Be the Creed

Be the Creed BE THE CREED /// STUDENT I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

BY CASSIE MONTGOMERY

Listen to our podcast with Vinita Shinde at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

VINITA SHINDE

Doctoral Candidate Chemical Engineering

Vinita Shinde knew she wanted to be a researcher from an early age. She had even narrowed down her field of study by the time she was 12, thanks to the example set by her father.

“My dad completed his education in chemistry, so I have had a growing interest in that area from childhood,” Shinde said. “I wasn’t exactly sure what my research area would be, but I knew I wanted to do something with chemicals and their applications.”

While completing her undergraduate degree at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, she devoted her summer holiday breaks to logging time in the research laboratory and interning with different companies to build her research profile. After earning her degree, to follow her passion for chemical engineering research, she worked as a research scientist in the petrochemical industry in India for two years before turning her sights to graduate school.

The doctoral candidate in chemical engineering chose Auburn because of the vast opportunities for multidisciplinary research within the Department of Chemical Engineering. And in the five years she’s been on the Plains, she’s made a name for herself in the area of 3D printing of self-healing polymer research, advised by Bryan Beckingham.

She will join Eastman Chemical as a polymer research scientist after graduation.

“Engineered materials develop damages in the system at a certain stage of their life. Using self-healing polymers, we’re trying to build a system where damages in the 3D-printed polymeric materials will be healed automatically, without external human intervention to extend the service life and reliability of polymer materials used in the various industries,” Shinde said.

I believe in the human touch,

which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and

mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

BY JOE M C ADORY

VRISHANK RAGHAV

Assistant Professor Aerospace Engineering

The CAREER Award is the NSF’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacherscholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Vrishank Raghav, assistant professor, is the first Department of Aerospace Engineering faculty member to receive the award while at Auburn.

“I am pleasantly surprised and humbled,” said Raghav. “This award would not have been possible without the support system provided by the department, college and university.”

Raghav’s CAREER Award will provide support for his integrated research and educational activities on “Fluid-Structure Interactions in Pulsatile Flow.” Raghav will learn how pulsating blood flow impacts heart valve leaflets, and ultimately demonstrate how this accelerates wear and tear on the replacement devices.

“Our hope is to enable the design of robust leaflets that won’t flutter and reduce the chance of failure in the long-term,” Raghav said. “At the end of the day, this is about saving and improving the quality of lives.”

For Raghav, research and education work symbiotically to not only develop new technologies to improve lives and medical practice, but also educate students and train future researchers to expand on these ideas.

“All faculty are engaged in research to help society in some way,” Raghav said. “When we educate and train students, we want them to be next-generation problem solvers who will continue addressing such societal challenges by applying their critical thinking skills.”

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

TAMMY WALKER

Senior Manager Human Resources

On the first day of Tammy Walker’s first job when she was 16 years old, something happened that sticks with her to this day.

“I walked in and the manager looked at me and said, ‘You’ve got one hand? You can’t have this job. You have to leave.’ I was stunned,” said Walker, who was born without the bottom half of her right arm from her elbow.

“I had never had someone tell me that I couldn’t do a job because of my arm,” she added.

Walker, who serves as the college’s human resources senior manager, spends her time ensuring that same experience never happens to employees at Auburn University. “My father never treated me any differently. If there was something I wanted to do, he never asked how I was going to do it, he just told me to go do it,” Walker said.

“I think that’s why I’ve been successful because I see everyone equally and fairly. I want to be treated equally and fairly. Everyone should be given a chance to perform without judging prematurely,” she added.

It’s that mindset that has allowed Walker to help the College of Engineering build a deep talent pool of faculty and staff, and create a culture where everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected and engaged.

“I love the College of Engineering. I love working with managers to strategically plan their needs, strengthen their department, develop their talent and make a positive difference in employees’ lives,” Walker said. “HR is a resource to the college and that’s my job, to be a resource and contribute a value to each and every unit.”

I believe in honesty and truthfulness,

without which I cannot win the respect

and confidence of my fellow men.

BY AUSTIN PHILLIPS

Listen to our podcast with Brad Christopher at eng.auburn.edu/ginning

BRAD CHRISTOPHER ’91 & ’93

Civil Engineering President, LBYD Engineers

Brad Christopher knows what it’s like to have to work your way up.

He knows what it’s like for people to support you and help you along the way.

That’s why the president of LBYD Engineers gives back his time, talent and treasure to Auburn Engineering in hopes of building up students as alumni once did for him.

As a transfer student without any real allegiances to any instate school, Christopher matriculated to Auburn from Auburn University at Montgomery and quickly found he had made the right choice. With a solid foundation from AUM, Christopher earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in civil engineering in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and then began his career at LBYD.

At Auburn, Christopher had been the beneficiary of a scholarship from alumnus Mike McCartney, and at LBYD he was being mentored by another alumnus, Dale York. It was seeing how those men cared for Auburn and cared for Auburn people that stuck with Christopher the most.

“Thinking back about what they did for me, it meant a lot to me,” Christopher said. “I love Auburn, and I just want to give back.”

And just as McCartney and York played leading roles with the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, Christopher too is now in a leading role, taking over as chair of the council through 2024.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” he said. “This highly accomplished group represents the best of the best of what Auburn engineers bring to the American workforce, and I am honored and humbled to serve in this role.”