Outstanding Faculty Winners

Fred H. Pumphrey Teaching Award

The Fred H. Pumphrey Teaching Award is funded by an endowment established by Fred Pumphrey, dean of the College of Engineering from 1958 to 1968. This endowment is administered by the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, a group established by Pumphrey to support the college.

Steve Duke - Chemical

An associate professor of chemical engineering, Steve Duke has spent the past ten years as a part of the Auburn family. Since completing his doctoral work at the University of Illinois, Duke has written numerous papers and publications. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, and the Auburn Pulp and Paper Research and Education Center. Most recently, Duke and Mark Byrne combined their efforts and received a National Science Foundation grant to bring a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program to the Auburn University campus. Learn more.

Departmental Outstanding Faculty

Each year, students in our departments select an outstanding faculty member. The talent and dedication of these faculty underpin the mission of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the university itself - that of instruction, research and extension.

Brian Thurow - Aerospace Engineering

Brian Thurow has been a member of the Auburn faculty since January 2005. He received is bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University and has authored numerous papers and proceedings. His research interests include laser diagnostics, experimental fluid mechanics, high-repetition rate imaging, volumetric flow measurements, turbulence, aero-optics and supersonic/compressible flow. In 2006, his efforts helped earn his lab a University Research Instrumentation Program grant from the Department of Defense, allowing for the purchase of a high-speed camera to help researchers develop new aerodynamic measurement techniques. Learn more.

 

Timothy McDonald   - Biosystems Engineering

Before coming to Auburn in 2002, Timothy McDonald spent 18 years working with the USDA as part of its Forest Operations Research Unit, Roman L. Hruska Meat Animal Research Center, and Soil Erosion Research Laboratory. McDonald's research interests include the engineering aspects of forest operations, particularly harvesting and site preparation activities. Learn more.

Steve Duke - Chemical Engineering

An associate professor of chemical engineering, Steve Duke has been a part of the Auburn family for the past ten years. Since completing his doctoral work at the University of Illinois, Duke has written numerous papers and publications. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry and the Auburn Pulp and Paper Research and Education Center. Most recently, Duke and Mark Byrne, combined their efforts and received a National Science Foundation grant to bring a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program to the Auburn University campus. Learn more.

Prabhakar Clement - Civil Engineering

Prabhakar Clement is an associate professor with the Department of Civil Engineering.  Clement has published over 37 peer-reviewed journal articles, four book chapters and more than 26 conference papers in the area of environmental engineering, and he has managed research grants worth over three million dollars. His research interests include analysis of flow and reactive transport in groundwater systems, laboratory-scale visualization of porous media flow, numerical methods, bioremediation design and optimization and modeling of environmental erosion processes. Learn more.

Saad Biaz - Computer Science and Software Engineering

Saad Biaz has been a part of the Auburn faculty since 2001. He received his doctorate in electrical engineering from the Université Henri Poincaré, in Nancy, France, as well as a doctorate in computer science from Texas A & M University. His research interests include wireless networking, mobile computing, distributed systems and computer architecture. Learn more.

Stu Wentworth - Electrical and Computer Engineering

After receiving his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Texas, Stu Wentworth came to Auburn in 1990 to be part of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests include microwave circuit and interconnect modeling, high frequency packaging and measurements, acoustic wave sensors and radio frequency identification tags. He has received numerous awards while at Auburn, including the Birdsong Merit Teaching Award in 1999, the Pumphrey Outstanding Teaching Award in 1995, and three electrical engineering faculty awards in 1993, 1995 and 1998. Learn more.

 

Jorge Valenzuela - Industrial and Systems Engineering

Jorge Valenzuela received his doctorate in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include stochastic modeling and optimization, both in theory and application. His recent research involves stochastic models for the evaluation of production costs and optimization of electric power generation. He teaches courses on engineering economy, stochastic operations research and information technology. Valenzuela is member of INFORMS, IIE and IEEE. Learn more.

 

Jeffrey Fergus - Materials Engineering

Jeffrey Fergus received his doctorate in materials engineering and science from the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include high-temperature and solid-state chemistry of materials, as well as chemical sensors and chemical compatibility and stability in high-temperature materials. Fergus is an associate professor in the materials engineering curriculum. Learn more.

Sushil Bhavnani - Mechanical Engineering

Sushil Bhavnani is the alumni professor for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He has been at Auburn for 28 years and is currently the faculty advisor for the Sol of Auburn - solar electric vehicle team. His research interests include microelectronics cooling, heat transfer enhancement, lost foam casting, gas turbines, solar energy, refrigeration, non-newtonian fluid mechanics, multiphase heat transfer and spacecraft leak detection. Learn more.

Gisela Buschle-Diller - Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Gisela Buschle-Diller received her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Stuttgart, Germany in 1989. She has contributed to numerous papers, publications and conference proceedings. Her current research interests include electrospinning of biopolymers, preparatory finishes, modification of pulp with enzymes, application of enzymes in textile finishing of cellulosic fibers and wool, application of engineered enzyme systems, textile wastewater purification, recycling and reuse of textile chemicals, and fiber surface chemistry. Learn more.

Research Awards for Excellence

Excellence in research brings funding and recognition to the college and helps ensure that the information presented in the classroom remains on the cutting-edge and relevant in the real world. In recognition of the importance of research, the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council annually presents a group of awards to our faculty.

Junior Level

Mario Eden, Chemical Engineering

Mario Eden is an assistant professor of chemical engineering. His research interests include computer aided process engineering, process integration and optimization, process and product design, sustainable and environmentally benign technologies, and optimization of integrated biorefineries and logistical fuel processing systems. In 2006, Eden was awarded a National Science Foundation Career award for his proposal, "Targeted Approaches for Integrated Process and Product Design." Learn more.

Anton Schindler, Civil Engineering

Anton Schindler is the Gottlieb Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. He has written numerous papers and conference proceedings and was awarded the 2006 Wason Medal for Concrete Materials Research by the American Concrete Institute. His research interests include concrete production, testing and properties; early-age behavior of concrete structures; analysis and design of concrete structures; pavement design and construction; and self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Learn more.

Senior Level

Bruce Tatarchuk, Chemical Engineering

Bruce Tatarchuk is the director of the Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing Center and the Ginn Distinguished Professor for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He has been at Auburn for the past 24 years, since earning his doctorate in chemical engineering for the University of Wisconsin. He has received numerous awards during his university tenure and is a member of several professional societies, including the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Vacuum Society and the Materials Research Society. Learn more.

Prabhakar Clement, Civil Engineering

Prabhakar Clement is an associate professor with the Department of Civil Engineering.  Clement has published over 37 peer-reviewed journal articles, four book chapters and more than 26 conference papers in the area of environmental engineering, and he has managed research grants worth over three million dollars. His research interests include analysis of flow and reactive transport in groundwater systems, laboratory-scale visualization of porous media flow, numerical methods, bioremediation design and optimization and modeling of environmental erosion processes. Learn more.

William F. Walker Teaching Awards

The William F. Walker Teaching Awards, formerly known as the Birdsong teaching awards, were founded at the same time that the Birdsong Study Abroad program was established. In 2001, the founders requested that the awards be renamed in honor of Walker for his leadership in engineering education. 

This year we had two winners in the superior category. Superior winners received a check for $10,000.

Mark E. Byrne, Chemical Engineering

Mark Byrne is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. After receiving his doctorate in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 2003, Byrne came to Auburn, where his research interests include polymeric materials and dynamics; therapeutic and diagnostic biomedical devices; biomimetic and biohybrid materials; recognitive networks and sensors; bionanotechnology; and drug delivery. He is a member of numerous professional societies and recently was recognized, along with fellow faculty member Steve Duke, for his work in bringing a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates site to Auburn's campus. Learn more.

 

Jorge Valenzuela, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Jorge Valenzuela received his doctorate in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include stochastic modeling and optimization, both in theory and application. His recent research involves stochastic models for the evaluation of production costs and optimization of electric power generation. He teaches courses on engineering economy, stochastic operations research and information technology. Valenzuela is member of INFORMS, IIE and IEEE. Learn more.

Outstanding Alumni Winners

This year's outstanding alumni award winners have given much of themselves to the College of Engineering and to Auburn University. Their support of our programs, our faculty and our students enables us to reach for excellence. Each in their own way personifies excellence in their career and in their community.

Klaus Dannenburg - Aerospace Engineering

Klaus Dannenberg earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn University. Dannenberg's 35-year career mirrors the evolution of the aerospace industry in the second half of the 20th century and includes positions in technical program management and business management for major corporations and small businesses. He is currently the chief communication officer for the American Institute of Aeronautics, having responsibility for all of the institute's external affairs. He is an expert in the application of information technology to complex aerospace and defense problems.

Brahm Verma - Biosystems Engineering

Brahm Verma, a 1968 graduate, is a professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Georgia.  A fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, he is one of the national leaders who, in the 1980s, helped to define the new discipline of biological engineering.  Verma is a founding member of UGA's faculty of engineering, the coordinator of engineering research and the winner of numerous awards for research and leadership.

Karen Rowell - Chemical Engineering

Karen Rowell, a 1979 graduate of Auburn University, is director of Tennessee Operations Support Services for Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport. Since joining Eastman in 1979 she has moved steadily up the corporate ladder, holding various development and quality assurance assignments in manufacturing, as well as personnel and internal change agent positions. She is currently responsible for HSE compliance and improvement for the Kingsport site.  She is active in a wide variety of professional and civic organizations including the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council.

D. Dale York - Civil Engineering

Dale York earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn and is senior professional and president of LBYD, Inc.  As a registered professional engineer in Alabama and fourteen other states, he has worked on more than 500 projects throughout the U.S.  Since 1989 he has served on the Civil Engineering Industry Liaison Council for Auburn University's Department of Civil Engineering and as a member of the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council.   

Thomas R. Stanton - Computer Science and Software Engineering

Thomas Stanton earned his bachelor's degree in computer engineering in 1989. Stanton began his engineering career at Americom Corporation in Atlanta, before joining E.F. Johnson Company, where he held a number of senior management positions. He later joined Transcrypt International as the vice president for marketing and engineering. Today, he serves as CEO of Huntsville's ADTRAN, one of the world's most successful telecommunications companies. In 2006, he was named person of the year by Service Provider Weekly.

Jim Hoskins - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Jim Hoskins, a cum laude graduate of the class of 1981, completed a distinguished career with the U.S. Air Force before joining Scitor Corporation in 1994, where he is currently president, CEO and chairman of the board.  His government and military experience includes key assignments at the Airforce Cryptologic Depot, the National Security Agency and the CIA.  His leadership and vision have contributed substantially to the success of Scitor's government and defense business, with revenues growing from $16 million to $300 million during his tenure.

Douglas B. Tombor - Industrial and Systems Engineering

Douglas Tambor, a member of the class of 1977, has been with Johnson & Johnson since 1987 - taking on assignments in the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico and Malaysia.  In 1997, he joined the company's Worldwide Safety and Industrial Hygiene Leadership Team which oversaw a 64 percent reduction in serious workplace injuries and illness in less than seven years.  In 2005 he was asked to lead the deployment of the company's Global Workplace policy on HIV and AIDS with the goal of improving the quality and duration of the lives of hundreds of thousands of employees and family members around the world.

Phil Zettler - Mechanical Engineering

Phil Zettler, a 1961 graduate in mechanical engineering and founder of Vulcan Engineering, grew the small firm to an international powerhouse that today is one of the largest in-house foundry engineering, manufacturing and installation groups in North America.  A leader in the lost-foam casting process, the company has constructed casting facilities for Saturn, General Motors, BMW and other car manufacturers.  Zettler recently took on a new challenge with the purchase of the Stillwater golf course and clubhouse on Lake Martin. He is an active member of the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council.  

T. Gregory Mullins - Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Gregory Mullins is a 1968 graduate of Auburn's textile management program.  During his long career with Avondale/Shaw Industries, Mullins rose quickly through the ranks, taking on a series of positions of increasing responsibility. He currently manages Shaw's predyed carpet manufacturing, air entangling and needle bond operations, as well as its woven and tufted rug operations.  He is active in both professional and civic affairs and is past president and board member of the Alabama Textile Education Foundation.