Faculty, staff recognized at Engineering Research Awards banquet

Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering honored faculty and staff at the college's Engineering Research Awards banquet on Thursday, Sept. 11.

The awards recognize outstanding contributions that exemplify innovation, collaboration and real-world impact.

“What sets our researchers apart is their ability to bridge the gap between breakthrough science and meaningful impact,” said Allan David, associate dean for research. “They're not content with theoretical advances alone. They're determined to create technologies that genuinely improve how we live and work.

“By celebrating these achievements, the college highlights the excellence, impact and spirit of discovery that define its mission and strengthen its role as a leader in engineering research,” he added.

The 2025 Engineering Research Awards recipients are:

• Center for Excellence Award — Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS)
• Collaborative Research Award — Edward Davis, associate professor, mechanical engineering
• Community Impact Award — Mark Barnett, professor, civil and environmental engineering
• Graduate Student Mentorship Award — Huaguo Zhou, professor, civil and environmental engineering
• Grantsmanship Award — Pengyu Chen, associate professor, mechanical engineering
• Industry Partnership Award — Nam Tran, research professor, National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)
• Publication Excellence Award — Shiwen Mao, professor, electrical and computer engineering and director of the Wireless Engineering Research and Education Center
• Staff Research Excellence Award — Tyler Patterson, senior application systems analyst, Office of Engineering Communications and Marketing

Research Awards for Excellence

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Senior Faculty
Imon Chakraborty, associate professor

Junior Faculty
Ehsan Taheri, assistant professor

Department of Chemical Engineering

Senior Faculty
Zhihua Jiang, associate professor and director, Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering

Junior Faculty
Michael Howard, assistant professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Senior Faculty
Michael Perez, associate professor and director, Stormwater Research Facility

Junior Faculty
Jillian Maxcy-Brown, assistant professor

Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering

Senior Faculty
Tin Nguyen, associate professor

Junior Faculty
Akond Rahman, assistant professor

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Senior Faculty
Ujjwal Guin, associate professor

Junior Faculty
Hunter Burch, assistant professor

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Senior Faculty
Gregory A. Harris, department chair and director, Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems

Junior Faculty
Rongxuan Wang, assistant professor

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Senior Faculty
Bart Prorok, program chair, materials engineering

Junior Faculty
Brendon Allen, assistant professor