Apple CEO, Auburn alumnus elected to National Academy of Engineering
Published: Feb 11, 2026 1:20 PM
By Dustin Duncan
One of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s most recognizable alumni has earned one of engineering’s highest honors.
Tim Cook, ’82 industrial engineering and Apple CEO, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) as part of its Class of 2026, the NAE announced Feb. 10.
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions awarded to engineers. Academy membership honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education. Members are also recognized for pioneering new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering or developing and implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
Cook was elected for advancing technological innovation, environmental sustainability and transformative leadership in the supply chain of consumer electronics, according to a news release from the NAE.
“Tim Cook’s election to the National Academy of Engineering is a proud moment for Auburn University and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering,” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “His contributions to innovation, sustainability and supply chain transformation demonstrate the global reach of engineering — and the kind of leadership Auburn engineers are capable of.”
A distinguished alumnus of Auburn University, Cook has remained deeply connected to the university throughout his career. He received the Auburn Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the International Quality of Life Award’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Auburn’s College of Human Sciences in 2013. Cook was also named as Outstanding Industrial and Systems Engineering Alumnus in 2000 and Distinguished Auburn Engineer in 2001. For his professional achievements, he was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2009.
Cook is the founding chair of the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Alumni Council and has supported the department through the Endowed Fund for Excellence, the Tim Cook Leadership Scholarship and the Tim Cook Endowed Professorship.
Cook graduated from Auburn with a degree in industrial engineering in 1982 after participating in the university’s cooperative education program. He later earned a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar.
After graduate school, Cook built a career in operations and supply chain leadership, including roles at IBM, Intelligent Electronics and Compaq Computer Corp.
He joined Apple in 1998 at the invitation of co-founder Steve Jobs, where he helped guide worldwide operations and played a central role in strengthening Apple’s global supply chain. Cook became Apple’s chief executive officer in 2011 and has led the company through a period of continued growth and innovation. Under his leadership, Apple became the world’s first trillion-dollar public company in 2018.
In addition to his leadership at Apple, Cook serves on Nike’s board of directors.
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Tim Cook, Apple CEO and a 1982 Auburn University industrial engineering graduate, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering as part of its Class of 2026.
