ISE student honored with leadership award

Gunnar Smith, a junior in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), was recently honored with the Jeff and Linda Stone Leadership Award. The award recognizes Auburn engineering students who exhibit outstanding leadership in areas beyond engineering.

Maury Gaston, Smith’s mentor and a past chairman of the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, nominated Smith for the award. He said leadership comes naturally to Smith.

“He does the right thing, and he does it with skill, professionalism, character, kindness and grace,” Gaston said. “He leads with integrity and by example. He’s an inspiration for all those who know him, including me.”

After his first visit to the Plains, the Dothan, Alabama, native decided that Auburn was the right place for him.

“That visit introduced me to the Auburn Creed, which advocates for hard work, integrity and compassion for others,” Smith said. “These were the same values that my parents had worked to instill in me from a young age, and I was sold.”

Smith chose to study ISE because it offered him a challenging curriculum and broad application.

“It allowed me to prove myself in several critical areas such as time management, reliability and work ethic while also offering a wide range of career paths,” he said, adding that he thrives in the welcoming environment. “I think the supportive culture and genuineness that we have with each other in ISE is unique, and it will prove to be beneficial in all our professional lives.”

Outside of ISE, Smith has served as a College of Engineering senator and a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, where he served as scholarship chair. Additionally, he is working towards a minor in finance and is a member of Auburn’s Financial Management Association (FMA) and an analyst in the Auburn Student Investment Fund (ASIF).

Smith has completed internships with Hollis & Spann, a general contractor in Dothan, and Radiance Technologies, a government contractor in Huntsville. This summer, he will work as an investment banking summer analyst for Deloitte Corporate Finance in Dallas, Texas. He hopes to earn a full-time offer from Deloitte to start in investment banking following graduation and eventually pursue a career in private equity while potentially earning a Master’s in Business Administration.

Smith said he feels extremely blessed and honored to have been chosen for this award.

“Receiving this award means more than you know to me and my family,” he said. “Auburn continues to prove that if you love it — it will love you back.”