MADE at AU connects prospective female engineers with college's many programs

Prospective women in engineering were able to come together and learn how Auburn is Making A Difference in Engineering at Auburn University on Friday, Oct. 20. MADE@AU is an event hosted annually by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering aimed at providing female students the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff and alumni, learn about student services and take a tour of Auburn’s facilities.

MADE is open to juniors and seniors in high school who are in the college search process and interested in learning about Auburn’s engineering program. The event was hosted in collaboration with 100+ Women Strong alumni, several of whom attended.

“MADE is always one of our favorite event days of the year. What it means for our college and for the entire engineering field is immeasurable,” said Andrew McGill, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Administrator of Recruitment.

Students and families were treated to presentations in the Brown-Kopel Center followed by a browse session of the various majors offered in the college, a tour of the engineering departments, and lunch with keynote speaker Melanie Bruggeman (‘13 civil engineering).

Bruggeman currently leads Croy Engineering’s municipal utilities group and has worked in the metro-Atlanta area for more than 10 years as a manager and engineer designing water and sewer lines, treatment plants, models, and pump stations.

“We love making connections with future engineers and building relationships with their families,” McGill said. “MADE is unique because our guests have the opportunity to engage with not only current students and faculty, but also some of our most distinguished alumni. It makes a big difference in their experience to be able to see people that have walked these halls and been in these classrooms just a few years before them.”

With a goal of promoting and encouraging support for women in engineering, seeing prospective students return and choose Auburn is always exciting for McGill and the Office of Recruitment, Outreach and Scholarship.

“This year we had a handful of our current students that worked the event, some of whom attended MADE as prospective students years ago. Seeing them return is what it’s all about,” McGill said.