They’re CEOs, founders and presidents of companies. 

They’re doctors, lawyers and leaders of industry. 

They’re Auburn men and women, and approximately 185 of them make up the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council.

The Auburn Alumni Engineering Council was established in 1965 and held its first meeting in 1966. The council is a group of Auburn Engineering alumni working together to support the vision and goals of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. The council meets twice annually to assist and advise the college, and its members serve on committees geared to the mission and operation of the college. The council provides leadership and participation in academics, development, governmental affairs, public relations, research and more.

Council members reside in 25 states and even two countries outside of the U.S., including Canada and Australia. They also represent each of the college’s eight departments and three majors that have been phased out.

Maury Gaston, ’82 mechanical engineering who serves on the council’s Executive Committee as the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame liaison, said he got involved to give back as others had done for him while he was a student. 

“Well, my dad said, ‘When you get some Auburn sand in your shoes, you never shake it all out,’ and I wouldn’t want to shake it out,” said Gaston, who served three years as chair of the council. 

“Every person with an Auburn Engineering degree, every person with an Auburn degree, is the beneficiary of Auburn men and women who came before him or her. So, I’m all about being involved in giving back no matter what the organization is. Not only that, but you also get to meet some really, really nice people. Often, people love Auburn and they come together and work together for the betterment of Auburn,” he added.

Gaston’s involvement with the council came at the recommendation of one of the original members, Arthur Edge, who nominated Gaston for membership. 

During his 25 years as a member of the council, he has served as chair of committees and of the whole council, but it’s those relationships with members of the past that he cherishes the most. 

“I was very fortunate to have made acquaintances with Arthur Edge, Brooks Moore and many of those original members and have a connection to something that was the birth of a council I’m now a part of,” Gaston said. “And I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I remember as I approached my retirement, I’d be walking down the hall at work and all these giants of our corporate history and legends of Auburn Engineering, they would come to my mind when I passed by their old offices. I think it’s very important to remember where you came from and who contributed to your path.”

Beverly Banister, ’83 chemical engineering who retired as the EPA Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 4, serves as the chair of the council’s Cultivating the Auburn Creed Committee which focuses on aligning the Auburn experience with the values espoused in the creed. 

“We are all blessed to have gotten a degree from Auburn, and I think that to have the opportunity to give back, to reach back, to share the knowledge, the skills and the experiences that we have had over our lifetime with these students, that’s a privilege,” Banister said. “To see the investment come alive in students, that is life changing. And that’s what we do. The council is about engaging, connecting and reinforcing that this is the best student-centered engineering experience in America.”

Bringing together people from all engineering majors, all backgrounds, from all over the nation, is what gives the council its strength, Banister said. 

“I love working with other alumni. I love serving alongside other members of the college and advancing the work that is underway here,” Banister said. “One of the reasons I love being on the council is because we invest quite a bit of time. It’s a working council. You’re actually engaged, connected and really helping to make a difference. And one of the things that I absolutely love is that when you invest that time, you have confidence that you’re going to see a return on that time and the return on that time is taking those ideas and those perspectives and using those to inform the direction and policies going forward.”

Mario Eden, dean of engineering who previously served as chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and a faculty member for nearly the past 25 years, has seen the impact of the council on many levels, especially now in his current role. 

“The council is a phenomenal source of support, of advice, of direction, both strategic and tactical, for the college. It’s just an inspirational group of folks who are very, very successful and extremely dedicated alumni who really care deeply about this college, our faculty, our students and our staff,” Eden said. 

“Having a dedicated group of alumni for 60 years, serving in an advisory capacity, is just tremendous. I don’t know of any other college that has that. It shows a level of dedication and pride that others are envious of, and it really makes a tremendous impact on our day-to-day activities, because we know we have that steady hand that is helping guide us and has the institutional memory going back for six decades. Many of my dean colleagues are truly envious of having something like that,” he added.

Some examples of how the council has supported, rewarded, inspired and encouraged the college’s students, faculty and staff include a working dinner with the student organization leaders; hosting the college’s research awards banquet and the council’s alumni awards banquet; sponsoring numerous awards through the college’s spring awards ceremony; namings in facilities; participating in dean selection committees; participation in the college’s accreditation process and much more.

“They have direct touchpoints with our students through a variety of activities with our organizations, our students in general, where they host panels and informative events. For our faculty, they provide guidance, input and access to potential research projects and feedback on direction,” Eden said. “And then they serve a vitally important role in our accreditation process. In fact, the strength and commitment of our alumni base is one of the things that ABET highlights every time we’ve gone through the process.”

It’s that level of support, the bonds made between the alumni and the college they love, that Eden appreciates the most. 

“These are people who become your friends. I think it makes it extra special because when the council members become friends, you can really trust their desire to help you and that they’ll give it to you straight and unfiltered. That speaks to the passion they have for the college, but also their genuine desire to help move our college forward and having that trust on an individual personal level. It just means the world,” he said.