Student Spotlight - Mary Robbins
Name: Mary Robbins
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Year: Doctoral student
Major: Civil Engineering
Previous degrees: Bachelor's and master's in civil engineering
Mary Robbins first became interested in civil engineering after an expo at her high school showcasing about different engineering disciplines. The project that interested her the most dealt with research on foundations for earthquake prone regions. "It just seemed so practical to me, which made it interesting," says Mary.
While completing her bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the University of Toledo in Ohio, she learned about pavement research through a friend who was completing a co-op. Intrigued, she applied to the Undergraduate Summer Internship in Transportation at the University of Texas where she was exposed to a wide variety of projects, including a number that dealt with asphalt pavement. "I found the topic fascinating and decided to pursue a master's degree. Auburn was a natural choice since it is home to the National Center for Asphalt Technology."
She was impressed with the facilities which include a 1.7-mile test track and the possibilities she would have to research. "The opportunities with NCAT are endless," she says. "I knew that I would never be bored, and that I would have the opportunity to experience the whole spectrum in pavement research."
Her academic advisor, David Timm, also played a role in persuading her to attend Auburn. "I found right off the bat that he is really easy to work with, and that he has an excellent understanding of this field," says Mary.
Mary takes pride in Auburn Engineering's commitment to research and education that improve the lives of students and communities. "It is neat to know that the things being studied here are not just furthering student education but are also benefiting private firms and government entities, such as the Federal Highway Administration and NASA," she says.
