Embodying The Mission: Teaching
Auburn engineering faculty remember their roots while shaping the next generation of engineers
By Olivia Ballard and Jeremy Henderson
For Molly Hughes, civil and environmental senior lecturer emerita, teaching at Auburn has been more than a career — it’s been a defining and transformative journey.
Having grown up in Auburn and devoted more than 22 years to teaching, Hughes credits the university for her professional and personal growth and the opportunity that changed her life.
"I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to be a lecturer at Auburn. Auburn has shaped me deeply, both as a professor and as a person,” Hughes said. “The close-knit community, unwavering support and encouragement from professors, colleagues and administrators have been extraordinary. “Auburn embodies the meaning of family, and that foundation inspires me to grow and strive for improvement every day.”
That same spirit of growth and mentorship continues in the basement of Wiggins Hall, where Jordan Roberts, mechanical engineering senior lecturer, carries on the legacy of one of his former professors.
The name B.J. Stephens may not mean much to most, but in the Design and Manufacturing Lab, or DML, it carries weight. Stephens’ influence helped shape Roberts’ path and how he teaches today.
“B.J. — he wouldn’t let us call him Dr. Stephens — was a professor of mine while I was an undergrad at UAB,” Roberts said. “His influence on me was profound. He showed me the impact of genuinely caring about the students you teach. I don’t think I’m as smart as he was, but I’ve done my best to care as much as he did since day one.”
Roberts came to Auburn in 2004 for postgraduate work, teaching measurements while earning his master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering.