ISE welcomes new faculty member to expand systems engineering focus
Published: Aug 27, 2025 11:00 AM
By Carla Nelson
Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has welcomed Casey Eaton as a new assistant professor, strengthening the department’s growing emphasis on systems engineering.
Originally from Huntsville, Eaton earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2019, followed by a master’s degree in 2020 and a doctoral degree in 2025.
“I figured out I wanted to go into engineering because I really enjoyed math,” Eaton said. “When I was picking what type of engineering, I really liked the idea of integrating an entire system and not necessarily focusing on the individual parts.”
Eaton first discovered her interest in academia while in college.
“I got into undergraduate research my senior year and decided that I really liked that,” she said. “After a year of undergraduate research for NASA, the university gave me an offer to stay on for my master’s and then Ph.D. as well.”
Her doctoral research blended technical and sociotechnical perspectives in systems engineering, focusing on how systems are measured and how those measurements shape the final system design.
“I like to think of my research as blending the technical aspect with the sociotechnical aspect of systems engineering,” Eaton said. “Measurements of a system and how that set ends up directing a design is very technical. The other part of my research is looking at how we end up selecting those measures and how to transform them into what people want from a system.”
Eaton said Auburn stood out because of the opportunities for systems engineering in Alabama and the department’s balanced approach to both industrial and systems engineering.
“Whether it’s the space industry, Department of Defense or manufacturing, I think there's a lot of great opportunities for systems engineering in Alabama,” she said. “I was also excited that Auburn is developing more of their system side of the program. I think this will be really exciting as a new professor to be able to help build systems engineering research and courses in the department.”
This fall, Eaton is teaching Introduction to Systems Engineering and plans to incorporate guest lecturers into the course. She also intends to involve Auburn students in the Alabama Space Grant Consortium, where she was previously a fellowship recipient.
In addition, she hopes to strengthen Auburn’s participation in the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), a national network of universities advancing systems engineering research. Auburn is currently a member of SERC.
“Casey is a great fit for the industrial and systems engineering department,” said Greg Harris, department chair. “She brings energy and expertise to our fast-growing systems engineering program. Her experience researching and working in the Huntsville market will allow us to provide support and resources to our DOD, NASA and defense and space contractors to solve the big, complex problems they face. I am excited for the future of our systems engineering program at Auburn University with her addition to our faculty.”
Media Contact: , carla@auburn.edu, 3347400221
Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has welcomed Casey Eaton as a new assistant professor.
