Spring semester has come to a close — the projects are done, tests taken and degrees awarded.

Beyond the classroom our faculty are working hard to put Auburn on the map. A case in point is our NSF Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Environment Electronics (CAVE) which just received a third round of NSF support through 2015, a testament to the quality of work that the center is doing. CAVE is one of only five NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers in the nation based at a single university, and the only one working in the area of extreme environment electronics.

Auburn students are also stepping it up. Each year our Business-Engineering-Technology Program sends a team of students to Chicago to compete in the Illinois Institute of Technology Business Plan Competition. This year's team took first place, wowing the group with the thoroughness of their plan and presentations for an advanced liquid purifying system, designed to purify drinking water in remote locations and developing countries.

I encourage you to check out the e-news below to learn more about what's happening at Auburn Engineering both in and out of the classroom.

Larry Benefield
Dean of Engineering

Feature Story

New Auburn Research Center in Huntsville to Advance Homeland Security and Space Exploration

Auburn University is launching a research center in Huntsville that will partner with federal agencies and industry to advance national and homeland security, as well as space exploration.

The new center, opening July 1, will match Auburn scientists in defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, biotechnology and information technology with government agencies and industry in north Alabama seeking expertise in those areas.

Rodney Robertson

Rodney Robertson, director of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's technical center since 2005, will lead the Auburn operation. Robertson has worked in federal science and engineering leadership positions for almost 30 years, more than 21 of them in the Huntsville area.

"We're excited to plant the Auburn University flag in Huntsville," said Auburn president Jay Gogue. "The connection between Auburn and Huntsville has always been strong. The new center brings us even closer together and puts Auburn researchers in a better position to team with north Alabama leaders to strengthen the nation's defense and space missions and help spur economic growth in the state."

Gogue said that Auburn selected Robertson because of his track record in securing federal research and development funds and managing complex projects.

"Rodney has a well-earned reputation for success," Gogue said. "Under his leadership, we expect to develop new technologies and quickly turn them into the end products most needed by government and industry."

Credit: Philip Winburn

The Auburn center will seek to tap into the more than $5.8 billion in research funds that flow each year into the 52 government offices at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal. Auburn will pursue research opportunities with the Space and Missile Defense Command, Missile Defense Agency, Missile and Space Intelligence Center, NASA and other federal agencies, according to John Mason, Auburn vice president for research.

"We will start on day one reaching out to federal agencies and the industries that support them," said Mason. "Products and services integrated across several technologies are a growing requirement in the aerospace and defense community. We will leverage the wide range of expertise and resources across campus to demonstrate that Auburn is a reliable partner in meeting those objectives."

Robertson earned an Auburn bachelor's degree in engineering and received a master's and doctorate in engineering from the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

Source: Wire Eagle

Student Stories

Chemical Engineering Student Receives Goldwater Scholarship for 2010

David Marshall Harris, a junior in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering majoring in chemical engineering at Auburn, has been chosen as a 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. The scholarship, awarded to only about 300 students nationwide, is widely considered the most prestigious award in the United States for undergraduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Read more >>

Faculty Stories

Byrne Receives Auburn's First Award for Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Mark Byrne

Mark Byrne, an associate professor in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, has received the 2010 inaugural Provost's Award for Faculty Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship at Auburn. Read more >>

Academic Stories

AU Exploring International Campus Opportunity

Someday Auburn University may have a campus half a world away. The AU board of trustees approved developing a proposal for a campus, possibly in Danyang, China, at its last meeting. As part of its initial research, AU will look at the permitting process for the Chinese Ministry for Education, possible Chinese university partners and host communities. Read more >>

More acdemic stories >>

Research Stories

Understanding a Hidden Danger

The disposal of radioactive waste has been a sensitive issue since the 1940s. A myriad of industrial support activities have resulted in extensive metal and radionuclide contamination at a large number of Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Read more >>

Outreach Stories

Robo Camp and the Computer Literacy Academy

Daniela Marghitu, faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, is the director of two successful K12 Engineering Outreach camps, Robo Camp and the Computer Literacy Academy. Robo Camp was developed in 2007 to reinforce computer literacy to children ages 10-18, while introducing advanced concepts and hands-on applications of computer programming and robotics (http://pca.eng.auburn.edu/index.aspx/CMS/robocamp). The Computer Literacy Academy, launched in 2008, has helped more than 200 typical and special need children learn about computers and the Internet since 2005 (http://pca.eng.auburn.edu/index.aspx/CMS/compcamp). Read more >>

More outreach stories >>

Alumni Stories

Auburn Engineer Credits Murphy Prep

Mobile's Murphy High recently honored Auburn engineering alumnus Buddy Davis for his lifetime record of engineering achievement and his commitment to his high school alma mater, where he graduated in 1950. At the April event were, from left, head football coach Ron Lee, principal William Scott, Davis and wife Charlotte. Davis, namesake for College of Engineering's Davis Hall, credits Murphy for preparing him for matriculation into what was then API, and now is Auburn. Murphy continues today as an important source of incoming freshmen.

Seminars

Seminars

Spring is always a busy time for departmental seminars and this year was no exception. The college also hosted a number of speakers as part of our Ginn and MRI lecture series. Read more >>