Dean's Welcome

Welcome to the second edition of Auburn Engineering's e-newsletter. We began this service two months ago as a way to keep alumni, friends, peers and parents informed of the many happenings in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. We plan to send it to you - and post it to our Web site - every two months. Our hard copy newsletter will continue to be mailed twice yearly, and we will continue to print an annual edition of our donor magazine, The Cupola Report.

It's been a busy summer, with construction projects throughout the engineering precinct making it difficult to move from building to building - and I have to say that it's harder than it looks. The renovation of Ross Hall, at the core of the engineering district (and of campus) is moving along slightly ahead of schedule, with completion anticipated during summer 2006. In addition to stripping and renovating the core of this historic building, an additional 10,000 square feet are being added to the rear of the building over three floor sections. To watch our progress, check out our high-resolution Ross Hall webcam at the link on our home page.

Demolition of the Drake Student Health Center is complete and construction will soon begin on the first phase of the two-phase, $108 million Transportation Technology Center at Auburn University. This phase will house the departments of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Computer Science and Software Engineering, along with a number of general purpose classrooms and administrative areas, such as the offices of the dean, Student Services and the Bellsouth Minority Engineering Program. Follow the progress of this project on our TTC webcam accessible from our home page.

Following our busy summer comes a fall semester that will be one of our busiest on record. For the first time in memory, the Auburn Tigers will kick off the football season with five straight home games beginning with Georgia Tech on Sept. 3. We will be sponsoring a tailgate for EAGLE Circle/Keystone Society members from 4-7 p.m. on the Aerospace Engineering Building patio. On Friday, Sept. 9, alumni who are in town for the Mississippi State game are invited to Broun 238 to hear Jeffrey Immelt, GE's chairman and CEO, kick off the college's distinguished lecture series.

Homecoming weekend is scheduled for Sept. 24 with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Western Kentucky. The Cupola Engineering Society - our student ambassadors - will sponsor the college's annual alumni barbecue from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the Aerospace patio. There is a good deal of construction going on in the area, but the patio can be accessed from the stairs between Aerospace and the shared classroom building, as well as from a walkway that runs from the sidewalk at the back of Samford Hall. Cupola students will be looking for and guiding alums to the tailgate area. Use the link below for up-to-date information regarding the barbecue. In addition to projection television with SportsCenter programming, there will be many other activities for fans and friends, including children's activities, hands-on exhibits by our departments, and War Eagle Motorsports teams.

Our goal is to keep alumni connected to the many events, opportunities and programs that make Auburn and Auburn Engineering unique - and a force in the lives of our graduates. We hope that your plans include a visit to campus - and our homecoming barbecue would be just the place to start!