Employer Summit, graduate and undergraduate research competitions highlight week
Published: Mar 26, 2026 12:15 PM
By Joe McAdory
The Capstone Design Showcase and Graduate Engineering Research Showcase allows students to present their research, poster style, before judges, faculty and peers.
More than 600 Auburn Engineering students will present research and design projects to industry professionals, faculty and peers in separate competitions on Thursday, April 2.
Dozens of corporate partners from a variety of sectors, including technology, automotive, paper and packaging, aerospace and defense, won’t just observe — they’ll serve as judges, tour laboratories and engage with faculty.
The 13th annual Graduate Engineering Research Showcase (GERS), third Capstone Design Showcase and annual Employer Summit, “puts Auburn Engineering on display,” said Maria Auad, associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development.
“This really gives us a chance to show industry what Auburn Engineering looks like beyond a résumé,” Auad said. “It’s also a way to demonstrate how intentional we are about preparing students, not just academically, but in terms of how they communicate, how they solve problems and how they think through real-world challenges.”
The Employer Summit begins Wednesday, April 1, with a series of interactive faculty lectures and lab visits, including the Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, Design and Innovation Center, Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems, Electronics Packaging Research Institute, Tiger Motors and the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence.
“Throughout the year, we try to have strong communication with our companies — what they’re looking for, how we’re preparing our students — to make sure we’re meeting their needs and developing strong partnerships,” said Apryl Mullins, Auburn Engineering’s director of corporate relations. “The purpose of the summit is to have a chance for an open dialogue… these are the ways you can engage with Auburn Engineering, and this is how we are preparing our students.”
An artificial intelligence (AI)-focused session will bring students and industry together to explore how AI is being learned and used, what companies expect students to know, how it is shaping recruiting practices and what ethical use looks like.
“We’re also having a session on internships and co-ops because we know our students are twice as likely to have positive outcomes when they graduate if they participate in one,” Mullins said. “We will also talk about how we’re embedding career development into the curriculum itself to help prepare students for the workforce.”
Presented by the college’s Council of Engineering Graduate Students, 180 poster presentations will be made by graduate students inside the Brown-Kopel Center ballroom at 1:30 p.m. for GERS, where $8,000 in prizes are at stake. That event will conclude with an awards dinner in the Gavin Gardens at 6 p.m.
“Participating in research projects often involves teamwork and collaboration, allowing students to develop strong interpersonal skills,” Auad said. “They learn to work with diverse groups, manage conflicts and leverage the strengths of their peers to achieve common goals. These experiences prepare them to thrive in dynamic and collaborative work environments.”
The Capstone Design Showcase kicks off the day at 9:30 a.m. in the Brown-Kopel Center ballroom, where 465 undergraduate students (109 teams) will exhibit senior design projects. An awards luncheon will follow in Gavin Gardens, where Tournear will serve as keynote speaker.
“This showcase is more than just a presentation; it’s a launching pad for students entering the workforce,” said Dean Hendrix, associate dean for undergraduate studies and program assessment. “Industry professionals attending the event will see firsthand how Auburn engineers approach challenges, develop solutions, and work in teams, and students will gain invaluable experience in communicating their work to a diverse audience, including those outside their technical discipline.”
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