Research Awards for Excellence (Junior Faculty)

About

These prestigious awards recognize excellence in engineering research at Auburn University are presented primarily to faculty in the various departments in the College of Engineering (including research track.) These awards are also open to faculty in departments within the university as a whole who participate in engineering research. The emphasis is on quality engineering research performed at Auburn University, rather than at institutions where faculty have previously served.

Eligibility

The program includes a senior faculty award for faculty at the associate and full professor level, and a junior award at the assistant professor level. Assistant professors moving through the promotion process will be considered for the junior category. Two awards are given annually, with $5,000 stipends. 

Criteria

Nominations are submitted at the department level. The nomination package should include a cover form, a one-page letter of nomination summarizing the contributions of the faculty member to engineering research and supporting information with a four-page maximum.

  • Research grants and contracts received while at Auburn (25 points)
  • Representative research-related publications and presentations (with total numbers), textbooks and patents  while at Auburn (25 points)
  • Student support including graduate and undergraduate research supervision while at Auburn (20 points)
  • Involvement in professional societies, external reviews, and university committee membership  while at Auburn (20 points)
  • Research awards received as well as any additional research activities while at Auburn (10 points) 

Letters of support are not required. The package should not exceed six pages in length (cover form, summary, four pages of supporting information). One nomination for each award category will be accepted from each department. Packets will be reviewed by the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Research Committee with recommendations forwarded to the dean of engineering.

Nomination deadline

Faculty members, students and alumni involved in engineering research may submit a nomination. Recipients from the previous three years are not eligible. Recipients will be recognized at the College of Engineering spring awards ceremony. 

Nomination deadline is 3/1 every year.

If you have any questions about the online nomination process, please contact Heather Conner at connehd@auburn.edu.

Previous recipients

  • 2023: Masoud Mahjouri-Samani, Panagiotis Mistriotis
  • 2022: Bryan Beckingham, Masatoshi Hirabayashi
  • 2021: Lauren Beckingham, Sa'd Hamasha
  • 2020: Pengyu Chen, Vrishank Raghav
  • 2019: Yi Wang
  • 2018: David Blersch, Mark Schall
  • 2017: Mark Adams
  • 2016: Jeffrey LaMondia
  • 2015: Allan David
  • 2014: Elizabeth Lipke
  • 2013: Michael Hamilton
  • 2012: Wei-Shinn Ku, Ahjeong Son
  • 2011: Shiwen Mao
  • 2010: Xiao Qin
  • 2009: Virginia Davis, Brian Thurow
  • 2008: Mark Byrne, Dong-Joo Kim
  • 2007: Willie Harper, Z.Y. Cheng
  • 2006: Mario Eden, Anton Schindler
  • 2005: Y.Y. Lee, Hari Narayanan
  • 2004: Dongye Zhao, Jorge Valenzuela, David Bevly
  • 2003: Juan Gilbert
  • 2002: Mark Barnett