[continued]
BS: You hold a master’s degree and Ph.D. from

Notre Dame in chemical engineering. Why do you think advanced degrees are important to the future of engineering?

CR: Graduate students, and the faculty with whom they work, are incredibly important to our ability to engage in innovative research that truly does impact our quality of life and our country’s economic competitiveness. During my Ph.D. studies, I was privileged to work with professor Joan Brennecke, who in fact was recently inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. I was her first doctoral graduate — she taught me many things, not the least of which was to dream big and challenge my thinking. One of my goals for our college is to increase our emphasis on highly competitive graduate programs, with particular focus on our Ph.D. students. This is so critical to our college’s research endeavors and our faculty’s ability to compete for extramural funding.

BS: You came to Auburn as an assistant professor in chemical engineering. What brought you here?

CR: One of the things I loved most about Notre Dame was the connection that people had with each other and their passion for the institution. Of all of the places where I interviewed, Auburn was the only one that had that same feel. I knew after being on campus for only a few hours, that this was where I wanted to be.

BS: What did you learn from your nine years as chair of Auburn’s Department of Chemical Engineering?

CR: That my successes were not my own. The progress we made in the department was the result of our tremendous students and my faculty colleagues who took so much pride in their work. They were incredibly committed to exceptional education and research. It is the same approach that I will take with the college as a whole. We all have something to contribute to the success of Auburn Engineering, and we will work together to continue to build a program that we can all be proud of.

BS: What do you see as the College of Engineering’s greatest potential?

CR: Our ability to produce engineers who go on to meaningful careers that contribute to our economic development, solve our world’s greatest challenges and impact future generations.

BS: If you weren’t dean of engineering,  you would be . . .what?

CR: I really enjoy music. I started my first band in junior high school and we played teen dances all over town. In fact, I still enjoy playing and recording music. But, I am realistic about my musical ability and I can’t imagine doing anything other than being an engineer. So, truthfully, being the dean of engineering at Auburn University is a dream come true for me.