Meet the Dean
Christopher B. Roberts, Uthlaut professor of chemical engineering, was named dean of the college effective July 1, 2012. He began his career at Auburn in 1994 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and became department chair in 2003. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri and a master's degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Roberts has a strong record of scholarly and academic achievement in nanotechnology and synthetic fuels, and has published more than 110 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in leading chemical engineering, chemistry, materials and related journals. He has been the principal investigator or significant co-principal investigator on more than $16 million in extramurally funded research contracts and grants at Auburn University from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Energy Technology Lab, industrial sponsors, and others.
He has been honored with the Auburn Alumni Engineering Faculty Research Award, Walker Merit Teaching Award, Outstanding Professor Award and Auburn Alumni Council Junior Faculty Research Award, among others.
"I am extremely pleased and humbled to serve as the new dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering," said Roberts. "As a college, we are poised to make tremendous research and education contributions to the economic competitiveness and quality of life in our state and nation.”
Roberts succeeds Larry Benefield, who retired after 33 years at Auburn and who has served as dean of the college since 1998.
