The Verma Graduate Student Leadership Workshop was established in 2023 by Dr. Brahm P. and Sudha Verma. Dr. Verma holds a doctorate in agricultural engineering from Auburn University. The mission for the Workshop is to cultivate inspiring leaders, and it envisions graduating “A world of leaders inspiring supportive and innovative communities”.
About the Workshop
The Workshop is organized annually during summer (usually in July/August) by the Department of Biosystems Engineering and is open to all Auburn University PhD students. The goals of the one and a half-day Workshop are to
• provide hands-on learning experience on how to develop personal leadership skills and become a goal-oriented inspirational leader,
• learn and practice the qualities and skills of servant, visionary and transformational leaders, and
• prepare graduates to lead especially when experiencing professional and personal challenges.
Application and Selection Process
Graduate students at Auburn University enrolled in a Ph.D. program in any discipline are invited to apply by responding to “Call of Application” announced in March of each year. A limited number of students are selected on a competitive basis. A review committee appointed by the Head of Biosystems Engineering Department selects students based on their academic performance, career objectives, and demonstrated interest in developing leadership talents.
Opportunities for Support
We are seeking partners to expand the workshop to all PhD students and also enhance the content and delivery of the workshop. The various levels of support and sponsorship are below.
Sponsorship of annual workshop - $1,500
Sponsorship of external speaker - $3,000+
Contribution to endowment - $5,000+
Your partnership with us will benefit all parties involved as we enhance the workshop opportunities we can provide our students.
2026 Cohort: Fifteen PhD students from Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Engineering, Forestry and Science & Mathematics (Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences, Entomology & Plant Pathology, Poultry Science, Information Systems, Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Forestry, Chemistry
2025 Cohort: Twelve PhD students from nine disciplines in Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Science & Mathematics (Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Fisheries, Horticulture, Aerospace Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry)
2024 Cohort: Fifteen PhD students from nine disciplines in Agriculture and Engineering (Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences, Fisheries, Aerospace Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science & Software Engineering, and Industrial & Systems Engineering)
2023 Cohort: Six PhD students from Biosystems Engineering