We hope you enjoy our inaugural issue of the Cupola Engineering Ambassadors' newsletter. Our goal is to inform Cupola alumni about the impact the organization continues to make, even after its 14 years of existence. Not only do we want to show Cupola's progress, but we also want to inform you of ways to become more involved. We will be updating the Cupola Web site to allow more interaction between alumni and current Cupola students. We want to create opportunities that allow Cupola students easy access to alumni. Also, if you have a question about Auburn or the engineering program, we want to be easily accessible to you.

We are planning another fun and exciting event — a Cupola alumni tailgate for the upcoming football season to meet and interact with the people that made being a Cupola what it is today. Below is an article with more details about the tailgate. You will also find an article about our new member retreat and an introduction to our 2009 Cupola executive officers, as well as read how we've expanded Cupola's membership. We hope you enjoy the newsletter and many more to come. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at warnkal@auburn.edu. War Eagle!

Adam Warnke
Cupola Director of Alumni Relations

Cupola Engineering Ambassadors - What's in a name?

By Emily McMenamin

Since its inception, this organization has been known as the Cupola Engineering Society. During this past academic year, members began to challenge this name with regard to Cupola's purpose. The mission of Cupola, "to promote, unify and serve the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering," is still very much the driving factor of all organizational activities. The current membership has added to this purpose a goal to increase the presence and visibility of this organization on Auburn's campus. To a non-engineering student, the name Cupola Engineering Society does not mean much; it does not emphasize what the organization does. Cupola voted in February to formally change the organization's name to Cupola Engineering Ambassadors, effective with the start of the 2009-2010 academic year. We feel this new name will better describe Cupola's purpose and mission, as well as better identify the organization as the college's student recruitment and ambassadorial group.

Spring Student Appreciation Day sees record numbers

By Beau Helton

Cupola Engineering Ambassadors hosted Student Appreciation Day on Wednesday, April 8. Cupola members grilled hotdogs and gave away chips and drinks at the event to attract students interested in learning more about our organization. Each year, Cupola members hold several Student Appreciation Days and give away treats, such as hot dogs and candy canes, or helpful items, such as scantrons. This spring, Cupola handed out 776 hotdogs, 500 bags of chips and 600 drinks. The organization sent out a mass e-mail advertising the event to all engineering students and promoting Cupola. Natalie McCormick, Cupola's director of current students, says, "Student Appreciation Day fosters a sense of community among engineering students while giving them a break between classes."  We continue to receive positive feedback and hear that many students appreciate Cupola's generosity and enjoy talking with members about the group's purpose within the college.

Introducing 2009 Cupola executive officers

By Caitlin Gilliland

We would like to introduce you to the Cupola executive officers for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Emily McMenamin
Executive Chair
mcmenea@auburn.edu

Emily is a senior in chemical engineering. She chose to study engineering as a result of her interest in biomedical engineering. She hopes to attend medical school and will join the Navy after graduation. She was the 2008 president of her social sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and has also been named battalion commander for Auburn's Naval ROTC program. She is from San Antonio, Texas, and attended Canyon High School.

Adam Warnke
Director of Alumni Relations
warnkal@auburn.edu

Adam is a senior in chemical engineering. He is from Cullman, Ala., and graduated from Cullman High School in 2005. "I came to Auburn football games my whole life, so when it came time to go to college, I came to Auburn because it felt like my second home." Adam co-oped in Jackson, Ala., from 2007-2008 at Boise Inc. After graduation, he hopes to begin working in the Southeast in the energy industry. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) and volunteers with Science Olympiad at Wrights Mill Elementary School in Auburn.

Zach Lamb
Director of High School Relations
lambzac@auburn.edu

Zach is a senior dual-majoring in mechanical and materials engineering. He is from Decatur, Ala., and attended Austin High School. He is currently the lead mechanical engineer for Auburn University's Student Projects and Research Committee (SPaRC) and the president of Tau Beta Pi. He co-oped in Huntsville from 2006-2007 with Intuitive Research Technology Corporation. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and later begin a career in the robotics/control systems industry.

Jaki Fleming
Director of Selections
flemijr@auburn.edu

Jaki is a senior studying chemical engineering. She is from Foley, Ala., and attended Foley High School, where she was valedictorian. Today, she is involved with Alpha Chi Omega social sorority, the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) and was a member of Phi Eta Sigma freshman honor society. She also volunteers with Science Olympiad at Wrights Mill Road Elementary School in Auburn. Jaki is a recipient of the Buddy Redd Family Foundation Foley High School Achievement Scholarship, a chemical engineering departmental scholarship and the Vulcan Engineering scholarship. After graduation, she hopes to one day start her own microbrewery.

Jessye Gessner
Director of Membership
gessnje@auburn.edu

Jessye is a senior in aerospace engineering from Huntsville, Ala. Since attending space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in fifth grade, Jessye has wanted to be an aerospace engineer. For the past three summers, she has interned with the U.S. Army Department of Defense at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. After graduation, she hopes to work for NASA.

Brandon Johnson
Director of Finance
johnbrr@auburn.edu

Brandon is a junior in civil engineering and plans to specialize in structural design. He is from Harpersville, Ala., and attended Vincent High School. He became interested in civil engineering after becoming intrigued by his uncle's job as a practicing structural engineer. As an Auburn freshman, he received the Blount Presidential Scholarship. Upon graduation, he hopes to work in the Southeast to be near the beach.

Natalie McCormick

Natalie McCormick
Director of Current Students
mccorng@auburn.edu

Natalie is a senior studying civil engineering from Maitland, Fla., where she attended Trinity Preparatory School. She chose civil engineering with the ambition of setting up portable water systems and water treatment facilities for underdeveloped countries. Natalie is actively involved in the Auburn Theatre Department, having performed in productions such as "dAUnce V," "dAUnce VII" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She is currently serving as the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) student chapter president and has been active on the concrete canoe team. She also earned first place in the professional paper competition at the ASCE Southeastern Regional Conference held this past spring. She is a recipient of the Melissa Brown Herkt Endowed Scholarship.

Cupola Web site to undergo redesign

By Sonya Swayzer

As the 2009-2010 academic year approaches, one of Cupola's first objectives is to select a webmaster who can provide the organization's Web site with a new design and updated photos. The long-term goal is to establish an online presence for Cupola alumni to keep in touch and interact. The updated Web site will provide the opportunity for Cupola alumni to register, show where they are located and with whom they have been employed, as well as provide contact information. Establishing a way for Cupola alumni to contact current members via e-mail will allow alumni to ask questions about Cupola and current members to ask alumni questions regarding career advice and recommendations. The current Cupola Web site features history, contacts for Cupola alumni, photos of current ambassadors and information about recent activities. Until the new Web site is complete, students and alumni should continue to visit the current site regarding Cupola membership. 

Save the date for fall Cupola alumni tailgate

By Austin Smith

Since Cupola's inception in 1995, many of our alumni have gone on to careers all across the world. As a result, it can be a challenge to bring everyone together to reminisce about their experiences at Auburn. This year, we are planning to make that possible with the first Cupola alumni tailgate. This event will be a great opportunity for alums to catch up with former classmates, as well as an occasion for current members to meet former members.

The tailgate will be held Saturday, Oct.17, prior to the Auburn-Kentucky football game. For $5 per person, we will enjoy a catered lunch before heading to watch our Tigers fight for another win. Invitations will be sent out, so keep an eye out for this great opportunity. We hope that everyone will be able to make it back to Auburn for the first of many Cupola alumni events.

Why I joined Cupola

David Massey

"I joined Cupola because I wanted to become more involved at Auburn University. This will be my senior year, and I felt that it would be a good way for me to give back to Auburn. The university has given me the opportunity to succeed. Auburn is a great school and has one of the best engineering programs in the country."

"Being a part of Cupola, I have the ability to make a positive impact on prospective students and the college. Being a new member of the Cupola Engineering Ambassadors, I have the honor of serving and leading my peers inside and outside of the classroom. I am glad that Cupola chose me, and I will do my best to promote, unify and serve the College of Engineering."

Cupola expands membership, office hours

By Caroline Clark

This past year was an exciting one for the Cupola Engineering Ambassadors. The executive committee saw an opportunity to expand Cupola's service to the College of Engineering, Auburn University's campus and the Auburn-Opelika community. With this new vision established, Cupola took the necessary steps to ensure as many of these opportunities as possible, starting with the new member selections process. With the addition of five office hours scheduled in the noon block each day, we were able to increase our membership by 20 percent. This allows Cupola to meet the needs of Engineering Student Services, whose office offers opportunities, such as tours to prospective students, while also allowing Cupola the membership capacity to make a greater impact on campus and better represent the College of Engineering.

Update on Cupola retreat 2009

By Andrew Zapatka

The annual Cupola retreat was recently held at Camp ASCCA and included activities for both new and returning members. The day began with a dance competition that served as an ice breaker. From there, we continued to meet and greet in smaller groups to get acquainted and play games. We later sat down and talked about the responsibilities of the group and what to look forward to in the upcoming year.

Following those activities, we discussed facts and figures a Cupola should know about the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Beau Helton, captain of the Formula SAE automotive team, discussed involvement with student engineering teams, such as Baja SAE, hovercraft, steel bridge and concrete canoe.

Another ice breaker followed, with a Cupola-style version of Jeopardy. We ate dinner and had some free time to shoot hoops and relax. Ed Lewis, an Auburn engineering alumnus and a consultant with the dean's office, spoke on his experiences in industry and his current work with the college. The retreat concluded with initiation for new members and s'mores by the campfire.