Computer science and software engineering graduate student awarded veteran fellowship award
Published: Oct 22, 2025 2:00 PM
By Olivia Ballard
Keanna Tennyson, a graduate student in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE), has been awarded the Auburn Student Veteran General Annual Fellowship (SVGAF) award. She is the first CSSE graduate student to receive this award.
The SVGAF is an annual fellowship awarded to outstanding student veterans. Through the application process, Tennyson shared her military background in the Air Force Reserves, dedication to her work as a full-time graduate student and her passion for research at the Gavin Engineering Research Lab.
“Receiving this fellowship is an honor as it allows me to continue pursuing research in transportation and safety for the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI),” Tennyson said. “The award is not just financial support but encouragement to keep pushing forward with work I truly care about.”
Tennyson’s research at AUTRI focuses on creating software tools to improve transportation safety.
“I work on a team to develop a dashboard that combines traffic and crash data to analyze speeding and safety risks across Alabama,” she said.
Tennyson grew up an Auburn fan and credits the university for shaping her personally and academically.
“Auburn and its professors have taught me so much, and my classes have challenged me to think deeper and sharpen my technical skills,” Tennyson said. “The resources that Auburn provides have led me to opportunities like this award.”
Ernest Tufuor, assistant research professor with AUTRI and Tennyson’s advisor, praised her for her work ethic and commitment to her research.
“Keanna is an incredibly disciplined and dedicated graduate student, she stands out as one of the top students I have mentored in my career,” Tufuor said. “I believe her Air Force training has profoundly shaped her strong work ethic, and it was no surprise to see her recognized with the SVGAF.”
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Graduate student and Air Force veteran Keanna Tennyson conducts research in transportation safety at Auburn University’s Transportation Research Institute.
