If you have not visited our engineering campus recently, let me tell you what an exciting place it is to be right now. We have attracted a world class faculty which has elevated our instruction and research programs to new levels of achievement, and therefore, we continue to attract the best and brightest incoming freshmen. It is not enough to solely provide instruction; we must also engage our students with a full range of out-of-classroom experiences that enhance their professional development as engineers.

As a result of transformational gifts from John and Rosemary Brown and Charles and Carol Ann Gavin, our goal to become the best student-centered engineering experience in the country is being realized.

The Browns’ gift of $30 million to engineering – part of a $57 million total gift to the university – will provide funding to construct an engineering student achievement center. This facility will serve as a hub for student support activities including student recruiting, curriculum advising, career mentoring and a tutoring center, as well as an international experience office, leadership and professional development center, industrial relations and innovation center, career placement office and workspace for team-oriented design projects.

The Gavins’ gift of $8 million – plus additional funds from the university – will allow for the renovation of the Textile Building, creating much-needed laboratory space for students. The refurbished building will hold a series of hands-on student research laboratories including a state-of-the-art additive manufacturing laboratory, nuclear operations laboratory and a polymer and composites laboratory to continue our traditions in this area and to meet the emerging needs of the industry. The building will also house a new wind tunnel system, a paper machine and graduate student offices with collaborative meeting spaces.

As Auburn University kicks off its $1 billion Because This is Auburn campaign, the College of Engineering is energetically pursuing an ambitious goal to raise $200 million to move our mission forward. With your help, we have already secured an impressive $180 million, and are anxious to meet – and exceed – our goal.

Together, we are preparing future Auburn engineers with the means to be the best that they can be. I look forward to continuing this journey with you and enhancing our college for everyone who is a part of it.