'A fantastic day' in Huntsville: Engineering showcase brings hundreds to Space and Rocket Center

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering successfully completed its mission Tuesday at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

More than 150 graduate students and faculty from all departments traveled to the Rocket City for the Graduate Engineering Research Showcase, presenting their posters in Davidson Center for Space Exploration to members of the Huntsville community and Auburn Engineering alumni.

“This was a fantastic day for the College of Engineering,” said Maria Auad, Auburn Engineering associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development. “We had more than 275 alumni and Huntsville industry representatives visit the showcase to see our students’ exciting research and build relationships with Auburn and each other.”

Additionally, Auburn Engineering Online and Continuing Education hosted a Graduate Programs Lunch and Learn to provide information and answer questions about the college’s 15 master’s programs (14 fully online) and 16 online graduate certificate programs for prospective students.

The event also provided an opportunity to initiate the educational partnership between Auburn Engineering and Leidos, parent company of Huntsville-based information technology company Dynetics, Inc. Following the showcase, a ceremonial signing took place in the Davidson Center with Christopher B. Roberts, engineering dean and Auburn University president-elect, and representatives from Leidos and Auburn Engineering.

Between activities, some faculty and alumni visited the university’s recently purchased 40,000 square foot research facility in Cummings Research Park, which is intended to facilitate Auburn’s collaboration with the defense, aerospace and law enforcement agencies in the Redstone Arsenal.

The day concluded with a reception featuring Roberts and keynote speaker Jeffery Langhout, director of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center at Redstone Arsenal.

“We are here today because of this amazing engineering ecosystem that exists in Huntsville, which Auburn Engineering wishes to be an even bigger part of,” Roberts said. “Huntsville serves as a wonderful example of what engineering ingenuity and technical developments can do to improve our society.”