New lecturer brings industry experience and entrepreneurial vision to Auburn ISE
Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has hired Adam Ficken as a lecturer, bringing with him years of industry experience and a deep connection to the university as a four-time graduate.
Ficken earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering in 2003, followed by dual master’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering and business administration in 2011. This past summer, he completed his doctorate in industrial and systems engineering.
Over the course of his career, Ficken worked for companies including Mercedes-Benz and Baxter International, as well as with government contractors at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. It was there, while interacting with engineers as an 18-year-old, that he discovered his passion for industrial engineering.
“I knew I wanted to be an engineer, but not what type,” Ficken said. “A lot of the NASA engineers sat at their desk full-time. The engineers that moved around the company and had a variety of jobs were the industrial engineers. I knew that was for me.”
His academic journey was influenced by a moment with his grandmother in 2010, shortly after she received a terminal diagnosis.
“When I walked into her farmhouse, her first words to me were, ‘Why, hello Dr. Ficken,’” he recalled. “At the time, I thought she was having a senior moment as I was only a master’s student. Later that evening, she looked me in the eye and said, ‘I know, but you will be Dr. Ficken someday.’ Her words became transformational in my life.”
After reconnecting with faculty in 2021, Ficken returned to Auburn as a full-time doctoral student, contributing to programs through the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management (TWC), focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. He helped launch Auburn Makersfest in 2023, an event designed to showcase student creativity and encourage entrepreneurial thinking.
“The idea is to encourage and stimulate innovation and growth at a student level by allowing them to display things they have created,” he said. “Our hope is that there’s something strong enough they could actually build a business from and create their own destiny.”
Ficken’s doctoral research examined how Auburn could strengthen its innovation ecosystem by studying institutions with proven records of advancing technology in the form of patents, spin-out companies and entrepreneurship.
“Great research is being done at Auburn, but we haven’t had the strongest track record of commercializing that research and delivering maximum value from it,” he said. “I hope to
be a key person in Auburn’s innovation advancement. I would love for Auburn to be a focal point of innovation in the Southeastern United States.”
This fall, Ficken is becoming more involved in the department by teaching courses in innovation, product development, senior design and Lean Manufacturing, as well as collaborating with Auburn’s Harbert College of Business.
John Evans, director of TWC, said Ficken’s blend of student and industry experience strengthens the center and the department.
“Adam has significant experience and a real passion for product innovation,” Evans said. “He is detail-oriented, a team player, and will be a great asset for TWC.”
Ficken said completing his doctorate was both a professional milestone and a deeply personal achievement.
“At age 45, I walked across the graduation stage to receive my Ph.D. In my breast pocket, I carried my grandmother’s picture,” Ficken said. “It was my way of honoring the woman who encouraged me many times, long after she was gone.”
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Over the course of his career, Ficken worked for companies including Mercedes-Benz and Baxter International, as well as with government contractors at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
