Auburn grad named 'rising star' by Civil + Structural Engineering magazine

Wheeler Crook, ’05 civil engineering, has been named a 2020 “rising star” by Civil + Structural Engineering magazine.

Crook is a divisional vice president for Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. (GMC), one of the largest architecture and engineering firms in the southeast, where he has worked for 15 years designing and managing engineering and construction of large-scale infrastructure projects.

“It was no surprise to hear that Wheeler received this honor,” said Robert Barnes, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “Wheeler is precisely the type of Auburn engineer that the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering strives to develop.”

Crook has earned multiple awards for his work in the civil engineering industry, including the 2012 American Water Works Association Young Professional of the Year Award for the Alabama-Mississippi Region and the 2012 GMC Inaugural Leadership Academy Award. He has been published in The Military Engineer and has presented at several regional and national conferences.

Crook said he is honored by the magazine’s recognition.

“This distinction is not a reflection of my achievements alone,” he said, “but a testament to the amazing people who have surrounded me in educational institutions, Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, and my community.”