologies.

These groups have developed and sustained education and outreach programs to improve transportation systems for the citizens of Alabama through education of Auburn students, state and federal highway personnel, engineering consultants, the highway construction industry and the vehicle manufacturing sector.

These engineering researchers are highly qualified and recognized globally for their expertise in subjects such as highway safety, road and bridge design and performance, pavements and autonomous vehicles.

Their collaboration across the campus community will further enhance the university’s transportation research endeavors.

“This institute will be the vehicle to move Auburn’s transportation programs to the forefront of innovation and competitiveness through the 21st century,” said Jim Weyhenmeyer, Auburn’s vice president for research and economic development. “Transportation problems of the future will involve multidisciplinary work, and the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute will move Auburn into position to solve these real-world problems.”

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F E A T U R E // T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H U RILETT NAMED AUBURN UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE DIRECTOR Laurence Rilett, one of the nation’s foremost transportation thought leaders, has been tapped to lead Auburn University’s newly established Transportation Research Institute.

Rilett previously served as a distinguished professor of civil engineering and the Keith W. Klaasmeyer Chair in Engineering and Technology at the University of NebraskaLincoln, as well as the director of the Mid-America Transportation Center and the Nebraska Transportation Center.

“Our nation faces a grand challenge in the design and implementation of the next-generation transportation infrastructure. While Auburn engineers are already well known for their contributions to our nation’s transportation systems and infrastructure, Dr. Rilett will help us lead an institute that will heighten our stature as a powerful force in transportation research and education, while also strengthening our ability to address this critical national challenge,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering.

Steve Taylor, associate dean for engineering research, agrees.

has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 40 research projects pertaining to intelligent transportation systems applications and large-scale transportation system modeling. He has authored or coauthored more than 250 journal articles, conference papers and technical reports. He is also the incoming president of the Council of University Transportation Centers.

In 2002, he received the Texas Transportation Institute TTI/ Trinity Researcher Award and was awarded the UNL College of Engineering Research Award in 2007 and 2017. The American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE, awarded Rilett the 2019 Arthur M. Wellington Prize for Best TransportationRelated Paper in an ASCE journal and the 2021 Frank M. Masters Transportation Engineering Award for “contributions to innovative research on transportation systems and collaborative leadership to develop a diverse workforce in transportation engineering.”

Rilett is the managing editor of the ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering and on the editorial board of the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems: Technology, Planning and Operations.

“What is truly exciting about leading this institute is the opportunity to work with the excellent faculty, staff and students who have put Auburn University on the map in terms of innovative transportation research, education and technology transfer initiatives,” Rilett said. “I am a big believer in multi-disciplinary research, and bringing all of Auburn University’s transportation-related research teams under one roof will position us to solve the complex challenges facing our nation’s multimodal transportation system and to educate the next generation of transportation professionals.”

“Simply put, bringing Larry on board as the Transportation Research Institute director is our next step forward on the national stage of transportation research and education,” Taylor said. “His résumé in the area of transportation systems analysis and modeling is truly second-to-none, and his record of leading major transportation centers is invaluable.”

Rilett holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Waterloo and a doctoral degree from Queen’s University. In addition to his distinguished career in the University of Nebraska system, he has held professorships at the University of Alberta and Texas A&M University.

Rilett, who will also hold the Ginn Distinguished Professorship,

He is a registered professional engineer in Texas.

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SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S ADVANCED STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY Auburn University recently strengthened its reputation as the premier destination for structural engineering research by opening the doors on a $22 million state-of-the-art laboratory that will provide solutions to the nation’s growing infrastructure issues for years to come.

“The new Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory is a revolution in structural engineering,” said Andy Nowak, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

“What was impossible is now possible.”

Located at the corner of West Samford Avenue and Shug Jordan Parkway, the 42,000-square-foot Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, or ASEL, includes a high bay laboratory with a strong wall and strong floor specially engineered to handle extreme structural testing loads; a geotechnical chamber within the strong floor; a concrete materials research and testing laboratory; wind testing capabilities that can replicate hurricane-level loads; and faculty and graduate student spaces.

Another attractive aspect? Ease of access. Due to its location, the previous structural testing laboratory in the Harbert Center could only accommodate elements up to 40 feet in length. The new facility allows for elements up to 140 feet long.

Additionally, the new lab’s floor is twice as large and features anchor points that hold more than 10 times the load as the floor in the previous lab. The former structural laboratory in the Harbert Center will be repurposed for other academic and research use.

But ASEL’s most unique feature may be the 4,700-cubicfoot geotechnical test chamber within the strong floor footprint — one of the few test chambers in the nation included in a university laboratory. The chamber will allow the department’s geotechnical researchers to conduct testing on foundations, anchorages and towers previously only possible in the field.

“In addition to helping us secure research grants and projects, the ASEL will help us to recruit the best faculty and the best students,” Nowak said.

Steve Taylor, associate dean for research, agrees.

“We now offer one of the best laboratories in the country — if not the best,” Taylor said. “If I’m a student who wants to be a structural engineer, this is the best place to go to school in the nation.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a 1967 Auburn University graduate, agrees — and thinks business leaders will, too.

“Auburn University continues to serve a pivotal role in the development of our state’s second-to-none workforce,” Ivey said.

“I am proud to celebrate the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s new Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory and the fact that this is not only a giant step for Auburn but a giant step for Alabama. When you have what is arguably the best lab of its kind, you are signaling to the world that Alabama is the place to do business. I remain committed to working in partnership with Auburn University as we move our state forward into the next century,” she added.

The 42,000-square-foot Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory (ASEL) sits at the corner of West Samford Avenue and Shug Jordan Parkway.

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F E A T U R E // T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H U

Auburn’s new autonomous vehicle research facility is attached to the National Center for Asphalt Technology test track and has a garage with multiple bays and lifts for commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, office space for researchers, a conference room and an observation area.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE RESEARCH FACILITY Auburn University recently opened the doors to a sophisticated new autonomous vehicle research facility at Auburn’s National Center for Asphalt Technology test track — one of the few facilities of its kind in the nation attached to a test track.

The addition will aid researchers in Auburn University’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, whose work is frequently conducted outdoors.

The facility provides a garage with multiple bays and lifts for commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, office space for researchers, a conference room and an observation area overlooking NCAT’s 1.7-mile oval test track.

“The fact that we have our own test track where we can run autonomous vehicles and autonomous testing attached to this facility I think is an unbelievably unique asset,” said David Bevly, the Bill and Lana McNair Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the GAVLAB along with assistant research professor Scott Martin.

Since Bevly joined the Auburn Engineering faculty in 2001, the GAVLAB has built a strong reputation in autonomous vehicle navigation and developed a broad sponsored research

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portfolio, with projects ranging from the Department of Defense and the Federal Highway Administration to many private industry partners.

With various sponsors visiting each month, the facility’s planned observation area gives the GAVLAB team a highquality space to demonstrate its research. Bevly’s group has also conducted demonstrations for legislators and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

“It’s a great facility for us as a team, but also allows us to showcase our work,” Bevly said.

With a growing research thrust in transportation engineering, the autonomous vehicle research facility also demonstrates Auburn’s commitment to supporting these research initiatives.

“Auburn is a major player in transportation engineering research in the nation,” said Steve Taylor, associate dean for research.

“The GAVLAB and our other transportation engineering researchers have brought in nearly $50 million in sponsored research awards over the past three years. This new facility is an exciting development for Auburn and there will be much more to come,” he added.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S ALABAMA TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE Despite its virtual format, organizers say the 64th Alabama Transportation Conference held in February was as successful as any in recent memory.

Developed by the Auburn University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Alabama Department of Transportation, the conference annually highlights Auburn University’s regional and national prominence in transportation research and workforce development.

This year’s technical sessions once again provided opportunities for nearly 1,000 federal and state highway personnel, road building contractors, general contractors, heavy construction contractors, utility contractors, county engineers, consulting engineers, construction material vendors, researchers, professional society representatives and university faculty members to share advances in transportation planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance.

of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Alabama Transportation Assistance Program, presided over the opening general session, which opened with remarks from Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Transportation Director John Cooper.

Huaguo Zhou, the Elton Z. and Lois G. Huff Professor in the Auburn University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, presented successful state of Alabama case studies on mitigating wrong-way driving.

Topics covered included highway safety, roadway design, emerging technologies, geotechnical engineering, asphalt pavements, construction projects and bridge engineering.

“Thanks to taking the conference online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could deliver the conference over three days instead of one and a half, which meant that we did not have any overlapping technical sessions and could therefore offer almost double the usual professional development hours (PDHs) to our attendees,” said Anton Schindler, the Mountain Spirit Professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Auburn University Highway Research Center.

Jack Montgomery, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, delivered a presentation titled “Geotechnical and Geophysical Investigations of the US-231 Landslide.”

“Another advantage of going virtual is that we were actually able to more easily attract and accommodate out-of-state speakers,” he added.

Justin Marshall, director of Auburn’s new $22 million Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, presented on “Experimental Determination of Horizontal Braking Force Distribution in Pile Bent Bridges.”

Schindler cited the new spotlight session as an example of the conference’s widened scope.

“During the session titled ‘Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) for Alabama,’ our attendees were able to learn from experts with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation about successful, innovative methods that can help engineers rapidly build bridges to better serve Alabama drivers,” Schindler said.

Participation by Auburn researchers was again especially robust. Rod Turochy, the James Madison Hunnicutt Professor

Buzz Powell, associate director and research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology, delivered a session titled “Balanced Mix Design: The County Experience.”

“Even under extenuating circumstances, the Alabama Transportation Conference is must-attend event for Alabama’s best and brightest minds in the transportation, highway, construction, design and associated industries, and has been for more than six decades,” Turochy said.

“We’re proud of Auburn’s role in providing the premiere event in Alabama for keeping transportation professionals up to date on the latest innovations and ideas on how to deliver the safest, most efficient transportation system possible for Alabamians,” he added.

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IF I CAN SEE YOU, I CAN” BE YOU. F E AT U R E S

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// B Y C O N T R I B U T O R S

Alumni serve as important role models for current and future Auburn Engineering students.

Read how these African American alumni are using their stories to help the next generation see what is possible with their engineering degree.

F E A T U R E S // I F I C A N S E E Y O U

Mendolyn, ’92 electrical engineering, and Bernard Foster, ’92 industrial engineering, met during their time as Auburn Engineering students through their active involvement in the National Society of Black Engineers.

FOSTER FAMILY

Bernard Foster, ’92 Industrial Engineering Mendolyn Foster, ’92 Electrical Engineering Adia Foster, junior Software Engineering Zuri Foster, Doctor of Pharmacy Student For many, the love for Auburn University is hard to deny.

Such is the case for the Foster family, three of whom chose to pursue engineering degrees at Auburn with the fourth pursuing a degree in pharmacy just across campus. Auburn Engineering opened many doors for Bernard, ’92 industrial engineering, Mendolyn, ’92 electrical engineering, and now, software engineering junior Adia Foster. And though the times have changed, the impact of the Auburn experience has not.

Mendolyn attended the Minority Introduction to Engineering (MITE) summer program, where she was introduced to the different engineering disciplines the college offered.

“Electrical engineering lit a spark for me that stuck,” she said.

“The MITE program is what guided me to engineering and convinced me that electrical was for me.”

Bernard’s path to Auburn Engineering was one paved by a friend’s older brothers and his older cousin, all of whom were pursuing engineering degrees on the Plains. After initially choosing electrical engineering, Bernard found his niche in industrial engineering. His freshman year, he walked onto the football team and spent his first year trying to find balance in his life as a student-athlete.

“I was only ever going to Auburn,” Mendolyn said. “There was no other place that I was going to go. I laugh now that I only applied to one school – this notion of applying to multiple schools is foreign to me. It was Auburn or bust for me.”

“It was a tough year academically and I decided I needed to make a choice. Either I can play football or I can be an engineer – I couldn’t do both,” he said. “So I gave up football and focused on engineering and I never looked back … well, maybe once or twice.”

The Montgomery native was introduced to engineering in her junior year of high school by her science teacher. A self-described homebody, she was attracted to Auburn for its proximity to her hometown and its strong engineering reputation was an added bonus. As an incoming freshman,

Both Bernard and Mendolyn were active in student organizations, especially the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), which Bernard led as president from ’91’92. It was at NSBE’s Fall Regional Conference that the two met their senior year.

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SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S

The Fosters’ two daughters have followed in their Auburn footsteps: Adia (front left) is a junior in software engineering and current president of the National Society of Black Engineers and Zuri is pursuing a degree in pharmacy.

After that first meeting, Mendolyn completed a co-op position in Birmingham and was back on campus in the spring.

“Conveniently he was waiting for me on April 1 when I walked out of Broun Hall and I think we’ve been joined ever since,” Mendolyn said.

The Fosters have both enjoyed successful careers – Mendolyn in telecommunications as the Alabama state director for Byers Engineering, based in Atlanta, and Bernard as industrial engineering supervisor at Rheem Manufacturing in Montgomery – and they owe much of their success to time they spent at Auburn.

“Auburn taught me problem solving. I tell my employees that you don’t have to have all of the answers, you just need to know where to find them,” Mendolyn said.

The biggest takeaway for Bernard was the work ethic.

“If you’re going to get an engineering degree from Auburn, it won’t always be easy,” he said. “A lot of times you’ll have to push through things, to keep going and not give up. So, an engineering degree from Auburn teaches you work ethic.”

Both of Mendolyn and Bernard’s children followed in their footsteps and are currently attending Auburn University.

Adia went a step further, not only pursuing a degree in engineering but also serving as NSBE president. She also serves as the recruiting and outreach committee head for Academic Excellence Program (AEP).

Although Mendolyn and Bernard graduated from Auburn before the start of AEP – which started as the Minority Engineering Program – they could not be more proud of the program and Adia’s involvement in it.

“Everything that I think of that’s great about Auburn, all my great memories, usually involve somebody from the Academic Excellence Program,” Adia said.

“Through the Academic Excellence Program, you find people who are very like-minded, who want to have a good time but who also know the importance of studying. It is the community that I longed for coming to Auburn and it’s the best,” she added.

For the Fosters, the Auburn Family is real. And the sense of purpose, of community and connection Adia has found through AEP comes full circle. What started with two likeminded Auburn engineers meeting at a gathering for other Black engineering students has created a legacy that inspired the next generation to go, learn and engineer a better future for tomorrow.

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F E A T U R E S // I F I C A N S E E Y O U

SHIRLEY BOULWARE ’91 Chemical Engineering

“Allow people to see your whole self and be proud of who you are.”

This is the advice Shirley Boulware, ’91 chemical engineering, extends to fellow Black Auburn engineers. It’s also a mantra that she has followed herself throughout her career.

“What I’ve learned over the last 30 years is that one of the things we have to be proud of as African Americans, whether students or whether we’re professionals, is that we are African American. We’re different and we’re diverse for a reason and so when you are on a team project or you’re making a presentation, own that diversity,” she said.

Boulware’s successful career in the pulp and paper industry started with Union Camp Corp., where she spent seven years as a process engineer. After earning an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery, she then joined Buckeye Technologies, later acquired by Georgia-Pacific, as chemical operations manager and held various positions in operations, leadership and human resources. Boulware recently joined Southwire as an HR director, where she serves as the human resource business partner for operations support, which includes environmental, health and safety, lean, quality, processing engineering, strategic sourcing, distribution, enterprise systems and process and planning.

“I think being a chemical engineer and in the pulp and paper option, your community at school is kind of defined for you so we became quite close. We were a small group and we had all our classes together,” she said. “There weren’t a lot of Black engineers at the time. I developed relationships through my diverse friend group – my best friends were actually a white male and a white female – and we did everything together when it came to engineering.”

Boulware has remained an active Auburn alumna, serving on the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation, the Engineering Alumni Council, the Chemical Engineering Alumni Advisory Council, 100+ Women Strong and supporting the college through the Eagles Society, the War Eagle Society and the Foy Society. She is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association, is on the Board of Directors for the Auburn Alumni Association and the Auburn University Foundation, and served as one of the Decade Ambassadors for Black Alumni Weekend.

“I’m on campus a lot and I’ve been involved since I graduated.

I always tell people I feel like I should know every African

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Shirley Boulware, ’91 chemical engineering, offers a piece of advice for current and future African American students at Auburn: “We’re different and we’re diverse for a reason ... own that diversity.”

American student and chemical engineer so when I don’t, I try to make an effort to get to know them because I want to understand their experience,” she said.

“It’s important for me to understand what I can do to help… I want to be that resource for students,” she added.

To Boulware, the fact that a student has been accepted to Auburn Engineering is a sign that they are capable of success.

“I would say the most important message that I can give any student, particularly African American students, in engineering is to believe in themselves. They’ve already succeeded if they’ve gotten into Auburn and the engineering program,” she said. “In addition to that, I would tell them to also have fun.”

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S

Rodmesia Clarke, ’08 chemical engineering, believes exposure shapes reality, and she has been inspired to make changes in engineering through her active involvement as an Auburn Engineering alumna.

RODMESIA CLARKE

the founder of the Minority Engineering Program, and he offered her a tuition scholarship as a freshman.

’08 Chemical Engineering

“When I started as a freshman, I joined the Minority Engineering Program (MEP). Getting to know people and making friends on campus was easy, thanks to MEP,” Clarke said.

“If I can see you, I can be you.”

This is the example Rodmesia Clarke, ’08 chemical engineering, hopes to set for future women in engineering, particularly women of color.

While Clarke was the first in her family to attend college, she says her life was shaped by the hard-working women in her life.

“My mother was a single mom, and she raised me with a sense of hard work and dedication. She worked at International Paper, and I went to a number of their family events as a kid. It was what sparked my interest in engineering,” Clarke said.

Clarke graduated high school with the Gates Millennium Scholarship. She had funding and offers for a number of different universities, but her heart was set on Auburn. During her senior year in high school, she met Dennis W. Weatherby,

As a student, Clarke was also an Engineering Cupola Ambassador and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Her chemical engineering studies meant she spent a lot of time at Ross Hall, working with other students in her program.

“Auburn is a magical place. It has a unique aura and ambiance,” Clarke said. “It’s hard to find a university experience like Auburn that has such an extraordinary engineering program.”

Clarke co-oped for British Petroleum (BP) and joined BP full time after graduation. Early in her career with BP, she went offshore.

“Living offshore is really like camping in the middle of the ocean, that’s the best way that I can describe it,” Clarke said.

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F E A T U R E S // I S E E Y O U “You’re out there for several weeks with anywhere from seven to 200 or more people. Often, I was the only female, and usually I was the only female of color.”

As Clarke’s career transitioned from offshore to the corporate meeting offices, one thing remained the same.

“Even in leadership meetings, I am usually the youngest and often one of the only Black women in the room,” Clarke said.

“There are typically more people who don’t look like me than who do.”

That lack of representation in her career field has inspired Clarke to make changes in engineering. She has been extremely active in Auburn Engineering’s recruiting and retention efforts. Clarke serves as the lead for Auburn Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Engagement Committee, she is a long-time member of Engineering’s 100+ Women Strong and a dedicated alumna of the Engineering Academic Excellence Program (formerly known as MEP).

“Women are told a lot what they cannot do. They are often taught to be docile, to not take up as much room as their male counterparts,” Clarke said. “For me, exposure shapes reality. I survived my chemical engineering education through the help of my good friends, both men and women. I want to help create that environment and be that example for others.”

In addition to her involvement, Clarke also established the Lula Pearl Collins Endowed Scholarship, named in honor of her grandmother.

“My grandmother was always there to support and help raise me. She passed away in 2013, and before she passed away, she said she was proud to see me receive my diploma, walking down the aisle to my degree, twice,” Clarke said. “She said seeing me graduate was enough for her. She had a huge impact on me, and she was an inspiration.”

Lula Pearl Collins was one of the first, few Black female laboratory technicians to work at Scott Paper in Mobile.

“She always told me, ‘Don’t apologize for your success or any challenges you’ve overcome,’” Clarke said. “She was such a strong spiritual leader, and she had the warmest heart. I want to create a legacy that would make her proud.”

Clarke is certainly doing that. Through her involvement with both Auburn University and Auburn Engineering, as well as her generosity through scholarships, Clarke has set an inspiring example for others. Through her example and involvement, future Black female engineers can see Clarke.

And if they can see her, they can be her.

F E AT U R E S

METRICK HOUSER ’93 Chemical Engineering

Diversity in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is something Metrick Houser, ’93 chemical engineering, is passionate about.

“Having graduated in 1993, a lot of things have changed, but what I do see is that the Auburn Spirit and the Auburn Family continues to remain,” he said. “The campus looks a lot different and it was really fun to have the opportunity to witness the naming of the Harold Melton Student Center – I thought that was a great dedication. You can really see the fingerprints of diversity starting to reach out across campus and I’m very excited about what the administration is trying to do to increase the number of diverse students at Auburn.”

Houser holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and earned an MBA from Auburn in 2001. His successful career in the pulp and paper industry began soon after graduation with Union Camp, which later merged with International Paper, and he has held positions with the company in Prattville, Alabama; Decatur, Alabama; and Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

He is currently the director of energy and raw materials, responsible for the procurement of both raw materials and energy for all International Paper facilities in North America and for strategy development globally.

Houser spent his college years actively involved with various student organizations, including as secretary of the Black Student Union, a member of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), a member of the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation and president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He remains involved as an alum, serving on the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Department of Chemical Engineering Alumni Council.

“The diversity numbers were a little bit smaller [when I was in school] than they are today so it gave us a chance to bond with members of NSBE and within the Black Student Union, but it also encouraged us to reach out to people who weren’t like us to find different people to study with,” he said. “That grows into your career. Being able to network, talk with and do team projects with people who aren’t like you – that’s what companies look for and I think my time at Auburn helped develop that for me.”

Houser urged students to use their time on campus to help Auburn remain a welcoming place for students of color.

“Whatever you do in your time at Auburn … use some time to help other students understand the importance of Black

Metrick Houser, ’93 chemical engineering, spent his time on campus actively involved in student organizations. He has remained involved as an alum, serving on the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Department of Chemical Engineering Alumni Council.

History Month and the importance of the Black student experience at Auburn University. Help other students understand that so that we can continue to make it a great place for students of color who want to attend Auburn University,” Houser said.

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F E A T U R E S // I F I C A N S E E Y O U

Dewayne Sanders, ’90 electrical engineering, feels that the diversity of his experiences has contributed to his strengths over his 30-year engineering career with ExxonMobil.

DEWAYNE SANDERS ’90 Electrical Engineering

When Dewayne Sanders first came to Auburn University, he never imagined he would become president of his fraternity, co-op with Southern Company or one day work for one of the largest private companies in the world.

Today, Sanders is continuing his 30-year engineering career with ExxonMobil and says his Auburn education was a solid foundation for the career he was able to build.

“My fondest memories [of Auburn] are with the people that I met,” Sanders said. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in terms of my development. When I came to Auburn, I was an extremely shy kid, and through my interactions, I did a lot of growth and development of myself.”

After graduating from Auburn in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Sanders moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to work with ExxonMobil as an instrument and electrical engineer.

After five years he was transferred to Baytown, Louisiana, to provide instrument support to the Baytown Chemical Plant.

Sanders currently lives in Houston and works as a process control technology leader for ExxonMobil.

According to Sanders, his Auburn education not only prepared him to be an engineer but gave him invaluable experience from learning in a diverse environment, which provided him

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with the life skills he has used throughout his engineering career.

“What I found is that the diversity of my experiences has, in a lot of ways, contributed to the strengths that I have,” Sanders said. “It taught me how to be an advocate for people who may not be able to be an advocate for themselves.”

Sanders said that he is impressed specifically by the Academic Excellence Program at Auburn, which is designed specifically for underrepresented students studying in the College of Engineering.

He suggests that students know, meet and work with people who come from different backgrounds in order to grow their knowledge and experience.

“The advice that I have is that you should learn to meet people and be friends with people, have a diversity of friendships and just be with people who may do things differently than you,” Sanders said.

“Learn from people who have different experiences and come from different backgrounds than you do.”

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S

Kenneth Kelly is the first African American to chair the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council in its 55-year history.

KENNETH KELLY ’90 Electrical Engineering

For Kenneth Kelly, ’90 electrical engineering, giving back of his time, talent and treasure is something he considers a duty and an honor.

Kelly, who serves as the first African American to chair the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council in its 55-year history, has supported Auburn in a myriad of ways since his graduation more than 30 years ago, but he considers his time with the council as something extra special.

“My dreams didn’t take me this far,” said Kelly, who also serves as chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank, the seventh-largest African American-controlled bank in the country.

“I never dreamed of being associated with such a distinguished group of CEOs, corporate and institutional leaders, much less leading it. Each year, only seven of the most esteemed alumni of the college are selected to join into this prestigious council of just 200 members, and my hope is that my service, in this capacity, is a reflection of the entire

group, and people recognize that talent and hard work comes in all forms.

“I am eternally grateful to so many on this council who invested in my growth and who mutually garnered my friendship. We are a group who believes in the Auburn Creed, demonstrates it, and that’s what I want my leadership to represent. Lead in a manner that is consistent with the Auburn Creed. It’s not about an individual, but the betterment of the group to support Dean Chris Roberts’ vision in the College of Engineering of being the best student-centered engineering experience in America,” he added.

It is his hope that students will take notice, as he did of those who paved the way before him, and choose to get involved by giving back to the institution that gave him so much.

“I allocate time, I allocate resources to make an impact on students coming along today with the hope that they see

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F E A T U R E S // I S E E Y O U

To empower the next generation of Auburn engineers, Kelly established an endowment for minority engineering students from his hometown of Eufaula, Alabama. In honor of this commitment, the college named the Engineering Academic Excellence Program Office Suite Reception Area in the Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center in his honor during a ceremony in 2018.

my involvement, along with all the other members, as role models in the Auburn Engineering circle of life to contribute to the Auburn Legacy,” Kelly said.

As his first year as chair of the council comes to a close, he said he knew it would be a challenge not only because of the precedent set by his predecessors, but because of his busy schedule in which he just completed a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. He also serves on the FDIC Chairman’s Community Bank Advisory Committee, and is a board director of the American Banker’s Association, which is the trade association for the banking industry whose members safeguard more than $15 trillion in deposits.

What he didn’t account for was a global pandemic.

But Kelly took the gavel and ran with it. He took over as chair after serving two years as vice chairman and treasurer during Walt Woltosz’s chairmanship. He was installed during the virtual 2020 spring meeting and conducted the fall meeting virtually. While it was disappointing to miss out on seeing all the other alumni council members in person, Kelly was excited that double the number of members attended the virtual event than the previous in-person event. And instead of postponing the council’s annual awards banquet, Kelly instead opted to host it virtually to ensure award recipients received their much-deserved recognition in a timely manner.

“I felt we should recognize those who have given so much and accomplished such great things today instead of putting it off until tomorrow,” Kelly said.

That decision proved to be the right one for Kelly during one specific moment in the awards ceremony. Brooks Moore, ’48

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electrical engineering and one of the founding members of the council, was one of the recipients of the Distinguished Auburn Engineer award and several of his family members were able to attend virtually, with one even commenting on the awards chat.

“Congrats, Papa! We’re so proud of you! Love you!” the chat read.

“That’s the epitome of why you do those things, the fact that we are repeating that moment shows the impact on his family and the Auburn Family – an impressionable moment,” Kelly said.

As Kelly looks forward to the final year of his two-year term as chair of the council, he’s confident that it won’t be another 50 years before another African American alumni leads the council as chair.

“For a kid like myself, growing up in Eufaula, Barbour County, being a student at Auburn University was very important to me. There are many Kenneth Kellys out there, they just need to be nurtured, given an opportunity and held accountable to perform at the highest level. Which leads to the much needed discussion of African American enrollment from a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective. My vision is that Auburn must reach 10% in short order, which will only rank us 5th among the SEC schools versus 12th of the 14 schools, based on today’s demographics,” Kelly said.

“It’s incumbent on all of us as Alabamians that each and every student, within our leadership sphere, has the opportunity to grow and blossom because at Auburn we believe in hard work, in education, in honesty, in a sound mind, in the human touch and in our country for all,” he added.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S

VANIA BYNUM

otherwise. She believes that one of the beauties of being the first Black Miss Auburn was that she was able to unite Auburn in a way it had not been united before.

’94 Computer Engineering

“Feel the fear, and do it anyway.”

This is a motto that Vania Bynum, ’94 computer engineering graduate and the first Black Miss Auburn, lives by.

After transferring to Auburn from Xavier University during her undergraduate career, there were many adjustments Bynum had to make, she said. Her father had always wanted her to come to Auburn, and she honored his wish.

“There are two main memories that stood out [to me] from my time at Auburn,” Bynum said. “The first, I’ll say, was befriending Dr. Nick Conrad … he was there for me when I came to Auburn as a transfer student ... and when my father passed away, not long after I became Miss Auburn, he was also there. The other would be becoming Miss Auburn. Being the first Black Miss Auburn was an amazing experience and it was very humbling to contribute to society in that way.”

“I was able to really connect with not only Black students, but with students throughout the campus, students of all races and backgrounds,” Bynum said. “...I think when I ran for Miss Auburn, one of the main focuses for us was to reach out to organizations that others may not reach out to… the beauty of my diversity was to come and unite.”

After returning to Auburn in 2017 for a Miss Auburn reunion, Bynum said she was filled with emotion and was impressed with the camaraderie that every Miss Auburn shared, despite the fact that she had not returned to the university in many years.

“For me, when I came back [for the Miss Auburn reunion], the biggest thing that stood out to me were the changes,” Bynum said. “It was beautiful just to be back there and to be reminded of the role Auburn played in my life.”

Bynum was nominated for Miss Auburn by the National Society of Black Engineers. At the time of her nomination, she was very focused on her engineering studies, so she prayed that if it was something she was supposed to do, it would happen.

She became the first Black Miss Auburn in 1993, 57 years after the establishment of the program.

Bynum said that becoming Miss Auburn helped her connect with many organizations and communities across the campus that she might not have interacted with

Former Auburn President William Muse (second from left) presents an Alabama Senate Resolution to Vania Bynum (second from right).

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F E AT U R E S

// B Y J E R E M Y H E N D E R S O N

CORNHOLE

KING Whether it’s coming from behind to ace a class or coming from behind to win the National College Cornhole Championship, Travis Moore, ’21 civil engineering, has the skills to bring the thrills.

He’s watched it, heck... 10 times now? Maybe 100? Who knows? If he sees it, he’s watching it. If it’s on, he’s watching it. He’ll keep watching it as long as ESPN keeps showing it... until it sinks in.

Did they seriously go to Myrtle Beach and win? Did he seriously take down Draven Sneed in overtime? Are people actually recognizing him in public?

No joke, the other night at El Vaquero, his favorite Mexican place back home in Phenix City, three people walk over and go, “Aren’t you one of the guys who won the championship?”

Same thing happened at the gym. Four guys come up to him and ask if he’s Travis Moore.

“Auburn completely runs in my blood, my whole family went here,” Moore says. “So, representing Auburn was awesome. But never in a million years would I have thought it would have been through cornhole.”

‘WE CAN DO THIS’ When he was a senior in high school, he beat a pro in a charity tournament. The guy came up to him afterward, looked him in the eye and said, “Man, you ever thought of really doing this competitively?”

Travis Moore, ’21 civil engineering, is one half of the Auburn team that took home the Doubles title at the 2020 National College Cornhole Championship. “Representing Auburn was awesome. But never in a million years would I have thought it would have been through cornhole.”

F E AT U R E S That’s when Moore, ’21 civil engineering, knew this whole cornhole thing might be with him for a while. That’s when he knew he might be pretty good.

baggers into the bed of a moving pickup, having his brother lie down on the board, head just beneath the hole, only to get up four perfect throws later without a scratch.

So, he got serious about it. Found a partner. Started entering local tournaments.

It didn’t take long.

Then he entered college. Things changed. Priorities shifted.

Classes such as thermodynamics and hydrologic analysis just kind of have a way of dominating your calendar.

Going by followers, Cornhole Blaine, as he quickly became known online, has the second most popular cornhole account on TikTok. For context, the American Cornhole League (ACL) has 14,000 TikTok followers.

“We took some trips through the College of Engineering while I was in high school,” Moore said. “I was like ‘Man, this would be awesome.’ I knew how prestigious an Auburn Engineering degree is and I thought, ‘Let’s do this thing.’ But it’s definitely been a grind.”

Back when Moore first called to pitch the idea of partnering, joining a league and running the tables, Rosier only had a few thousand followers.

Which is why, for his first three years as an Auburn engineer, if he got the boards out, it was for kicks, not cash.

It’s barely been a year.

Currently? It’s 300,000.

He and Moore just smile and shrug.

But last summer, Moore started throwing again, doing tournaments again, getting back into fighting shape, and then some. Thanks to the free time from the pandemic, the competitive itch was back.

And when he started scrolling and saw the crazy stuff his old Phenix City buddy, Blaine, was doing while flattening the curve, it turned into full-blown hives.

If he wanted a partner that could help him take things to the next level, he was looking at him. Which was wild. He didn’t think he’d ever really played cornhole with Blaine. He couldn’t even remember ever talking to him about it. But he sure as heck was about to start. He picked up the phone.

“I told him, ‘Man, we can do this.’”

“Man, to be honest, I don’t know how TikTok works,” Rosier said. “One video was just us throwing on the green space.

I posted it that night and woke up and it had, like, 2 million views.”

Moore laughs.

“Heck, the other day we looked and it was over 18 million,” he said. “The caption is ‘College Cornhole Is Where It’s At.’” Is it ever.

COVID MEETS CORNHOLE 2020 was the year for competitive cornhole. Partly because nothing else was on, sure, said Trey Ryder, 27, media director and color analyst for the American Cornhole League. But also, he said, because it’s just kind of addicting.

DYNAMIC DUO Auburn Wildlife Enterprise Management senior Blaine Rosier was bored. He saw a board. One Gen Z thing led to another.

He’d never played cornhole much. But starting a TikTok account to see if he could get more followers than his sister?

Posting videos of himself tossing 1-pound bean bags into a hole? Hey, why not?

His first video went up on April 2, 2020, just him doing some simple front yard trick shots back home. Nothing special, not in his mind. He hashtagged it #QuarantineLife. He posted some more.

He started getting fancy: airmails — dropping the bag straight into the hole — over the Cam Newton statue, four

“People are like, ‘Why the hell is cornhole on ESPN?’” Ryder said. “Then, 20 minutes later, they realize they’re sucked in.”

The pregame pastime that’s dominated tailgates for the past two decades had been growing beyond fall Saturday afternoons for years, inspiring multiple so-called governing bodies that invoke self-proclaimed sanctioning powers with varying degrees of seriousness.

Dick’s Sporting Goods offers $150 cornhole kits stamped with the American Cornhole Association’s seal of approval.

The American Cornhole Organization cites its 2005 birth as all the bona fides real players weighing allegiance need consider.

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F E A T U R E S // C O R N H O L E K I N G But in 2015, a tailgate culture impresario named Stacey Moore, commissioner of the North Carolina-based ACL, turned competitive cornhole — first professional, then college — into a well-oiled, broadcast-ready machine complete with proprietary stat-tracking software, tournament-organizing apps, broadcast rights, pro contracts, and bratwurst and baked bean sponsors. Things were getting big.

Then came COVID. Then, again, came cornhole.

Instead of cancelling its season, the ACL announced a series of regional qualifiers in a bid to turn 2020’s lemons into lemonade that could — pandemic protocols in place — quench ESPN’s urgent thirst for live competition.

It worked.

TheRinger.com recently wrote a piece on the game’s ascendance, crediting it not only to a COVID-caused primetime sports vacuum, but to Ryder’s uncanny telestrator wielding talent for turning cornhole into high drama. And, dang, Ryder says, the drama doesn’t get much higher than what those boys from Auburn did in Myrtle Beach over New Year’s live on ESPN. Not on some digital streaming thing. Not on ESPN3 or whatever — the flagship.

ENGINEERING MEETS CORNHOLE Moore kind of laughs at the question, thinks about it for a second. Well, there’s probably plenty that the frictionfocused researchers over in the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Tribology lab would find interesting about the game — what causes a bag to slide too much on the board, what makes it slide just right — stuff like that. And maybe the Auburn University Biomechanical Engineering (AUBE) Lab around the corner could use their motion capture technology to help him analyze and improve his technique.

But, no sir, for him personally, there are no engineering principles or experiences he’s applied to perfecting his throw, the one that was already perfect enough to win the ACL National College Cornhole Doubles Championship.

“Actually, if I were to connect anything with engineering and cornhole it would be being down in that championship, 12-1,” he said. “We were getting dominated. And when you’re in a physics II class or thermodynamics, and on that first test you get a 30 or 20 something? You have to come back.”

“Yessir.”

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Moore starts grinning.

‘BOARD IT’ It was Jan. 2 — Travis Moore and Blaine Rosier vs. Alex Lippard and Draven Sneed, Auburn vs. North Carolina State, the only teams left.

The day before, Sneed had won the singles national championship; Moore had tied for 5th. The Wolfpack seemed primed for the sweep — singles and doubles. And maybe they would have pulled it off... had Draven Sneed kept his mouth shut. Moore almost still can’t believe it.

“Heck,” he said, “he yells down to his partner, ‘Board it — let me get it.’”

Now, without getting into cornhole strategy and the fine print of the point system, just know that this was trash talk. The crowd “ooohed.” Someone shouted, “I like it.”

“Oh, yeah, everyone in that room knew what (Sneed) meant by that,” Ryder says. “Of course, most people probably thought it was the wise, safe decision because Draven had been having his way and had won the singles title.”

Rosier, throwing against Lippard in the final round, had brought Auburn back and put them in a position to actually win the thing in overtime – if it got there. Lippard had one bag left. He could have gone for gold with an airmail. Risky, but doable.

But the safe bet was just to just get it on the board. Lippard could just send it back to Sneed and let the superstar throw for another crown. Which is what he did. But not before the “Board It” heard ‘round the world.

Moore shakes his head.

“When he said that, I was just like I can’t let this guy win again,” he said. “No way.’”

Wait, he takes that back.

Wait, did you really get a 20 on a test?

Wait, were you and Cornhole Blaine really down 12-1?

“Yessir.”

Moore was first up in overtime. He missed to the right. Sneed missed to the left. Moore slid it in. Sneed slid it in. Moore missed to the right. Sneed, again, missed to the left.

Moore’s heart pounded. His ears rang. His bag went in. He pumped his fist and pinched himself. Unless Sneed pulled off some miracle throw to drag in one of his errant bags, it would, at worst, head back to Cornhole Blaine for double overtime. At best? War Damn Eagle.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S

Travis Moore (left) and fellow Phenix City native Blaine Rosier, ’21 wildlife enterprise management, pose after claiming the college cornhole crown. The 2020 National College Cornhole Championship was broadcast live on ESPN.

The singles champ started to sweat. He took his hat off. Now he was the one playing it safe. He decided on the easy slide to send it back to Lippard for double overtime.

The bag dipped halfway into the hole… and just hung there.

“It misses off to the back side,” ESPN’s Jeff McCarragher shouted. “Auburn with the comeback!”

The Auburn crowd in the stands went wild. Moore nearly bear-hugged Cornhole Blaine to the floor.

Trey Ryder, easily the world’s premier cornhole connoisseur, was nearly speechless.

“What… a… finish!”

IN THE ZONE It’s been a few months now. The champs haven’t stopped.

They’re still entering tournaments every weekend. Sometimes two. Maybe three.

During the week, when Moore isn’t working up plans for a new raptor center to eventually present to local engineers as part of his senior design project, he’s working on his airmails.

He’s been at it for a couple of hours already.

Control, or until the lady at the front desk kicks them out… which, this afternoon, might be sooner rather than later.

Rosier’s roommate came over to watch the show, but opened the wrong door. No one seems knows how to turn off the security alarm siren. It’s deafening.

Blaine Rosier — Cornhole Blaine — and Travis Moore — the Travis Moore — just keep throwing. It’s like they haven’t even noticed. They’re in the zone.

They’re both about to graduate. Right now, Rosier plans on going pro in the ACL. Moore is leaning that way, too. There’s a job waiting on him at an engineering firm in Columbus, Georgia, which he’s definitely excited about. But engineering jobs typically don’t get you recognized at El Vaquero. They typically don’t get your face on TV. Testing the waters of professional cornhole on the weekends? That just might.

“Heck, I turned on ESPN this morning and there it was,” he said. “They were playing it again.”

Did he watch it?

“Heck, yeah.”

Rosier brought his boards over around 2 p.m. When it’s warm, they’re usually out on the green space. On cold days like today, they take over the fitness center half court at Moore’s place on South College, crank up the country and go at it until Moore has to go study for Erosion and Sediment

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F E AT U R E S

// B Y J E R E M Y H E N D E R S O N

finder

THE PATH

How Auburn Engineering gave YouTube star Jessica Mills, ’12 biosystems engineering, the courage to carve her own path, follow her dreams and reach the peaks of an unconventional career.

F E A T U R E // Y O U T U B E S T A R

Top: An Auburn biosystems engineering education wouldn’t feel complete without lending a hand in the department’s annual Lawnmower Clinic. Here Jessica Mills, ’12 biosystems engineering, poses with the results of a hard Saturday’s work during her senior year. Bottom: Mills grew up — and remains — a devout Auburn fan. Here she’s seen at the “Final Rolling” of the original Toomer’s Oaks in 2013. Right: Fort Benning’s commanding general was so impressed with the results Jessica Mills’ senior design team delivered, he gave each member of the team his personal challenge coin.

Steve Taylor, associate dean for research, doesn’t remember them all; a lot of students passed through biosystems during his days heading the department. But he remembers Jessica Mills ’12.

There was just something about her outlook on life.

Something about the way she took on challenges, took care of her grandparents, took on multiple jobs to pay for school.

You don’t forget people like that.

“She was just one of those students who stuck out for being a great person and having just good old common sense and the ability to do things beyond being a bookworm engineer,” Taylor said.

Take the sniper rifle story, for example.

Mills was the only woman on her senior design team. One day, they were out doing some scouting for their big project on erosion control. The idea was to design an environmentally friendly tank crossing at Fort Benning. Which they did — well.

So impressed was the fort’s commanding general, he gave each member of the team his personal challenge coin.

That, said Taylor, who, along with associate professor Mark Dougherty and current biosytems department head Oladiran Fasina, taught the senior design two-course sequence, was a big deal.

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“It was one of the best outcomes for a design team project that I can remember,” Taylor said.

But what stands out almost as much is when the soldier at the firing range almost jokingly asked if anyone wanted to try out his .50 caliber Barrett M82. Mills’ hand shot up. She was first in line.

All of which is to say that, a few years later, when Taylor saw what she was up to, he wasn’t really surprised.

TAKING AIM The job right out of school? She loved it. She’d interned for the Natural Resources Conservation Service; they told her they wanted her back as an agricultural engineer. She was putting to use most everything she’d learned at Auburn. But then the Colorado opportunity came calling. More money?

An address in the Rocky Mountains? She pretty much had to apply.

If she got hired, she’d be a field engineer for Halliburton, operating as a liaison of sorts between Halliburton’s sales department and Colorado oil rig engineers in need of ever more sophisticated drill bits.

For half a second, she doubted whether she was qualified.

Then she thought back to that senior design class.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S kids other than my dogs, I had no relationship tying me down, and I felt like I was living backwards.”

She got the job. She was good at it.

Take, for example, the sniper rifle story.

She and the sales team were pitching clients on some land up in North Dakota owned by one of their distributors.

“I’d have to go out and sort of rub elbows with clients, and we’d go golfing and shooting,” Mills said. “And the guy who owned the land actually had that same [Barrett M82] gun on the back of his four-wheeler.”

The man asked if anyone wanted to shoot it. Once again, Mills’ hand shot in the air. She was an old pro, she said. The clients were sold.

“You wouldn’t think shooting a .50 caliber gun out at Fort Benning would be the sort of college experience that would serve me well as an engineer,” Mills said, “but it really did.”

There was a problem, though — Mills was miserable. Playing soldier to score contracts was fun and all, but it wasn’t exactly rewarding. The Rockies were gorgeous, but most of the time she was just looking at them. The job was pretty much all consuming. The weeks were long, the weekends too short.

One day in 2014, she was out with some clients, wining and dining, living backwards. It was a happy hour thing. She didn’t want to be there — a co-worker dragged her — but at least there were free appetizers. A guy she didn’t know sat down beside her at the bar. They started talking. He said he was in town for a job interview. He asked her what she liked most about Denver.

“I said, ‘Well, I’ll be honest — I’m not really a big city person, but the mountains are right there,’” Mills said. “I said, ‘I don’t know if you like hiking or not.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Have you ever heard of the Appalachian Trail? I did that last summer.’”

The woman with the framed map of the Appalachian Trail hanging in her office got chills. She got butterflies. She knew what the answer was going to be, but she still asked: “How much of it?”

“All of it,” he said.

Mills smiles.

“I knew right then it was over,” she said.

“I was out there [in Denver] for about a year and a half and I had been thinking about how there had to be more to life than just waiting for the weekend to live,” Mills said. “I had no

What her new best friend went on to describe had been a dream since she was 5 years old. Growing up, she always

Left: In 2015, Jessica Mills, ’12 biosystems engineering, hiked the Appalachian Trail, a dream she’d had since she was 5. In 2018, she completed thru-hiking’s Triple Crown by hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Top right: When a Fort Benning soldier jokingly asked the members of Jessica Mills’ senior design team if they wanted to try out his .50 caliber Barrett M82 sniper rifle, Mills was first in line. Bottom right: Mills says her favorite project while working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service was designing a system that captured water from a spring on a client’s property in order to water her goats. “Her husband had brain cancer and she was running the farm on her own and really needed to streamline tasks.”

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F E A T U R E // Y O U T U B E S T A R thought it might happen right after high school. But when graduation came, her savings account wouldn’t allow it. After college? No, she just couldn’t. She had student loans. She had a great job offer.

But a new career? That was a surprise. During her first few months back home in Opelika, it was just part-time jobs to keep gas in the car and buy herself a little time for the big decision.

Hey, there was always retirement.

“I was kind of like, do I want to get back into the world of engineering or something else,” Mills said. “I was selling microgreens, doing insurance inspections, waitressing, bartending — a lot of different things.”

Later that night, back home, she stood in front of her mirror.

Hey, she always had her engineering degree.

“I may have been a little tipsy,” she said, “but I looked in the mirror and I said, ‘You’re about to hike the Appalachian Trail.’”

It wasn’t the alcohol talking. It was the little girl in the Supergirl costume who never said no to a challenge.

LIVING FORWARD She put in her two-weeks notice at Halliburton in August 2014, then moved back to Opelika. By March 2015, she was living the dream.

But when she wasn’t on the clock, she was still recording. Her channel — she’d named it Homemade Wanderlust — was still growing. The positive feedback kept coming. The questions kept coming. How’d she do it? What type of tent did she use?

What kind of boots? So, rather than videos of life on the trail, she started posting videos — each Wednesday — of how she stayed alive on the trail.

Gear reviews. Tips on overcoming plantar fasciitis. Tutorials on how to pack for a thru-hike. She started hiking local trails, new camera in tow.

Then it hit her.

She knew she wanted to document and share it somehow, and not just afterward — along the way, in the moment.

Crossing her first state line. Collecting water from a waterfall.

The surreal thrill of touching that sign at the top.

Trading the daily grind for a six-month hike? Do it the right way and she might inspire a few folks.

Blogging seemed the obvious choice — pack a light laptop, journal by campfire. But right before she left, she bumped into an old college friend at Little Italy, an aspiring videographer who was sick of just editing videos of her dog.

Don’t blog, her friend said — vlog. Hit record on your phone every now and then, find some WiFi when you go into town, email the clips. Her friend said she’d handle everything — editing, posting, everything— from the moment she took her first step.

By the time Jessica Mills took her last step, 2,190 miles later — a smile on her face, an Auburn hat on her head — the YouTube channel she’d started just before leaving had more than 1,000 subscribers.

A lot of other people apparently wanted her to keep hiking, too.

By the time she told her fans she’d decided to take on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in early 2017, Homemade Wanderlust was pushing 20,000 subscribers. And they were generous.

People began supporting the channel through the crowdfunding platform Patreon. She had a new video editor, another old friend from college. The quality was getting better. The views were climbing. The revenue from YouTube ads was growing.

She’d heard about people making a real living just documenting their lives. Somewhere along the 2,653 miles separating Campo, California, and Manning Park, British Columbia, Jessica Mills decided to become one of them.

“That’s when I realized that this could actually be a thing,” she said. “I kind of made the leap at that point. I said, ‘I’m just going to keep on hiking.’”

VIDEO STREAMS It was as life changing as she’d expected. New outlook. New friends. Even a new name: “Dixie.” That’s what happens out there — other hardcore hikers give you a “trail name,” something that reflects who you are (or, in Mills’ case, how she sounds and where she’s from).

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“I realized,” Mills said, “that what I really wanted to do is to keep hiking.”

In 2018, after conquering the PCT, it was the Continental Divide Trail — the last in thru-hiking’s Triple Crown. In 2019, she and her younger sister went international, hiking Spain’s Camino de Santiago.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

F E AT U R E S Currently, she’s on the Florida Trail, a 1,300-mile stretch between Big Cypress Natural Preserve and Fort Pickens in Pensacola. She’s been out there a month. By the time she finishes, her channel will have 350,000 subscribers.

At least.

There are plenty of hiking-themed channels out there. Jessica Mills’ is arguably the most popular.

The policeman even recognized her.

She was on the Georgia side of the Pinhoti Trail with her boyfriend, taking a quick detour to Dollar General for some Claritin, only to be accused of shoplifting. An officer was called. Security tapes were reviewed. The employee was mistaken. The officer was smitten.

It didn’t dawn on him until after he’d asked her to empty her pockets and remove the custom Homemade Wanderlust neck knife, made by MT Knives, one of her sponsors.

“Wait, I’ve seen you,” he said. “Do you have a YouTube channel?”

100 PERCENT She had to leave the trail this morning to go get another ingrown toenail dug out. That’s her third ingrown toenail as a professional hiker. It’s just one of those things, she said. Comes with the territory. At least she got some cellphone reception out of it. At least she got out of the mosquitos for a little while.

“Yeah, it’s not easy,” she said. “Especially on a trip that takes six months or more — you have to want it. It’s like with engineering. You have to want it.

It’s not something you come into, put minimal effort into and come out with a degree. You have to work very hard toward it for a lot of years.”

So, did the things she learned as an Auburn engineer, that helped her get a great job in engineering, in a way help her give up a great job in engineering?

The can-do attitude that got her to graduation? The critical thinking skills that impressed that Army general?

Top, Middle: Since hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015, Jessica Mills, ’12 biosystems engineering, has gone on to complete hiking’s “Triple Crown,” conquering both the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail, as well as several others. Bottom: “Ever to conquer, never to yield.”

That’s the sort of stuff she can apply out on the trail, right?

“Oh, 100 percent,” she said. “I remember when I finished the AT and I made a post about it on social media. I said something like, ‘This is the most rewarding thing I have ever achieved’ and Dr. Taylor said something like, ‘I don’t know, what about that engineering degree?’”

She spits out a mosquito. She laughs.

“I can’t believe he still remembers that about the gun,” Mills said.

Listen to our podcast with Jessica Mills at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

ENG. AUBURN.EDU

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IT’S MY JOB

BY JEREMY HENDERSON

STEVE HAMILTON ’84 Chemical Engineering Ophthalmologist, Corneal Surgeon at Eye Consultants of Atlanta

Why Auburn?

I came to Auburn for a lot of reasons. Of course, a big one was the excellent reputation of the College of Engineering.

But I also loved the beautiful campus and the genuine people.

It truly is an Auburn family.

How did you transition from engineering into medicine?

This is always been a tough question for me. I believe it was a God thing. I really had no mentors. I am the first physician ever in my family. As much as I loved engineering, during my third and fourth year at Auburn I just started feeling really out of place. I did not feel like I was following the right career path. Something got me thinking about medicine, and on a whim I applied to medical school, thinking that if I got accepted that it was meant to be. I thought as a chemical engineering major, I should probably be an anesthesiologist

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so I went in thinking that way. As a medical student I went to get an eye exam and was blessed to run into an enthusiastic resident who encouraged me to investigate ophthalmology.

That one thing led to another and here I find myself in the most rewarding career that is a perfect fit.

What’s an average day like? What happens?

A normal surgery day is usually a few LASIK cases, six to seven cataract surgeries, two to three corneal transplant procedures and then one very complex anterior segment reconstructive surgery. The latter can take a few hours, so that will always be the last case. A normal clinic day is about 35-40 patients. I am a fellowship trained corneal subspecialist, so much of my practice is consulting on cases referred from fellow ophthalmologists. We plan for an hour break from noon to 1 p.m., but we rarely get to stop for more than a few minutes. There are some quick, simpler routine patients and post surgical check ups, but then there are

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

IT’S MY JOB

Steve Hamilton, ‘84 chemical engineering (right), performs a corneal transplant at Eye Consultants of Atlanta.

also new and complex patient challenges to solve. There are often a few daily emergencies as well, requiring immediate attention with an office procedure like gluing a corneal perforation or suturing a wound dehiscence.

What gives you the most professional satisfaction?

Using my gifts to bless others. It is a privilege to have a career where you can change lives for the better, and basically perform medical miracles. I am a LASIK and refractive cataract surgeon, so watching the recovery of 20/20 vision over a few hours never gets old. But my real passion is the complex reconstructive procedures that are my specialty. It is where art meets science — restoring function, vision and cosmetics in one long procedure. It is so satisfying to make these patients whole again. I am one of only a dozen surgeons in the U.S. with extensive experience in artificial iris implantation, so I see referrals from all over the Southeast for these types of cases.

What’s your biggest professional challenge?

that is available each day for every patient is a difficult task, especially in a clinic that can be unpredictable due to referrals and emergencies. My policy is to never say no, regardless of the situation or ability to pay. A very talented support staff is a necessity. My work is very much a team approach, and I could not have the success that I do without amazing support.

How did studying chemical engineering at Auburn prepare you to be a successful eye surgeon?

It taught me how to think rationally and problem solve. My ability to analyze systems guides the way that I approach each case, the way that I visualize the problems to be solved and the way that I plan each step of my procedures. My understanding of spatial relationships, forces and vectors help me to create better surgical wounds and provide more precision in my surgeries, and hence better outcomes. Finally, my knowledge of optics helps me to understand how each element of the eye affects the optical system in order to provide the best possible vision outcome by considering each in my surgical plan.

Time management. I want to instill my confidence and hope in every patient and to give them the expertise, support, love and reassurance that they need. Allocating the limited time

ENG. AUBURN.EDU

Listen to our podcast with Steve Hamilton at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

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Be the Creed B E T H E C R E E D // S T U D E N T

I believe in the human touch,

which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and

mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

BY JEREMY HENDERSON

BRITTANY RANSOM Junior Mechanical Engineering

Brittany Ransom considered Georgia Tech. She considered Vanderbilt. She chose Auburn because someone went the extra mile.

She’d come from Huntsville for an informal visit. She was wandering around the Shelby Center. She heard “hello.”

“I think he was a chemical engineering major,” she said.

“He said, ‘I know no one is around to give campus tours right now, but I can give you one if you want.’ I left thinking, wow, Auburn really wants to see you succeed.”

For three years, that’s what Ransom has done. The mechanical engineering junior has landed more student

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organization leadership positions than you can count.

She’s currently vice president of the Auburn student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and the president of the Auburn chapter of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program.

But Ransom isn’t just padding her portfolio for kudos. She’s doing it to put herself in a position to go the extra mile — or miles.

“The buildings around us make us who we are,” she said.

“I’ve heard of hospitals in other nations so poorly made that people sometimes get worse when they’re in the hospital. To be able to reinvent infrastructure there could really save an entire community.”

Listen to our podcast with Brittany Ransom at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

F A C U LT Y // B E T H E C R E E D I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely a n d t ra i n s my m i n d a n d my h a n d s to w o r k s k i l l f u l l y.

BY CHRIS ANTHONY

KAI CHANG

He does that through interesting examples and tying lectures back to Auburn sports and current events.

Professor Computer Science and Software Engineering

Long before he was a professor, Kai Chang remembers his own days sitting in a college classroom, listening to a convoluted lecture in a logic circuits class. He recalls thinking, “Maybe I could do a better job explaining this.”

It wasn’t a stretch. Since joining Auburn’s computer science and software engineering faculty in 1986, Chang has garnered effusive praise from students for his engaging teaching style. “Interactive, funny and informative” is how one student described him in a course evaluation.

“Programming is not an easy concept,” Chang said. “And when you talk about all the details, sometimes it can be boring. So, I try to stir up interest in the students.”

Now, after 35 years at Auburn, Chang is retiring in July.

While his teaching has touched generations of Auburn students, his work as an administrator has also left an indelible mark.

As a former graduate program officer and department chair, Chang played a significant role in CSSE’s success in attracting female and minority students. It was a notable achievement when CSSE graduated 10 Black doctoral students in 10 years during the 2000s.

Now, as he looks back on his career and the department’s success, he sees CSSE well positioned to continue its diversification and ascent in the rankings.

“Auburn computer science and software engineering has a bright future,” Chang said. “There’s no doubt about that.”

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B E T H E C R E E D // S T A F F I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn.

Therefore, I believe in work , hard work .

BY AUSTIN PHILLIPS

KATIE HARDY

“In the development office, we were raising funds for it so you got to see it come to life both from the ground and the programming aspect of it, and I just thought it would be a great transition from the development world when we open the doors of this place,” Hardy said.

Building Manager Brown-Kopel Center

When the college opened the doors to the Brown-Kopel Center in August 2019, there was one person who was able to step up and take on the responsibility of managing the 94,000-square-foot student support facility: Katie Hardy.

For more than 20 years, Hardy has been a vital asset for Auburn University. For most of her time at Auburn, Hardy worked with the offices of Development in Planned Giving, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering. While Hardy was working with engineering, she saw firsthand the commitment from alumni and donors to get behind the Brown-Kopel Center project, so she jumped at the chance to be the one who got to manage the building.

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But just seven months later, the entire purpose of the building to collaboratively bring students together was turned upside down when COVID hit in March 2020.

“The students have done a great job of adjusting to the COVID guidelines. It’s nice to see them coming in, obeying the rules, learning, studying and collaborating with others, even with the restrictions that we have,” she said.

Hardy has been a huge factor in the college’s ability to keep the building open and operating during the pandemic, and she’s looking forward to the day when all study rooms and tables in the atrium are full of engineering students, gathered around preparing for that next big test.

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

A L U M N I // B E T H E C R E E D I b e l i ev e i n my Co u n t r y, b e ca u s e i t i s a l a n d o f f re e d o m and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by “d o i n g j u s t l y, l ov i n g m e rc y, a n d wa l k i n g h u m b l y w i t h my G o d .”

BY LAUREN WINTON

NORM TEW ’82 and ’84

ballistic missile defense system. These complex space and terrestrial-based systems ensure that all states, including Alaska and Hawaii, are protected.

Electrical Engineering Boeing

Behind every great country exists a complex defense system to protect its people from foreign adversaries.

Norm Tew, ’82 and ’84 electrical engineering, has served as the engineer behind many of the nation’s best defense systems.

Tew recently announced his retirement after more than 39 years in defensive weapons systems development, where he serves as the vice president and general manager of the Missile and Weapon Systems division of Boeing Defense, Space and Security.

Tew was one of the chief engineers and project managers who created the architecture for the United States’

“We can all sleep well at night knowing that we are protected all day, every day. Many people don’t know about the missile defense system we have in place, but hopefully just the fact that we have it is enough to deter our enemies from attack,” Tew said.

Tew got his start at Auburn Engineering, learning the complexities of control systems and applied physics and mathematics in his engineering classes.

“The things I learned at Auburn have a real-world application in the workforce,” Tew said. “Probability and statistics, control systems, programming … all of these courses and skills I learned at Auburn helped me to create complex, physics-based simulations. What I learned at Auburn allowed me to do what I do today.”

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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS chair, was recognized as the author of one of the top 1% most cited articles

by Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, a prominent chemical engineering journal.

Lauren Beckingham, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, was named the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Investigator Award from Applied Geochemistry, the Journal of the International Association of Geochemistry. She and Karen McNeal, the Molette Endowed Professor of geosciences, also received a $139,375 National Science Foundation grant for research with Tuskegee University titled “Developing a Diverse, Future-oriented Workforce for Renewable Energy Industries.”

Majid Beidaghi, associate professor of materials engineering, received a $969,547 grant from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Improving Academic Success and Graduation of Transfer Students in Undergrad ME Programs.”

Co-investigators are faculty members Rob Jackson, Jeffrey Fergus and Edward Davis.

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David Bevly, the Bill and Lana McNair Professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded a $100,000 grant from IS4S to support his work in Auburn’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory.

Siyuan Dai, assistant professor of materials engineering, received a $228,110 grant from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Van Der Waals Polaritonics For MidInfrared Light Emitters.”

Saad Biaz, professor of computer science and software engineering, was awarded the 2021 Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award by the Computing Research Association.

Virginia Davis, the Dr. Daniel F. and Josephine Breeden Professor of chemical engineering, and Robert Ashurst, the Uthlaut Family Associate Professor of chemical engineering, received a $477,650 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a project titled “Cellulose Nanocrystals: A Versatile Platform for The Detection of Allergens and Emerging Contaminants.”

Fa Foster Dai, the Godbold Chair of electrical and computer engineering, and his former Ph.D. student Hechen Wang were issued a U.S. patent for “Radio Frequency (RF) to Digital Polar Data Converter and Time-to-Digital Converter Based Time Domain Signal Processing Receiver.”

Mario Eden, the Joe T. and Billie Carole McMillan Professor and chemical engineering department

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Xiaowen Gong, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, was named an associate editor of the journal IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.

Brendan Higgins, assistant professor of biosystems engineering, and Sushil Adhikari, the Alumni Professor of biosystems engineering, received a $391,099 National Science Foundation grant to create a Research Experiences for Undergraduates site in bioprocessing for conversion of waste into products of value.

Rob Jackson, the Albert J. Smith Jr. Professor of mechanical engineering, recent graduate Kefei Xu and doctoral student Nolan Chu won a Best

F A C U LT Y H I G H L I G H T S

Presentation Award at the International Tribology Research Symposium for “An Investigation of the Elastic Cylindrical Line Contact Equations for Plane Strain and Stress Considering Friction.”

Wei-Shinn (Jeff) Ku, professor of computer science and software engineering, was named an associate editor of the journal IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering.

Pradeep Lall, the John and Anne MacFarlane Professor of mechanical engineering, was appointed program vice-chair for the 2021 InterPACK Conference sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Fabricio Leiva, assistant research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology, received a $228,028 grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a

lecturer of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Communications Society for 2021-2022.

The society has only 40 distinguished lecturers around the world.

$242,618 from the National Science Foundation for his research study “Effect of Pulsatility On Expiratory Droplet-Laden Flows” in collaboration with University of Michigan researchers.

Scott Martin, assistant research professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded two grants totaling $125,000 from Radiance to support his work in the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory.

Meredith Reid, assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering, was named a handling editor for Aperture, the journal of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.

Michael Perez, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, was appointed to a threeyear term as the chair of the Transportation Research Board’s AKD50 Committee on Hydrology, Hydraulics and Stormwater.

Chad Rose, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded a $183,500 grant from Intelligent Automation Inc. for a project titled “Rodeo: Roll-Over Detection For Equipment-Transporter Operation.”

Vrishank Raghav, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, was awarded

Anton Schindler, the Mountain Spirit Professor of structural engineering and

project titled “Continuous Asphalt Mixture Compaction Assessment Using Density Profiling System.”

Bo Liu, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering, was named an associate editor of the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems.

Joseph Majdalani, the Francis Chair of Excellence of aerospace engineering, and postdoctoral scholar Li-Jun Xuan published a feature cover article in the Physics of Fluids journal explaining the so-called Pohlhausen paradox.

Shiwen Mao, the Earle C. Williams Eminent Scholar Chair of electrical and computer engineering, was named a distinguished

LEARN MORE about the faculty research highlighted here on our podcast at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

57

F A C U LT Y H I G H L I G H T S Highway Research Center director, was awarded the 2021 Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award from the American Concrete Institute for outstanding leadership of ACI’s Technical Committee 237.

Alice Smith, the Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Professor of industrial and systems engineering, was named a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ambassador for the

Institute for Operations Research and Management Science for her project “Stimulating Participation of Underrepresented Groups in INFORMS Editorial Boards.”

She also delivered an IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Distinguished Lecture to the Kolkata, India chapter of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society and a keynote address to the Latin American Summer School of Computational Intelligence, an IEEE event held in Chile.

Jakita Thomas, the Philpott-WestPoint Stevens Associate Professor of computer science and

PROMOTIONS AND TENURE

$132,000 grant from Pacific Geosource for training, practical research and technical support.

software engineering, was named to Cell Mentor’s list of 1,000 inspiring Black scientists in America.

Adriana Vargas, assistant research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology, received a

Fan Yin, assistant research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology, received a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a project titled “Impact of Polymer Modification of Ideal-Ct and I-Fit for Balanced Mix Design.”

Gregory Harris, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, was awarded tenure.

Majid Beidaghi was promoted to associate professor of materials engineering and awarded tenure.

Pengyu Chen was promoted to associate professor of materials engineering and awarded tenure.

Lorenzo Cremaschi was promoted to professor of mechanical engineering.

Edward Davis was promoted to associate professor of materials engineering and awarded tenure.

Jasmeet Lamba was promoted to associate professor of biosystems engineering and awarded tenure.

Nima Shamsaei was promoted to the Philpott-WestPoint Stevens Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering.

Aleksandr Vinel was promoted to associate professor of industrial and systems engineering and awarded tenure.

Xinyu Zhang was promoted to professor of chemical engineering.

Sa’d Hamasha was promoted to associate professor of industrial and systems engineering and awarded tenure.

R E AD ALL TH E L ATEST

FACULTY NEWS eng.auburn.edu/news

58

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CUPOLA REPORT This edition of Auburn Engineering’s Cupola Report recognizes donors who have contributed to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering during the 2020 calendar year. Our students, faculty, leadership and staff remain grateful for the support our alumni and friends provide as we work together to fulfill our commitment to excellence in engineering through instruction and research.

ORGANIZATIONAL GIFTS

Ginn Society

Annual FUNDS endowments planned gifts

KEYSTONE SOCIETY The Engineering Keystone Society consists of alumni and friends who recognize the importance of private support to the college’s ongoing success. These members have risen to the challenge of moving the college boldly into the future by making the highest commitment of annual giving – $50,000 or more – to the college’s unrestricted fund over a five-year period. Our sustaining members continue this commitment for more than five years. These gifts allow Auburn Engineering to be nimble in planning and take advantage of emerging educational opportunities.

Mr. Thomas Denny Anspach ’94 & Mrs. Aneda Chandler Anspach ’95

Maj. James M. Hoskins ’81 & Mrs. Bertha T. Hoskins ’80

Mr. Michael Patrick Batey ’79 & Mrs. Elizabeth Batey

Mr. John Kenneth Jones ’59 & Mrs. Jo R. Jones

Ms. Leslee Belluchie ’83 & Mr. Rick Knop

Mr. Byron R. Kelley ’70 & Mrs. Melva B. Kelley

Mr. Felix C. “Kit” Brendle Jr. ’73 & Mrs. Gail Williams Brendle ’76

Mr. Lester Killebrew Sr. ’68 & Mrs. Catherine V. Killebrew ’69

Mr. James Harrison Carroll Jr. ’54* & Mrs. Betty McNeice Carroll

Dr. Oliver D. Kingsley Jr. ’66 & Mrs. Vandalyn Kingsley

Mr. Patrick Thomas Carroll ’87 & Mrs. Cynthia L. Carroll

Mr. Minga Cecil LaGrone Jr. ’51* & Mrs. Novan LaGrone

Mr. Steven Glenn Cates ’85 & Mrs. Lyn Cates

Mr. Ronald Craig Lipham ’74 & Mrs. Lynda Lipham

Mr. Randall Clark Chase ’85 & Mrs. Beth R. Chase

Mr. John Andrew MacFarlane ’72 & Mrs. Anne Warren MacFarlane ’73

Mr. Shawn Edward Cleary ’82 & Mrs. Anne M. Cleary ’82

Mr. Gary Clements Martin ’57 & Mrs. Judi Martin*

Mr. James L. Cooper Jr. ’81 & Mrs. Anna B. Cooper

Dr. Michael B. McCartney ’57 & Mrs. Virginia V. McCartney

Mr. Joseph Lamar Cowan ’70 & Mrs. Jo Ann Culpepper Cowan ’69

Mr. James D. McMillan ’61 & Mrs. Paula Stapp McMillan ’65

Mr. Kevin Thomas Cullinan ’09

Mr. Joe McMillan ’58 & Mrs. Billie Carole McMillan

Mr. William J. Cutts ’55

Mr. William R. McNair ’68 & Mrs. Lana McNair

Dr. Julian Davidson ’50* & Mrs. Dorothy Davidson

Mr. Morris G. Middleton ’61

Mr. Michael Arthur DeMaioribus ’76 & Mrs. Leta DeMaioribus

Mr. Charles Donald Miller ’80 & Mrs. Lisa Q. Miller

Mr. Joe D. Edge ’70 & Mrs. Jayne W. Edge ’71

Mr. Joseph Austin Miller ’83 & Mrs. Donna J. Miller ’84

Mrs. Linda Ann Figg ’81 & Mr. Richard Drew

Mr. David R. Motes ’77

Mr. C. Warren Fleming ’43*

Dr. Robert Mark Nelms ’ 80

Mr. Phillip Alan Forsythe ’81 & Mrs. Margaret Long Forsythe ’81

Mr. David Kenneth Owen ’77 & Mrs. Olivia Kelley Owen ’77

Mr. Charles Earley Gavin III ’59 & Mrs. Marjorie Frazier-Gavin

Mr. Howard E. Palmes ’60 & Mrs. Shirley Palmes

Mr. Charles E. Gavin IV ’82* & Mrs. Kimberly Kocian Gavin ’83

Mr. Earl B. Parsons Jr. ’60 & Mrs. Nancy Parsons

Mr. Gary Ross Godfrey ’86 & Mrs. Carol J. Godfrey ’86

Mr. Hal N. Pennington ’59 & Mrs. Peggy Pennington

Mr. Ralph B. Godfrey ’64 & Mrs. Lynda Godfrey

Gerald L. Pouncey Jr., Esq. ’82 & Mrs. Bonnie Pouncey

Mr. Christopher Lynn Golden ’96 & Mrs. Carmen Ingrando Golden

Mr. Richard Davison Quina ’48* & Mrs. Marjorie Quina

Mr. Glenn Harold Guthrie ’62 & Mrs. Carol Guthrie

Mr. Thomas Leonard Ray ’69 & Mrs. Barbara Ray

Mr. Robert Otto Haack Jr. ’83 & Mrs. Margaret Fuller Haack ’83

Mr. William Allen Reed ’70 & Mrs. Martha Reimer Reed ’69

Mr. William George Hairston III ’67 & Mrs. Paula Hairston

Mr. William Burch Reed ’50 & Mrs. Elizabeth Reed

Mr. William F. Hayes ’65 & Mrs. Patricia Walkden Hayes

Mr. Carl A. Register ’63 & Mrs. Joan T. Register

Mr. John P. Helmick, Jr. ’56 & Mrs. Claudette Helmick

Mr. Edgar L. Reynolds ’70* & Mrs. Peggy Reynolds

B O LD = s us t a i ni ng m e m be r / *d e cea s e d

ENG. AUBURN.EDU

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CUPOLA REPORT Mr. Harry Glen Rice ’77 & Mrs. Gail G. Rice

Dr. Linda J. Stone ’79 & Mr. Jeffrey Ira Stone ’79

Mr. Richard Young Roberts ’73 & Mrs. Peggy Frew Roberts ’74

Mr. Anthony Joseph Topazi ’73

Mr. Charles Philip Saunders ’74

Mr. George Egbert Uthlaut ’54* & Mrs. Dorothy S. Uthlaut ’54

Mr. George M. Sewell ’59* & Mrs. Rita Gillen Sewell

Mr. Mark David Vanstrum ’79

Mr. Albert James Smith Jr. ’47* & Mrs. Julia Collins Smith ’99*

Mr. William J. Ward ’55 & Mrs. Rubilyn Wells Ward

Mr. Douglas W. Smith ’12 & Mrs. Jill Smith

Mr. William E. Warnock Jr. ’74 & Mrs. Rebecca C. Warnock

Mr. Zeke Walter L. Smith ’82 & Mrs. Darlene P. Smith

Mr. Leroy L. Wetzel ’59 & Mrs. Nell S. Wetzel

Mr. John Albert Smyth Jr. ’70 & Mrs. Melanie Whatley Smyth ’70

Mr. Dwight L. Wiggins Jr. ’62 & Mrs. Bonnie Wiggins

Mr. Paul Joseph Spina Jr. ’63 & Mrs. Bena Ann Spina

Mr. Walter Stanley Woltosz ’69 & Mrs. Virginia Woltosz

Mr. James H. Stewart Jr. ’60 & Mrs. Zula Stewart

B O LD = s us t a i ni ng m e m b e r / *d e cea s e d

GINN SOCIETY Auburn Engineering’s Ginn Society is named for the visionary and philanthropic leadership of Samuel L. Ginn, a 1959 industrial management graduate and the college’s namesake. The Ginn Society acknowledges cumulative giving of $25,000 or more to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Mr. Joseph W. Ackerman ’60

Mr. Russell F. Boren Sr. ’54 & Mrs. Hazel Boren*

Gen. Jimmie V. Adams ’57 & Mrs. Judy T. Adams

Ms. Mildred Diane Boss ’72

Mr. James T. Adkison Jr. ’71 & Mrs. Dianne Booker Adkison ’71

Mr. Charles Judson Bowers ’69

Mr. Lewis S. Agnew Jr. ’04 & Mrs. Kathryn Rooney Agnew

Mrs. Marilyn L. Box & Mr. Paul C. Box*

Mr. Robert S. Aicklen ’73 & Mrs. Patricia P. Aicklen ’74

Mr. William Robert Boyd ’90 & Mrs. Pamela Owens Boyd ’92

Mr. Charles S. Aiken Jr. ’73 & Mrs. Catherine C. Aiken

Mrs. Lois Anne Boykin & Mr. Jack W. Boykin ’61*

Ms. Jennifer D. Alley

Mrs. Linda Lou Brackin ’70 & Dr. Brice H. Brackin ’69*

Ms. Barbara Allison

Mr. Robert Joseph Brackin ’80 & Mrs. Roberta Marcantonio

Mr. J. Gregory Anderson ’88 & Mrs. Kimberly Anderson

Mrs. Shirley A. Bradford & Mr. Rodney Bradford ’67*

Mr. John P. Anderson ’76 & Mrs. Cynthia M. Anderson ’76

Dr. David B. Bradley ’65

Pete L. Anderson, P.E. ’75

Mr. J. B. Braswell

Mr. Gerald B. Andrews Sr. ’59 & Mrs. Claire S. Andrews ’73

Mrs. Joanne Braswell & Mr. Leonard Dean Braswell ’48*

Mr. Thomas Denny Anspach ’94 & Mrs. Aneda Chandler Anspach ’95

Mr. John R. Bray ’57 & Mrs. Quinlyn Bray*

Mr. Stephen Tate Armstrong ’96 & Mrs. Kathleen Meadows Armstrong ’96

Dr. Daniel F. Breeden ’57 & Mrs. Josephine M. Breeden

Mr. Timothy Michael Arnold ’94 & Mrs. Margaret Schlereth Arnold

Mr. Felix C. Brendle Jr. ’73 & Mrs. Gail Williams Brendle ’76

Lt. Col. John Michael Askew ’87 & Mrs. Susan Sumners Askew ’87

Mrs. Dorothy Y. Bridges & Mr. William D. Bridges ’60*

Mr. Thomas Glenn Avant ’60 & Mrs. Janis Avant

Mr. David W. Brooks III ’81 & Mrs. Beverlye Brady Brooks ’82

Mr. Diaco Aviki ’95 & Mrs. Angela Aviki

Mr. Dan H. Broughton ’63 & Mrs. Sheila Broughton

Mr. Manucher Azmudeh ’60

Mr. Dwight Truman Brown ’69 & Mrs. Mary Ellen Brown

Mr. Charles Frederick Bach ’58

Dr. John Wilford Brown ’57 & Dr. Rosemary Kopel Brown ’57

Mr. James G. Bagley Jr. ’83 & Mrs. Melissa S. Bagley

Mr. L. Owen Brown ’64 & Mrs. Brookes Brown

Mr. James O’Neal Ballenger ’59 & Mrs. Bettye Bowman Ballenger ’59

Mr. William Scott Brown ’71

Mrs. Wanda Barnes & Mr. Robert Orrville Barnes Sr. ’50*

Mr. David C. Brubaker ’71 & Mrs. Theresa Brubaker

Mrs. Jeanne Bonner Barr & Dr. Kenneth John Barr ’47*

Mr. Thomas D. Burson ’58 & Mrs. Frances Wilson Burson ’58

Mrs. Agnes B. Barrett & Mr. Edward Parr Barrett ’48*

Mr. Henry M. Burt Jr. ’58 & Mrs. Rebecca Burt

Mr. Joseph F. Barth III ’71 & Mrs. Gail Barth

Dr. Gisela Buschle-Diller

Mr. Michael Patrick Batey ’79 & Mrs. Elizabeth Batey

Mr. Daniel M. Bush ’72

Mr. Ben Beasley ’65

Mr. Harris Donovan Bynum ’58 & Mrs. Karen Bynum

Mrs. Virginia Hardenbergh Beck ’60 & Mr. Martin L. Beck Jr. ’49*

Mr. Robert Flournoy Bynum ’75 & Mrs. Gretchen Luepke Bynum*

Ms. Rose-Gaelle Belinga ’09

Mr. Patrick L. Byrne ’71

Mr. Christopher T. Bell ’83 & Mrs. Allison F. Bell

Mr. Robert Howard Campbell ’97 & Mrs. Elizabeth W. Campbell

Dr. Larry Benefield ’66 & Mrs. Mary L. Benefield

Mr. Roger J. Campbell ’59 & Mrs. Judith E. Campbell

Mr. Charles William Berry Jr. ’66 & Mrs. Charlene L. Berry

Mrs. Lois Cannady & Mr. William E. Cannady ’42*

Mr. Robert E. Bickert ’82 & Mrs. Lisa Bickert

Mr. J. Travis Capps Jr. ’94 & Mr. Lee Anthony

Mr. Robert Lee Bishop Jr. ’79 & Mrs. Sara Ann Bishop

Mr. John Phillip Caraway ’92 & Mrs. Patricia M. Caraway

Dr. William Y. Bishop ’68 & Mrs. Rosemarie Bishop*

Mr. Russell Lee Carbine ’83 & Mrs. Anna Calhoun Carbine ’83

Dr. Nancy Pugh Bissinger ’73 & Mr. Allan Harry Bissinger ’75*

Mrs. Helen B. Carlisle & Dr. Dwight Lester Carlisle Jr. ’58*

Mr. Sean Michael Bittner ’16 & Mrs. Allison K. Bittner ’15

Mr. Donald Edward Carmon ’88 & Mrs. Dianna Carmon

Mr. Robert W. Bledsoe ’10

Mr. Benjamin F. Carr Jr. ’60 & Mrs. Nancy Brunson Carr ’63

Dr. Richard Boehm & Dr. Denise Blanchard Boehm ’80

Mrs. Betty McNeice Carroll & Mr. James Harrison Carroll Jr. ’54*

Mr. Robert L. Boggan Jr. ’59 & Mrs. Lelia Burwell Boggan ’59

Mr. Patrick Thomas Carroll ’87 & Mrs. Cynthia L. Carroll

*d e cea s e d

60

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CUPOLA REPORT Dr. Tony J. Catanzaro ’84 & Mrs. Tracey H. Catanzaro ’83

Mr. Timothy John Dwyer ’85 & Mrs. Julianne Evans Dwyer ’82

Mr. Frank M. Cater ’61 & Mrs. Dorothy M. Cater

Mr. Ronald M. Dykes ’69 & Mrs. Anne Dykes

Mr. Steven Glenn Cates ’85 & Mrs. Lyn Cates

Mr. Lewis H. Eberdt Jr. ’54 & Mrs. Annette Bailey Eberdt ’53

Mr. Wiley Mitchell Cauthen ’62 & Mrs. Jo Ann Cauthen*

Dr. Mario Richard Eden & Mrs. Leeja Eden

Mr. Peter Judson Chamberlin ’81 & Mrs. Genie Chamberlin

Mr. Joe D. Edge ’70 & Mrs. Jayne W. Edge ’71

Mr. Joe Mark Chambers Jr. ’72 & Mrs. Elizabeth M. Chambers ’76

Mr. C. Houston Elkins Jr. ’77 & Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Elkins ’77

Ms. Katherine Leigh Champion ’11

Mr. H. Wendell Ellis ’67 & Mrs. Celia Ellis

Mr. James M. Chandler III ’84 & Mrs. Valerie Chandler

Mr. Joseph Etheridge & Mrs. Vicky Etheridge

Mr. J. Edward Chapman Jr. ’56 & Mrs. Martha Lee Chapman

Mr. Corey Ryan Evans ’02

Mr. Wheeler E. Chapman III ’83 & Mrs. Laurianne Chapman

Mr. James R. Evans ’55 & Mrs. Janice Evans*

Mr. Clarance Joseph Chappell III ’59

Mr. Jim W. Evans ’67 & Mrs. Marsha P. Evans

Mr. Randall Clark Chase ’85 & Mrs. Beth R. Chase

Mr. Lawson Fanney & Mrs. Angela Lynn Fanney ’04

Mr. Bradley P. Christopher ’91 & Mrs. Sonya Faust Christopher

Mr. Norman Smith Faris Jr. ’59 & Mrs. Judith Jones Faris ’58*

Mr. Jing-Yau Chung & Mrs. Alice Chung

Ms. Ada Nicole Faulk ’96

Mr. Shawn Edward Cleary ’82 & Mrs. Anne M. Cleary ’82

Mr. Mark Douglas Feagin ’85 & Mrs. Elan Pardue Feagin ’86

Dr. Prabhakar Clement ’93 & Mrs. Sabina Wilfred Clement ’92

Mr. Steven Scott Fendley ’91

Mr. Terry James Coggins ’76 & Dr. Jo Anne Hamrick Coggins ’75

Ms. Ann Marie Ferretti ’75

Mr. Eldridge J. Cook Jr. & Mrs. Rhonda Horne Cook ’80*

Mr. Paul R. Flowers Jr. ’66 & Mrs. Barbara Meeker Flowers ’68

Mr. Timothy Donald Cook ’82

Mr. John N. Floyd Jr. ’85 & Mrs. Amy Jordan Floyd ’86

Mr. J. Fenimore Cooper Jr. & Mrs. Sherry Cooper*

Mrs. Mamie McNure Flynn & Capt Gordon L. Flynn ’57*

Mr. James L. Cooper Jr. ’81 & Mrs. Anna B. Cooper

Mr. Stanley F. Folker Jr. ’68

Ms. Lisa Ann Copeland ’85

Mr. William Mark Ford

Mrs. Patricia G. Corbitt & Mr. James Hugh Corbitt ’58*

Mr. Joe Wallace Forehand Jr. ’71 & Mrs. Gayle Parks Forehand ’70

Ms. Mary F. Cordato

Mr. Phillip Alan Forsythe ’81 & Mrs. Margaret Long Forsythe ’81

Mr. Bradley William Corson ’83 & Mrs. Joan Corson

Capt. Michael Victor Forte ’82 & Mrs. Shelley Forte

Mr. Samuel S. Coursen Jr. ’73 & Mrs. Denise Coursen

Cmdr. Jerry Dean Foster ’93 & Mrs. Constance S. Foster ’93

Mr. Joseph Lamar Cowan ’70 & Mrs. Jo Ann Culpepper Cowan ’69

Mr. Earl Richard Foust ’71 & Mrs. Nan Vinson Foust ’71

Ms. Trudy Craft-Austin

Mr. Philip Gordon Fraher ’88 & Mrs. Kimberley W. Fraher ’88

Mr. Douglas Robert Craig ’90 & Mrs. Alyson B. Craig

Mr. Richard L. Franklin ’49 & Mrs. Jeanne E. Franklin*

Mrs. Barbara Ann Adkins Crane & Mr. Theodore P. Crane Jr. ’58*

Mr. Thomas M. Frassrand ’76 & Ms. Claudia J. Cola

Mr. Wayne J. Crews ’60 & Mrs. Louise Crews

Mrs. Gwen S. Frazier ’87

Dr. Malcolm J. Crocker & Dr. Ruth Catherine Crocker

Mrs. Gwenn Smith Freeman ’73

Mr. Daniel Crowell & Mrs. Ragan White Crowell ’98

Mr. Christian G. Gackstatter ’84

Mr. Kevin Thomas Cullinan ’09

CAPT Davis R. Gamble Jr. ’74

Mrs. Deborah Cunningham & Dr. Ralph S. Cunningham ’62*

Mr. Maury D. Gaston ’82

Mr. Malcolm A. Cutchins Jr. ’79

Mr. Sibbley Paul Gauntt ’54

Mr. Calvin Cutshaw & Dr. Mary K. Boudreaux

Mr. Charles Earley Gavin III ’59

Mr. William J. Cutts ’55

Mrs. Kimberly Kocian Gavin ’83 & Mr. Charles Early Gavin IV ’82*

Mrs. Dorothy Davidson & Dr. Julian Davidson ’50*

Mrs. Evelyn Geisler

Mrs. Charlotte Davis & Mr. Charles Edward Davis ’59*

Mr. John William Gibbs ’72 & Mrs. Patricia Gibbs

Dr. N. Jan Davis ’77

Dr. George Edward Gibson Jr. ’80 & Mrs. Gail Howard Gibson ’90

Brig. Gen. Robert L. Davis ’74 & Mrs. Barbara Baker Davis ’72

Mr. Michael V. Ginn

Mrs. Jane Day & Mr. Walter R. Day Jr. ’53*

Dr. Samuel L. Ginn ’59 & Mrs. Ann Ginn

Mr. James Dean ’82

Mr. Thomas Peter Glanton ’12 & Mrs. Curry Stevenson Glanton ’12

Dr. Harry L. Deffebach Jr. ’63 & Mrs. Mary Deffebach

Mr. Charlie Godfrey & Mrs. Maxine Godfrey

Mr. Michael Arthur DeMaioribus ’76 & Mrs. Leta DeMaioribus

Mr. Gary Ross Godfrey ’86 & Mrs. Carol J. Godfrey ’86

Mr. Donald Eugene Dennis ’54 & Mrs. Patricia McNaron Dennis*

Mr. Ralph B. Godfrey ’64 & Mrs. Lynda Godfrey

Mr. Joseph G. Dobbs & Mrs. Amy Thomas Dobbs ’78

Mr. Christopher Lynn Golden ’96 & Mrs. Carmen Ingrando Golden

Mr. Robert Bruce Donnellan ’76 & Mrs. Kay L. Donnellan

Mr. M. James Gorrie II ’84 & Mrs. Alison Mobley Gorrie ’84

Mr. Alan Dorn & Mrs. Carol Hilton Dorn ’84

Mr. Magnus Miller Gorrie ’57 & Mrs. Frances Greene Gorrie ’59

Mr. William G. Dorriety ’84 & Mrs. Donna Dismukes Dorriety

Dr. Griffin Keith Gothard ’88

Joseph Evans Downey Jr., P.E. ’85 & Mrs. Susan Noland Downey ’90

Dr. Katina Kodadek Gothard ’97

Mr. Melvin Lee Drake Jr. ’77 & Mrs. Diane Rowan Drake ’77

Mrs. Elizabeth Grant & Mr. Jefferson Lavelle Grant Jr. ’69*

Mr. Richard Drew & Mrs. Linda Ann Figg ’81

Mr. Stanley L. Graves ’67 & Mrs. Patsy Hyche Graves ’70

Mrs. Linda D. DuCharme ’86

Mr. David Martin Gray ’93 & Mrs. Susan Baskin Gray ’92

Mr. Patrick Erby Duke ’99

Mr. Gary Wayne Gray ’69 & Mrs. Jo Evelyn Gray

Mr. Wendell Harris Duke ’73 & Mrs. Margaret H. Duke

Mr. Ruskin Clegg Green ’91 & Mrs. Julie Green

Mr. Arthur J. Duncan III ’11

Mr. Walter Wanzel Griffin ’47 & Mrs. Mary Jane Griffin*

Mr. George Robert Dunlap Jr. ’49 & Mrs. Geraldine P. Dunlap*

Mrs. Linda Vanstrum Griggs ’75 & Mr. Micheal Griggs*

*d e cea s e d

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61

CUPOLA REPORT Mr. H. Vince Groome III

Mr. William Russell James ’69 & Mrs. Brenda M. Tanner

Mr. Mark Allan Gulley ’94 & Mrs. Leah S. Gulley ’93

Mr. Carl Mack Jeffcoat ’60 & Mrs. Ann W. Jeffcoat

Mr. Toby Eugene Gurley ’65

Mr. Charles William Jenkins ’72

Mr. Glenn Harold Guthrie ’62 & Mrs. Carol Guthrie

Mr. Michael D. Johns & Mrs. Laurie Johns

Mrs. Jean Guthrie & Mr. Billy Guthrie ’57*

Mr. Bobby Joe Johnson ’62

Mr. Robert Otto Haack Jr. ’83 & Mrs. Margaret Fuller Haack ’83

Mr. Charles Travis Johnson ’65

Mr. Keith Shellie Hagler ’98

Mr. Darren Keith Johnson ’11 & Mrs. Elizabeth Hammer Johnson ’11

Mr. William George Hairston III ’67 & Mrs. Paula Hairston

Col. David S. Johnson ’75 & Mrs. Penelope D. Johnson ’74

Mr. Holbert L. Hale Jr. ’64 & Mrs. Julia H. Hale

Mr. J. Sam Johnson Jr. ’75 & Mrs. Patricia Davenport Johnson ’75

Mr. James H. Ham III ’66 & Mrs. Kimberly Ham

Ms. Kathryn L. Johnson ’78

Mr. J. Robert Hamill, P.E. ’70

Mr. Larry T. Johnson & Mrs. Ann McCamy Johnson ’84

Mr. David A. Hamilton ’67

Mr. Roger Warren Johnson ’84 & Ms. M. Jane Major ’74

Mr. Johnnie Marvin Hamilton ’68 & Mrs. Cathryn Reynolds Hamilton

Mr. William D. Johnston & Ms. Ronda Stryker

Ms. Susan Owens Hamilton ’73

Mrs. Dolphine D. Jones & Mr. John David Jones ’47*

Mr. Frank Arthur Hamner ’88 & Mrs. Lauren Frey Hamner ’90

Mr. John Kenneth Jones ’59 & Mrs. Jo R. Jones

Mr. William R. Hanlein ’47 & Mrs. Sue Hanlein*

Mr. Joshua Dale Jones ’06 & Mrs. Elizabeth M. Jones

Dr. Andrew Palmer Hanson ’93

Dr. Peter D. Jones & Mrs. Elizabeth Zylla-Jones

Mr. John Larry Hardiman ’75 & Mrs. Wanda Hardiman

Mrs. Clarice Kearley & Mr. Richard I. Kearley Jr. ’49*

Mr. George C. Hardison Jr. ’76 & Mrs. Marsha Quenelle Hardison ’76

Mr. Robert R. Keith Jr. ’63 & Mrs. Donna Vanderver Keith ’66

Mr. Oscar Coursey Harper IV ’89 & Mrs. Patricia Smith Harper ’90

Mr. Byron R. Kelley ’70 & Mrs. Melva B. Kelley

Mrs. Glenda Steele Harris ’61 & Dr. Elmer Beseler Harris ’62*

Mr. Kenneth Kelly ’90

Mr. Lamar Travis Hawkins ’63 & Mrs. Elaine T. Hawkins ’62

Lt. Col. Randolph H. Kelly ’76 & Mrs. Leigh Pinkston Kelly ’77

Mr. Lawrence Allen Hawkins ’81 & Mrs. Lisa Hawkins

Gen. Leslie Farr Kenne ’70

Mr. Albert E. Hay ’67

Mrs. Martha McQueen Kennedy ’54 & Mr. Carver Gager Kennedy ’52*

Ms. Karen Hayes ’81

Mr. Michael Timothy Keyser ’15 & Mrs. Kelly Eileen Keyser ’14

Mr. William F. Hayes ’65 & Mrs. Patricia Walkden Hayes

Mr. Zach Kezar & Mrs. Laura Clenney Kezar ’08

Mr. Cotton Hazelrig & Mrs. Maggie Hazelrig*

Mr. Lester Killebrew Sr. ’68 & Mrs. Catherine V. Killebrew ’69

Mr. James Hecathorn & Mrs. Barbara Lynn Hecathorn ’83

Mr. James L. Killian III & Mrs. Karen Killian

Mr. Jim Palmer Heilbron ’94 & Mrs. Markell A. Heilbron ’96

Mr. Graham Criss Killough ’89 & Mrs. Theresa N. Killough

Mr. John P. Helmick Jr. ’56

Mr. Thomas Keith King Sr. ’58 & Mrs. Julia King

Mr. Roger R. Hemminghaus ’58 & Mrs. Dot Hemminghaus

Dr. Oliver D. Kingsley Jr. ’66 & Mrs. Vandalyn Kingsley

Dr. Alton Stuart Hendon ’89 & Dr. Gerri Hendon

Mr. Christopher R. Kirkland & Mrs. Mary Peery Kirkland ’94

Mrs. Judy J. Hendrick & Mr. Tommy Glenn Hendrick ’70*

Mrs. Mina Propst Kirkley ’54 & Mr. Terry Allen Kirkley ’57*

Mr. John Steele Henley II ’63 & Mrs. Geanie Henley

Mr. Ryan Kyle Knight ’00 & Mrs. Susan Knight

Mr. Thomas A. Hereford Jr. ’74

Mr. Rick Knop & Ms. Leslee Belluchie ’83

Ms. Melissa Herkt ’77 & Mr. Robert Herkt*

Mr. Ashley David Koby ’98 & Mrs. Stephanie C. Koby ’98

Mr. Patrick D. Higginbotham ’81 & Mrs. Nancy Y. Higginbotham ’80

Mr. Christopher J. Kramer ’94 & Mrs. Mary Horton Kramer ’93

Mr. Thomas Farrell Higgins ’70 & Mrs. Rita Higgins

Mr. Richard W. Kretzschmar ’90 & Mrs. Vicki Meredith Kretzschmar ’92

Mr. Wilson Price Hightower III ’88 & Mrs. Margaret M. Hightower ’87

Mr. David McCoy Kudlak ’86 & Ms. Trisha Perkins

Mrs. Carolyn A. Hill & Mr. Elmer Carlton Hill ’49*

Mr. Frederick D. Kuester ’73

Mr. Dennis Steve Hill ’79 & Mrs. Ann Reynolds Hill ’77

Mrs. Novan LaGrone & Mr. Minga Cecil LaGrone Jr. ’51*

Mr. Stats J. Hogeland ’17

Mr. Thomas D. Lampkin ’75 & Mrs. Barbara Blackstock Lampkin ’75

Mr. Michael Dale Holmes ’86 & Mrs. Stephanie Jo Holmes

Mrs. Jean Land & Mr. William Franklin Land ’49*

Dr. James Stephan Hood ’84 & Mrs. Kelly T. Hood

Mr. Judson T. Landers ’71 & Mrs. Betty Ann Landers

Mr. E. Erskine Hopkins ’46

Mr. Scott Eric Larson Sr. & Mrs. Maria Larson

Mr. Steven D. Horne ’71 & Mrs. Lynn Jones Horne ’79

Mr. Harald F. Lassen ’57 & Mrs. Betty Coston Lassen ’54*

Mrs. Shelby J. Horner & Mr. Duke Cameron Horner ’47*

Mr. Homer C. Lavender Jr. ’66

Mrs. Lynn Hornsby & Mr. Clarence H. Hornsby Jr. ’50*

Dr. Terry Edwin Lawler ’68 & Mrs. Patricia E. Lawler

Maj. James M. Hoskins ’81 & Mrs. Bertha T. Hoskins ’80

Mr. Michael Leach & Mrs. Diana Lynne Leach

Ms. Barbara Alison Howell ’83

Mr. Creighton C. Lee ’47 & Mrs. Mary Sue Wright Lee

Mrs. Joi Hudgins & Mr. Alan P. Hudgins ’74*

Mr. John S. Lee ’83 & Mrs. Dorothy Pappas Lee ’80

Mr. James G. Hughes Sr. ’56 & Mrs. Billie Webb Hughes*

Ms. Nelda K. Lee ’69

Mr. James A. Humphrey ’70 & Mrs. Michele Alexander Humphrey ’71

Mr. Steven Max Lee ’73 & Mrs. Margie Lee

Ms. Kristin L. Hunnicutt

Gov. William Byron Lee ’81 & Mrs. Maria Dinenna Lee

Ms. Susan H. Hunnicutt ’79

Mr. Edwin Lamar Lewis ’72 & Mrs. Becky S. Lewis ’72

Mr. Brian Howard Hunt ’90 & Dr. Judy Johns Hunt

Mr. Ronald Craig Lipham, P.E. ’74 & Mrs. Lynda Lipham

Mr. Paul A. Hutchinson ’08 & Mrs. Diane Leigh Hutchinson

Mr. Stephen Jager Livingston ’10

Mr. Bruce Edward Imsand ’74 & Mrs. Katherine V. Imsand

Mr. Rodney Lon Long ’76 & Mrs. Judy Long

Mr. Charles Mathias Jager ’56 & Mrs. Rosemary Smith Jager ’57

Mr. Lum M. Loo ’78

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62

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CUPOLA REPORT Ms. Jenny Loveland & Mr. Ralph Edward Wheeler ’79*

Mr. Lawrence J. Montgomery III & Mrs. Mary Montgomery

Mr. William A. Lovell Jr. ’79 & Mrs. Virginia Goodwin Lovell ’80

Mr. Charles N. Moody ’63 & Mrs. Jo Moody

Mrs. Bettye Mathison Lowe & Mr. Thomas M. Lowe Jr. ’49*

Mr. Chris Anthony Moody ’90 & Mrs. Sarah K. Ahn

Mrs. Effie Lowman & Mr. Charles R. Lowman ’49*

Mrs. Jane Holley Moon ’73 & Mr. Phillip Franklin Moon ’71*

Mr. Donald R. Luger ’62 & Mrs. Sharon M. Luger

Mr. F. Brooks Moore ’48 & Mrs. Marian F. Moore ’53*

Mr. Rainer Lukoschek ’85 & Mrs. Jill Prettyman Lukoschek ’85

Mrs. Mary Manson Moore ’83

Mr. Kenneth R. Luttrell & Mrs. Gloria L. Luttrell

Mrs. Essie P. Morgan & Mr. Leonard Morgan ’53*

Mr. Fred W. Mace ’57 & Mrs. Juanita Mace

Dr. Joe M. Morgan & Mrs. Rita Morgan

Mr. John Andrew MacFarlane ’72 & Mrs. Anne Warren MacFarlane ’73

Mr. Larry J. Morgan ’68 & Mrs. Nancy Morgan

Mr. Charles Albert Machemehl Jr. & Mrs. Hope A. Machemehl

Mr. M. John Morgan ’71 & Mrs. Patricia Morgan

Mr. James J. Mallett ’55 & Mrs. Martha Mallett

Mr. David Allen Morris ’96 & Mrs. Grace B. Morris ’95

Mr. Steven Naylor Malone ’02 & Mrs. Lee Tart Malone

Mr. David R. Motes ’77

Capt. Robert Allen Malseed ’77 & Mrs. Linda Gayle Malseed

Mr. Kevin Mullins ’99 & Mrs. Apryl Tarrant Mullins ’97

Mr. Harry A. Manson ’58 & Mrs. Linda A. Manson

Mr. Charles G. Munden Jr. ’77 & Mrs. Sandy H. Munden

Mr. Steven John Marcereau ’65 & Mrs. Rebecca Marcereau

Mr. Kenneth Howell Murphy ’87 & Mrs. Cindy Kilgo Murphy

Mr. Salvador Michael Marino ’91 & Mrs. Paula M. Marino ’92

Mr. Scott B. Murray ’69 & Mrs. Karen M. Murray

Lt. Cmdr. Clifton C. Martin Jr. ’74 & Mrs. Mary Ramey Martin ’74

Mr. Michael L. Neighbors ’76 & Mrs. Kathy Flournoy Neighbors ’75

Mr. Gary Clements Martin ’57 & Mrs. Judi Martin*

Dr. Robert Mark Nelms ’80

Mr. Colton R. Martinez ’15

Mr. Wayne B. Nelson III ’76 & Mrs. Cheryl N. Nelson

Mr. James Garrett Martz ’84 & Mrs. Julie Evans Martz

Mr. Fred F. Newman III ’81

Mr. Jewell C. Maxwell Jr. ’75 & Mrs. Vivian Irene Maxwell

Mr. William K. Newman ’69 & Mrs. Kate M. Newman

Mr. Jesse Duane May ’85 & Mrs. Brenda Carol May

Mr. Huan D. Nguyen ’87

Mr. Patrick Clay Mays ’08

Mr. Charles G. Nicely ’72

Ms. Forrest Worthy McCartney

Mr. Jason Allen Nichols ’98 & Mrs. Lisa Jill Nichols ’97

Mr. John Timothy McCartney ’80 & Mrs. Laura Ledyard McCartney ’80

Mrs. Nicole Wright Nichols ’00

Dr. Michael B. McCartney ’57 & Mrs. Virginia V. McCartney

Mr. Jack Dempsey Noah ’59 & Mrs. Marie Crowe Noah

Ms. Sheila J. McCartney

Mr. Darren Glenn Norris ’82 & Mrs. Kimberly H. Norris

Dr. Thurman Dwayne McCay ’68 & Dr. Mary Helen McCay

Mr. Mark W. Norton ’13

Ms. Julia Zekoll McClure ’68

Mr. William B. Norton ’75 & Mrs. Lori D. Norton ’78

Mr. John Blair McCracken ’08 & Mrs. Julie McCracken

Mr. James Burton Odom ’55 & Mrs. June Odom

Mr. Charles Douglas McCrary ’73 & Mrs. Phyllis McCrary

Mr. Steve P. Osburne ’65 & Mrs. Bobbie Osburne

Mr. James H. McDaniel ’68 & Mrs. Dotty McDaniel

Mr. Wynton Rex Overstreet ’59 & Mrs. Charlotte Williams Overstreet ’60

Dr. Donald McDonald ’52

Mr. David Kenneth Owen ’77 & Mrs. Olivia Kelley Owen ’77

Mr. Albert F. McFadden Jr. ’81 & Mrs. Hope McFadden

Mr. Howard E. Palmes ’60 & Mrs. Shirley Palmes

Mr. Jim W. McGaha ’66 & Mrs. Frances McGaha

Mr. Donald James Parke ’82

Mr. George Lee McGlamery ’86 & Mrs. Mary Ann McGlamery

Mr. John S. Parke ’55 & Mrs. Constance Garner Parke ’55

Dr. Gerald G. McGlamery Jr. ’84 & Mrs. Lynette McGlamery

Mr. Clark Parker & Mrs. Cari Jo Parker ’87

Mr. Paul Alan McIntyre ’92 & Mrs. Amy Fortenberry McIntyre

Mr. Jerry D. Parker Jr. ’79 & Mrs. Elizabeth Parker

Mr. Kevin McKeon & Mrs. Carter Michelle McKeon ’11

Mr. Robert Allen Parker ’84 & Mrs. Susan Southerland Parker ’84

Mr. James D. McMillan ’61 & Mrs. Paula Stapp McMillan ’65

Mr. Earl B. Parsons Jr. ’60 & Mrs. Nancy Parsons

Mr. Joe McMillan ’58 & Mrs. Billie Carole McMillan

Mr. Kevin Andrew Partridge ’87 & Mrs. Faye L. Partridge

Mr. William R. McNair ’68 & Mrs. Lana McNair

Mrs. Nancy Moses Paul ’64 & Mr. Daniel J. Paul Jr. ’64*

Mr. Charles Phillip McWane ’80 & Mrs. Heather A. McWane

Mr. Hunter Andrew Payne & Mrs. Mary Evelyn Payne

Mr. John F. Meagher Jr. ’49 & Mrs. Agnes N. Meagher*

Mrs. Lillian M. Peeler & Mr. James Louis Peeler ’58*

Mr. Jeff T. Meeks ’73

Mr. Frederick Allen Pehler Jr. ’77 & Mrs. Rebecca Camp Pehler ’81

Mr. E. Martin Melton ’62 & Mrs. Gale Melton

Mr. Hal N. Pennington ’59 & Mrs. Peggy Pennington

Mr. George Aristides Menendez ’70 & Mrs. Elizabeth Oakes Menendez

Mr. Chris J. Peterson ’71 & Mrs. Janice Potts Peterson ’74

Mr. D. L. Merrill Jr. ’65 & Mrs. Rebecca Lindsey Merrill

Mrs. Kathryn Knox Petit ’91

Mr. Peter H. Meyers ’59 & Mrs. Darlene Meyers

Col. William Wright Petit ’89

Mr. Morris G. Middleton ’61

Mr. Douglas E. Phillpott ’84 & Mrs. Tracy C. Phillpott ’84

Mr. Charles Donald Miller ’80 & Mrs. Lisa Q. Miller

Dr. Michael S. Pindzola & Dr. Rebekah Hand Pindzola

Mr. Joseph Austin Miller ’83 & Mrs. Donna J. Miller ’84

Mr. Lonnie H. Pope Sr.

Mr. Stephen R. Miller ’72 & Mrs. Kyle Miller

Mr. Jack B. Porterfield III ’75 & Mrs. Rebecca Porterfield

Mr. J. Kevin Mims ’79 & Mrs. Katherine Maughan Mims ’81

Gerald L. Pouncey Jr., Esq. ’82 & Mrs. Bonnie Pouncey

Mrs. Ila S. Mitchum & Mr. Leonard L. Mitchum Jr. ’51*

Mr. William R. Powell ’67 & Mrs. Kathleen Powell

Mr. Max A. Mobley ’72 & Mrs. Kathy W. Mobley

Mr. Robert Lyons Prince ’69

Mr. William Lynn Moench Jr. ’76 & Mrs. Pamela Stephans Moench

Mr. John David Prunkl ’90 & Mrs. Lisa Christmas Prunkl ’88

Mr. Carl A. Monroe ’78 & Mrs. Ellen Monroe

Mrs. Rebecca A. Pugh & Mr. Joel N. Pugh ’61*

Dr. Larry Scot Monroe ’79 & Ms. Cynthia Coker Green ’79

Mrs. Dorothy Leonard Rainey & Mr. Henry Frederick Rainey ’42*

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ENG. AUBURN.EDU

63

CUPOLA REPORT Mrs. Emilie Rainey & Mr. William L. Rainey ’66*

Mrs. Dorothy Smith & Mr. James Madison Smith ’43*

Mr. David Fredrick Rankin & Mrs. Jane Copeland Rankin

Mr. Douglas W. Smith ’12 & Mrs. Jill Smith

Mr. Greg Raper & Mrs. Denise Sandlin Raper ’92

Mr. Gerald W. Smith ’61 & Mrs. Joyce Carr Smith ’61

Mr. Thomas Leonard Ray ’69 & Mrs. Barbara Ray

Mr. Jerard Taggart Smith ’97 & Mrs. Cindy Smith

Mr. James Lee Rayburn ’67 & Mrs. Joyce Rayburn

Mr. Kenneth Abner Smith ’81 & Mrs. Lyn Smith

Mr. Albert Miles Redd Jr. ’59 & Mrs. Susan Warburton Redd

Mr. Kenneth L. Smith Jr. ’78

Mr. William Allen Reed ’70 & Mrs. Martha Reimer Reed ’69

Mr. Randy Leon Smith ’76 & Mrs. Patricia Smith

Mr. William Burch Reed ’50 & Mrs. Elizabeth Reed

Mr. Stephen Craig Smith ’86 & Mrs. Jody A. Smith ’88

Mr. Carl A. Register ’63 & Mrs. Joan T. Register

Mr. Stephen Linwood Smith ’75 & Mrs. Judith R. Smith ’74

Mrs. Jean M. Register & Mr. William R. Register ’56*

Mr. Timothy Scot Smith ’91 & Mrs. Sheila Ransone Smith ’91

Ms. Mary Nell Reid ’91

Mr. William James Smith ’67 & Mrs. Susan C. Smith ’70

Mr. James O. Rein & Mrs. Joan Rein

Mr. Zeke Walter L. Smith ’82 & Mrs. Darlene P. Smith

Mrs. Peggy Reynolds & Mr. Edgar L. Reynolds ’70*

Mr. John Albert Smyth Jr. ’70 & Mrs. Melanie Whatley Smyth ’70

Mr. Harry Glen Rice ’77 & Mrs. Gail G. Rice

Mr. Danny Gerald Snow ’62 & Mrs. Sharon M. Snow

Mr. Lee Wiley Richards ’88

Mr. Roger L. Sollie ’74 & Mrs. Kathy H. Sollie

Mr. Christopher James Riley ’02 & Mrs. Darcy Delano Riley

Dr. Ryan A. Sothen ’09 & Mrs. Holly Holman Sothen ’03

Mr. Kenneth Wayne Ringer ’59 & Dr. Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59

Mr. Mark A. Spencer ’00

Dr. Christopher Brian Roberts & Mrs. Tracy Roberts

Dr. Samia I. Spencer & Dr. William A. Spencer*

Mr. Gary Michael Roberts ’80 & Mrs. Mary Burns Roberts

Mr. Paul Joseph Spina Jr. ’63 & Mrs. Bena Ann Spina

Mr. Richard Young Roberts ’73 & Mrs. Peggy Frew Roberts ’74

Mr. Reggie Allen Spivey ’87 & Mrs. Sherri L. Spivey

Mr. Jeffery Ryan Robinett ’01 & Mrs. Ashley Nunn Robinett ’01

Mr. Michael George Spoor ’89 & Mrs. Kimberly Berry Spoor ’89

Mrs. Jimmie A. Robinson & Mr. Ray Albert Robinson ’55*

Mr. Joseph W. Stanfield Jr. ’67 & Mrs. Nancy Whiteside Payne Stanfield ’64

Mr. Kenneth William Robuck ’81 & Mrs. Cathy Monroe Robuck ’81

Mr. Eugene Grant Steele ’80 & Mrs. Jacqueline Guthrie Steele ’78

Mr. A.J. Ronyak & Mrs. Patricia Ronyak

Mr. James Joseph Stevenson Jr. ’71 & Mrs. Janet Stevenson

Mrs. Karen Harris Rowell ’79 & Mr. William W. Rowell ’78*

Mr. James H. Stewart Jr. ’60 & Mrs. Zula Stewart*

Mr. William J. Rowell ’69 & Mrs. Gloria Rowell

Mr. John Monro Stickney ’64

Mr. Kenneth B. Roy Jr. ’50 & Mrs. Nan Christian Roy ’53*

Mr. Jeffrey Ira Stone ’79 & Dr. Linda J. Stone ’79

Mrs. Margaret Roy & Mr. James S. Roy ’57*

Dr. Joseph Story & Mrs. Susan Nolen Story ’81

Ms. Charlotte Howell Rutherford ’77

Mrs. Charles L. Strickland & Mr. Charles L. Strickland ’68*

Mr. Matthew Ryan & Mrs. Linda Patterson Ryan ’82

Mrs. Jane Platt Stringfellow & Mr. Charles C. Stringfellow ’50*

Mr. Joseph A. Saiia ’69 & Mrs. Mary Graves Saiia ’69

Mr. Thomas D. Stringfellow ’65 & Mrs. Marianne M. Stringfellow ’65

Mr. William A. Samuel ’75

Mr. Jon Stryker

Ms. Regenia Rena Sanders ’95

Ms. Pat Stryker

Mr. Sid Sanders ’62

Mr. John William Sublett Jr. ’79

Mr. Charles Philip Saunders ’74

Mr. David Carriell Sulkis ’79 & Mrs. Kathleen C. Sulkis ’79

Mr. Thomas Al Saunders Sr. ’62 & Mrs. Beth Saunders

Mrs. Lacy Sweeney & Mr. Robert J. Sweeney Jr. ’48*

Mr. C. David Scarborough ’65 & Mrs. Murriel W. Scarborough ’65

Dr. Thomas Fletcher Talbot ’52 & Mrs. Donna Klinner Talbot ’57*

Mrs. Margaret N. Schaeffner ’46 & Mr. Wilbur C. Schaeffner*

Mr. George Harold Talley II ’91 & Mrs. Lisa Hooper Talley

Mr. Gary Lee Schatz ’78 & Mrs. Susan Nelson Schatz ’79

Mr. Robertson Winn Taylor ’85 & Mrs. Joyce Taylor

Dr. Richard T. Scott Jr. & Mrs. Blair M. Scott

Dr. Sherry Pittman Taylor

Mr. Donald Reuben Searcy ’84 & Mrs. Alice Johnson Searcy ’85

Mr. Jordon W. Tench ’10 & Mrs. Meghan O’Dwyer Tench ’08

Mr. L. Dupuy Sears

Dr. Mrinal Thakur

Mr. Tim Self & Mrs. Lori Lynne Self ’90

Mr. Jerry Franklin Thomas ’63 & Mrs. Elizabeth R. Thomas

Ms. Carol Richelle Sellers ’01

Mr. K-Rob Thomas ’01 & Mrs. Marcia Leatha Thomas ’01

Mrs. LaNeil Sellers & Mr. Thomas B. Sellers ’48*

Dr. Jason Bryon Thompson ’93 & Mrs. Tamara Owen Thompson ’97

Mr. Thomas D. Senkbeil ’71 & Mrs. Karen Senkbeil

Mr. Stephen F. Thornton ’63

Mrs. Rita Gillen Sewell & Mr. George M. Sewell ’59*

Mrs. Joy L. Tomasso ’51 & Mr. Angelo Tomasso Jr. ’49*

Mr. E. Todd Sharley Jr. ’65 & Mrs. Tempie Bagwell Sharley ’63

Mrs. Patricia Colley Topazi ’73 & Mr. Anthony Joseph Topazi ’73*

Mr. Charles Allen Shaw ’86 & Mrs. Kimberly Popham Shaw

Ms. Karen Louise Trapane ’82

Dr. Mark Dewey Shelley II ’93 & Mrs. Elizabeth V. Shelley

Mr. Thomas Lanier Traylor ’10 & Mrs. Emily Wood Traylor ’10

Dr. Charles Herbert Shivers ’75 & Mrs. Alisa Walker Shivers ’75

Mr. Daniel Andrew Traynor ’78 & Mrs. Mical A. Traynor ’80

Mr. William Dean Shultz ’95 & Mrs. Joy R. Shultz

Mr. Darryl Keith Trousdale ’87 & Mrs. Susan D. Trousdale ’92

Mr. John M. Sikes ’60 & Mrs. Sandra Sikes

Mr. Bolton W. Tucker ’08 & Mrs. Lindsay Ille Tucker ’09

Dr. R. E. Simpson ’58 & Mrs. Peggy Fanning Simpson

Mr. Terry Lee Tucker ’98 & Mrs. Christy Collins Tucker ’97

Mrs. Margaret Sizemore

Mrs. Dede D. Tuggle ’60 & Dr. Michael Larry Tuggle Sr. ’57*

Ms. Janine M. Slick

Mrs. Laura Crowe Turley ’87

Mr. Barrett B. Smith ’68

Mr. Dwight J. Turner ’79

Mr. Brett Keith Smith ’86 & Mrs. Lisa Hunter Smith ’89

Mr. William J. Turner Jr. ’57 & Mrs. Jane Turner ’57

Mr. David Floyde Smith ’84 & Mrs. Doris Irwin Smith ’83

Mr. John W. Turrentine ’69 & Mrs. Jane Hall Turrentine ’68 ’69

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64

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CUPOLA REPORT Mr. George Egbert Uthlaut ’54 & Mrs. Dorothy S. Uthlaut ’54*

Mr. Erich Jarvis Weishaupt ’97

Mr. Jeffrey Norman Vahle ’85 & Mrs. Harriet Woodbery Vahle ’84

Mr. Robert W. Wellbaum III ’93 & Mrs. Christine J. Wellbaum ’93

Mr. Mark David Vanstrum ’79

Mr. James Wade Wesson ’73

Mr. Michael J. Varagona ’78 & Mrs. Janet W. Varagona ’78

Mr. Gary L. West ’74 & Mrs. Kathy Ashcraft West ’76

Mr. Gary William Vaughan ’01 & Mrs. Summer E. Vaughan ’01

Mrs. Nell S. Wetzel & Mr. Leroy L. Wetzel ’59*

Dr. Robert L. Vecellio & Mrs. Pauline Vecellio*

Mr. Stuart Warren Whatley Jr. ’84 & Mrs. Catherine C. Whatley ’85

Mr. John Edward Vick ’62 & Mrs. Faye Vick

Mr. William H. Whitaker Jr. ’55 & Mrs. Margaret R. Whitaker ’56

Mr. William Carl Voight III ’87 & Mrs. Sandra Ryan Voight

Mr. David Oliver Whitman ’82 & Mrs. Susan F. Whitman

Mr. Walter Karl Vollberg ’73

Mr. Dwight L. Wiggins Jr. ’62

Col James S. Voss ’72 & Dr. Suzan Curry Voss ’71

Mr. Garris David Wilcox ’95 & Mrs. Kimberly Wilcox

Mr. Ira C. Waddey Jr. ’65 & Mrs. Ann M. Waddey

Lt. Col. Ralph C. Wilkinson ’57

Mr. James D. Wadsworth ’72 & Mrs. Deborah Wadsworth

Mr. Richard D. Williams III ’51 & Mrs. Mary V. Samford Williams*

Mr. Casey Haynes Waid ’96 & Mrs. Shannon Haynes Waid ’94

Mrs. Sue Williams & Mr. Edward F. Williams III ’56*

Mr. Joe W. Waid Jr. ’70 & Mrs. Ann Haynes Waid ’85

Mr. Trent Edward Williams ’03

Mrs. Myrna McGuire Walker & Dr. William Fred Walker*

Mr. George Edmond Williamson II ’67 & Mrs. Carol F. Williamson

Mr. John Thomas Walter Jr. ’55 & Mrs. Jean Hall Walter ’57

Mr. Clyde E. Wills Jr. ’68 & Mrs. Sue H. Wills

Ms. Stephanie Marie Wang

Mr. Brock McLaren Wilson ’09 & Mrs. Laura Ann Wilson ’09

Mr. William J. Ward ’55 & Mrs. Rubilyn Wells Ward

Mr. Donald G. Wilson ’58 & Mrs. Dorothy T. Wilson

Mr. William E. Warnock Jr. ’74 & Mrs. Rebecca C. Warnock

Mr. Walter Stanley Woltosz ’69 & Mrs. Virginia Woltosz

Mr. Conner Warren ’67 & Mrs. Dorothy Warren ’69

Mr. William B. M. Womack ’75

Mr. J. Ernest Warren ’65

Mr. Norman E. Wood ’72 & Mrs. Victoria Barney Wood

Mr. Robert Morgan Waters ’71 & Mrs. Linda Barnes Waters ’70

Mr. Terrell Higdon Yon III ’83

Mr. John Holman Watson ’60 & Mrs. Gail Pearson Watson

Mr. Duane Dale York ’76 & Mrs. Happy Smith York ’78

Mr. Joseph D. Weatherford ’71 & Mrs. Kathy Weatherford

Dr. Gretchen Michele Yost ’87

Dr. Glenn D. Weathers ’65 & Mrs. Katherine Weathers

ANNUAL FUNDS Many Auburn Engineering donors choose to make annual gifts each year in support of students, faculty and ongoing college operations.

These funds take the shape of scholarships, fellowships, departmental support and Funds for Excellence. Unlike endowments, these funds are given each year and are not maintained by principal or earnings. We would like to recognize those new annual funds from 2020.

100+ Women Strong Achievement Annual Scholarship

Department of Chemical Engineering Annual Scholarship

100+ Women Strong Creed Annual Scholarship

Richard H. Sforzini Annual Fellowship

Alton L. Colvin Annual Scholarship

Terracon Annual Graduate Award/Fellowship

Carl Monroe Annual Scholarship

ENDOWED FUNDS Endowments are gifts that provide Auburn Engineering perpetual income and are essential for the long-term security and growth of the college. The Auburn University Foundation invests the principal of the endowed fund and the allocated income is used to support programs and initiatives designated by the donor. The following were established in 2020: Arthur J. Duncan III Endowed Scholarship

Harry and Mary Deffebach Endowed Scholarship

Brad and Sonya Christopher Endowed Scholarship

James A. Humphrey Endowed Scholarship

Brett and Lisa Smith Endowed Scholarship

James and Martha Mallett Endowed Fund for Excellence

Casey Robinson Endowed Scholarship

Janice Duke James Soaring Eagle Diversity Endowed Scholarship

Chapman Family Endowed Scholarship

Jeremy Woods Endowed Scholarship

Charles D. McCrary Endowed Fund for Excellence

John McCracken Endowed Scholarship

Clifford and EllenJane Henry and Tench Family Endowed Scholarship

Joseph Evans Downey Sr. Endowed Scholarship

Cory and Natali Evans Endowed Scholarship

Kenneth W. and Cathy M. Robuck Endowed Scholarship

Douglas R. Craig Endowed Scholarship

Killough Family Endowed Scholarship

Eugene and Rachel Robinson Endowed Scholarship

Lula Pearl Collins Endowed Scholarship

George E. and Dorothy S. Uthlaut Endowed Fund for Excellence

Malone Family Endowed Scholarship

George Robert Dunlap Jr. Endowed Scholarship

Margaret “Missy” Graves Warren Endowed Scholarship

Gerald G. and Barbara S. McGlamery Endowed Professorship

MartinFederal Endowed Scholarship

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65

CUPOLA REPORT Michael and Kelly Keyser Endowed Scholarship

Terry and Patricia Lawler Endowed Graduate Award

Palmer and Davis Heilbron Endowed Scholarship

Tom and Judy Hendrick Endowed Fund for Excellence

Paul and Diane Hutchinson Endowed Scholarship

Walt and Ginger Woltosz Endowed Fund for Excellence in Engineering

Self Family Endowed Scholarship

Walt and Ginger Woltosz Endowed Fund for Excellence SAE Team

Sheriff Herbie Johnson Endowed Scholarship

Wing and Margaret Chin Family Endowed Fund for Excellence

Stats Hogeland Endowed Scholarship

Wing and Margaret Chin Family Endowed Scholarship

Stephen L. Smith Family Endowed Scholarship

PLANNED GIFTS Planned gifts are pledged today to benefit the college in the future. These gifts include bequests, life income plans, charitable gift annuities, IRA distributions and gifts of life insurance. Planned gifts enable donors to manage their investments while leaving a lasting legacy for Auburn Engineering. The following donors established planned gifts in 2020: Mr. Joseph F. Barth III ’71 & Mrs. Gail Barth

Dr. Samia I. Spencer

Ms. Rose-Gaelle Belinga ’09

Mr. Daniel Andrew Traynor ’78 & Mrs. Mical A. Traynor ’80

Mr. Charles Douglas McCrary ’73 & Mrs. Phyllis McCrary

Mr. Ira C. Waddey Jr. ’65 & Mrs. Ann M. Waddey

We have made every attempt to accurately reflect donor information.

If you notice a discrepancy, please contact Rachel SoloRio in the Office of Engineering Development at 334-844-2736 or rachelsolorio@auburn.edu.

For a listing of donors who gave prior to 2019, please see previous spring issues of the Cupola Report at eng.auburn.edu/magazine.

THE AUTHORITY ON TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH

Auburn engineers are driven to solving tomorrow’s transportation challenges today. From studying the future of driverless vehicles to evaluating asphalt performance on one of the world’s only high-speed, full-scale accelerated pavement test tracks, the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute paves the way toward innovation and discovery in Alabama and beyond.

eng.auburn.edu/autri 67

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