2025 in review: Top Auburn Engineering stories of the year

It was another great year for Auburn Engineering in 2025. The college named a new department chair, sent engineers to Guatemala to help deliver clean running water, broke ground on a new research station, lit up Jordan-Hare Stadium during halftime of a football game and received the largest gift in school history, paving the way for 10 students to have the best student-centered engineering experience in America.

5. Graduate School dean named as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering

George Flowers, longtime Auburn mechanical engineering professor and dean of the Graduate School since 2008, has been named chair of Auburn University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. An Auburn alum with advanced degrees from Georgia Tech, Flowers returned to the Plains in 1990 and became a full professor in 2002.

His research focuses on dynamics, vibration and control, especially in electronics packaging and electrical contacts. A fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, he has held multiple leadership roles in ASME and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has received IEEE’s 2024 Ragnar Holm Scientific Achievement Award. As dean of the graduate school, he helped shape graduate education university-wide.

4. Auburn Engineers Without Borders student chapter changing lives in Central America

Auburn University’s Engineers Without Borders student chapter completed a major clean-water project this past May in Guatemala, installing more than 6,000 feet of pipeline to bring running water to over 1,000 villagers in remote mountain communities.

Students designed and built reservoirs, pressure tanks and distribution lines, transforming plans on paper into real infrastructure. Participants said seeing water flow through the system and the gratitude of local residents brought the impact of their work into sharp focus. The experience gave students hands-on engineering practice while improving daily life for families.

3. Auburn Engineering breaks ground on Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station

Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering broke ground in July on the new Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station in Orange Beach, marking a major step in coastal research and collaboration.

The 21,000-square-foot, two-story facility will feature laboratories, offices, meeting spaces and outdoor gathering areas with direct Gulf Coast access. Designed to support research on water quality, habitat conservation and coastal community resilience, the station will foster partnerships with regional institutions and engage the public through outreach and education.

2. Engineers power Auburn University Marching Band’s upcoming video game-themed halftime light show

Auburn University engineers powered the Marching Band’s video game–themed halftime light show at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11. The performance, titled “Game On,” features synchronized LED technology across 343 band members, designed and operated by Auburn Engineering students and alumni.

The show includes iconic video game imagery like Mario Brothers and music from EA Sports’ “College Football 26,” blending engineering innovation with musical performance. The LED system, first introduced in 2017, gained national attention with a Metallica-themed show in 2023 and has since evolved into a signature night game experience.

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering received a historic $30 million commitment from its namesake, Samuel Ginn, and the Ginn Family Foundation to establish the Ginn Scholars Program, the largest scholarship gift in school history.

 The merit-based program will award up to 40 full-ride scholarships annually, covering tuition, fees, room and board for qualifying engineering students from Title I high schools in Alabama who demonstrate financial need, leadership and Auburn Creed values. In addition to financial support, Ginn Scholars will receive dedicated study spaces, transitional assistance and personal development resources, fostering academic success and community.