Three engineering faculty earn Auburn University faculty awards
Published: Oct 12, 2026 12:00 AM
By Phillip Tutor
Three Auburn Engineering faculty members — Michael Zabala, the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Roy Hartfield, professor of aerospace engineering; and Michael Howard, assistant professor of chemical engineering — received Auburn University faculty awards recognizing exceptional achievement in teaching, research and creative scholarship, mentorship, outreach and leadership.
Three Auburn Engineering faculty members will be recognized for exemplary leadership, innovative teaching, research, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service to the university and community at the 20th annual Auburn University Faculty Awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 16.
Roy Hartfield, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Michael Howard, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Michael Zabala, the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council associate professor of mechanical engineering, are among 15 distinguished faculty members from seven colleges to be honored.
“We are proud to see Drs. Zabala, Howard and Hartfield recognized for their contributions to Auburn’s academic mission,” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “Their dedication to excellence in teaching, research and mentorship reflects the high standards of our college and the important role our faculty play in advancing Auburn’s reputation as a leader in higher education. These awards recognize not only their individual accomplishments but also the collective strength and impact of our faculty.”
Hosted by the Office of the Provost, the Faculty Awards highlight individuals whose efforts advance the university's academic distinction and uphold the highest standards of professional achievement. Honorees are recognized across multiple categories, including teaching, research and creative scholarship, leadership, outreach and service to the profession and community.
More than 370 awards to 300-plus faculty members have been awarded since the Faculty Awards began in 2006.
Hartfield, recipient of the Provost Award for Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Mentoring, has devoted his career to the study of aerodynamic measurement technology, missile system analysis, aerospace systems optimization, numerical aerodynamics and propulsion for more than three decades.
Since joining Auburn’s faculty in 1991, Hartfield has become an industry expert in the areas of aerodynamic analysis of grid fins, solid propellant rocket motors, liquid propellant rocket engines, engine combustion engine technology, statistical methods for missile system reverse engineering and laser-based methods for measurement of flow parameters. He also holds patents on the continuous flow rotary vane engine and propeller technology.
The author of numerous articles in academic journals, Hartfield has served as the principal investigator for research grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Force and private industry. Additionally, he has presented short courses for the intelligence community, NASA, the Department of War and major corporations, as well as invited lectures at the Korean Aerospace University, the South Korean Agency for Defense Development and the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute in China.
Howard, recipient of the Emerging Faculty Creative Research and Scholarship Award, is considered an authority on the simulation of soft materials and the understanding of their complex structure, function and properties.
As a prolific contributor to soft materials research through his peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations, Howard has brought his ground-breaking scientific findings into the public sphere. His research affects a variety of industries, including advanced materials such as coatings and optoelectronics, consumer products, separations and healthcare.
In 2025, Howard earned a five-year, $500,000 NSF CAREER Award for his project, “Multiscale Modeling for Self-Assembly of Colloidal-Particle Coatings with Gradient Compositions,” one of the foundation's most prestigious awards. He also has received the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award.
Zabala, recipient of the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, connects engineering education with the world beyond the classroom. He created Engineering in the Arts, a faculty-led study abroad program in Florence, Italy, that challenges Auburn engineering students to explore the connections among engineering, art, history and culture and see their discipline from new perspectives.
An Auburn alum who joined the faculty a decade ago, Zabala directs the Auburn University Biomechanical Engineering Lab. His work brings together engineering fundamentals and real-world challenges in human performance and injury prevention, from ACL injuries to exoskeletons, prosthetics and orthotics. He has become a national leader in combining modern technology such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, motion-capture and wearable electronic sensors with real-world biomechanical needs in medicine, athletics and the military.
Zabala also is founder and chairman of the board of XO Armor, an Auburn-based company whose on-site 3D printing produces custom-fitting protective orthotics for professional and collegiate teams, with expanding applications in healthcare and the military.
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