Cox Memorial Fellowship

The Cox Memorial Graduate Fellowship was established in 2015, by the Advisory Board of the Highway Research Center in honor of the many contributions and tireless dedication of Bernard Elder (Buddy) Cox, Jr. to the Alabama highway industry and Auburn University. Mr. Cox passed away on February 21, 2015. Buddy served in the Air Force for 30 years and retired as a Colonel with the Alabama Air National Guard. He was a graduate of Auburn University with two undergraduate degrees and a master's degree.

Buddy was a 25-year ALDOT veteran and served as ALDOT’s State Materials and Tests Engineer. He was an innovator and led and encouraged many research efforts to implement new technologies and improve practices. Numerous construction projects across Alabama now stand as engineering monuments to Buddy’s innovative spirit, passion, and concern for the environment. His service and leadership on the Coliseum Boulevard Plume project stands as testimony to his commitment, character, and love of serving the people of Alabama.

This fellowship will provide a one-time payment of $3,000 to one student each year. This fellowship will be awarded to an outstanding civil and environmental engineering graduate student working on a Highway Research Center research project. First preference will be given to a student that is serving or has served in the United States Armed Forces.  Second preference will be given to a student that is working or has worked for ALDOT. The Graduate Program Committee of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will annually select the fellowship recipient.

Awardees:

2024 - Stanton Freeman

2023 - Zahra Ghorbani and Bess Murrah

2022 - No awardee

2021 - Aminul Isalm

2020 - Kelly Turner

2019 - Yukun Song

2018 - Christian Jetzel

2017 - Kaylyn Cardinal

2016 - Michael Kiernan