Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Welcome to Samuel Ginn College of Engineering's E-Newsletter
Calendar of Events
- Dec. 8-9: South's BEST
- Feb. 23: E-Day
We're well into the fall semester and the news is good:
- The College advanced five points in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of public universities that offer doctoral programs in engineering
- Ross Hall renovations are complete and the new facilities are nothing short of spectacular
- Research awards are continuing their steady march upward; so are patent disclosures
- Undergraduate enrollment is climbing
- Phase I of the new Shelby Center is well underway
- Our new Wireless engineering undergraduate degree program is now the only accredited program in the nation
However, we still have some challenges ahead. At the top of this list is the need to raise $15 million for the final phase of the college's capital improvement plan - the foundation on which the future of this college rests.
The positive impacts from the renovations of Wilmore Labs and Ross Hall, and the construction of Phase I of the Shelby Center are already apparent. I want to thank all of you who supported these projects.
I also invite you to partner with us to ensure that the final component of this plan advances on schedule. The flexible research and instructional space in Phase II of the Shelby Center is essential to the enhancement of our research and graduate programs, as well as our undergraduate student project programs. This growth is an absolute must if we are to remain competitive and relevant.
There are a lot of worthy causes out there. But as an engineer, I know you understand the importance of engineering to the future of this nation and its citizens. Please consider a gift to our capital fund today.
Larry Benefield
Engineering Advances in U.S. News Rankings
Auburn's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has been ranked 35th among public universities that offer doctoral programs in engineering by U.S. News & World Report. The college ranked 60th overall.
"Moving ahead in these rankings is central to our strategic planning as we position the college to compete for the best students to learn in an environment that joins a world-class faculty with state-of-the-art facilities that are now coming on line with the construction of the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology," says Larry Benefield, dean of the Ginn College of Engineering.
"I appreciate the support we have received from the university, our alumni and industrial partners. Our faculty has in particular made the kind of effort needed to bring us to the next level through a renewed focus on our outreach and research while maintaining our core competencies in undergraduate instruction. This is made more remarkable in the face of intense competition from other engineering programs throughout the nation."
Last year, the college ranked 67th among all engineering programs and 40th among such programs at public universities. Read full story
Auburn ISE Students Win Material Handling Student Design Competition
A team from the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering recently won first place at the 2005-2006 Material Handling Student Design Competition, sponsored by the College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) and Modern Materials Handling magazine. This was the first time an Auburn team entered the competition. Read full story
Chang Named Chair of Computer Science and Software Engineering
Kai Chang has been named chair of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, according to Larry Benefield, dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Chang succeeds James Cross, who will remain in the department. Read full story
Fergus Wins NSF Grant for Clean Fuel Cell Research
Jeffrey Fergus, associate professor in materials engineering, recently received an individual investigator grant from the division of materials research for the National Science Foundation. His project, 'The Effect of Hydrogen and Water on the Oxidation of Chromia-Forming Alloys,' investigates metallic interconnect materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), such as those used in power plants and auxiliary power units. This is a three year grant totaling approximately $225,000. Read full story
Five Alabama Schools Advance to Regional Robotics Competition
The Student Activities Center at Auburn University was packed as mascots, pep bands and costumed supporters cheered 18 teams from across the state competing, at the 2006 Alabama BEST robotics competition, to see which could design the best robot to help with one of life's more mundane tasks - doing the laundry. Read full story
Seminars
This fall has been jam packed with seminars, some given by AU faculty others by visiting lecturers. Here's a sampling:
Nanotechnology: Managing Potential Risks in a Climate of Uncertainty
Kristen M. Kulinowski, faculty fellow, Department of Chemistry, Rice University and director for external affairs, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
Apple's No. 2 Has Low Profile, High Impact
When Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs lured little-known Timothy D. Cook to the company in early 1998, Cook was charged with straightening out the messy operations of a fallen Silicon Valley icon.
Now, more than eight years later, Apple is resurgent and Cook is the company's chief operating officer and second in command. But he is still little known to the public -- a stark contrast to Jobs, an executive so familiar that he's lampooned on "Saturday Night Live." While Jobs is widely credited with restoring pizzazz to Apple's product line, Cook is the low-key operator making sure the company runs smoothly behind the scenes. Read full story
Engineering E-News is a service of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. This newsletter is distributed to alumni and friends throughout the year. To read archived copies visit:
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/admin/marketing/engineering.html
To learn more about the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, visit our Web site at: www.eng.auburn.edu
QUESTIONS about Engineering E-News may be directed to Michael Stone, Webmaster for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, at webmaster@eng.auburn.edu
- Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
- Auburn University, AL 36849
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- Email: webmaster@eng.auburn.edu
