The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering opened its doors and hosted a dedication ceremony in September to celebrate the $44 million Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center. 

Construction of the center was made possible thanks to a $30 million gift from John, ’57 chemical engineering, and Rosemary Brown, ’57 chemistry, which was announced as part of an overall $57 million gift — the largest in university history — in April 2015 at the Because This is Auburn campaign kickoff event. Site preparation for the project began in December 2016 with the demolition of the Engineering Shops and L Building. This project completes the third phase of more than $85 million in new construction and renovations for the College of Engineering.  

In addition to the Browns’ gift, more than 50 other alumni have donated $17 million toward the project. These gifts supplemented cost of construction, with the remaining funds dedicated toward endowing programming in the facility.

Prior to the ceremony, the college dedicated the Carol Ann Gavin Garden, which connects the Brown-Kopel Center with the newly renovated Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory. This rooftop garden — the largest in Alabama — covers 44,000 square feet of build out space for the wind tunnel laboratory and future instructional use. The garden was made possible through a $2.5 million gift from Charles Gavin, ’59 textile management, in honor of his late wife.

“The Browns’ transformational gift has changed the game for our students and college,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. “John and Rosemary’s investment will allow us to recruit, reward and retain our students in ways we only imagined. Our vision has been to provide the best student-centered engineering educational experience in America, and this facility is a fulfillment to making that vision a reality. We are forever grateful for the Browns’ generosity and commitment to the College of Engineering and to our future Auburn engineers.”

Located in the heart of campus, the Brown-Kopel Center specifically addresses students’ professional and academic needs, providing one of the most comprehensive, active-learning environments in the country. 

The center also creates greater opportunities for collaboration among faculty members and fellow students, cultivating a sense of home within the engineering campus.  

Designed to serve students from all engineering disciplines, the facility incorporates high-contact initiatives through student recruitment, scholarships, curriculum advising, tutoring, career development, corporate relations, international experiences and more. 

The ground floor of the building includes an innovation center, which consists of student maker spaces, laboratories, shops and project incubators; a design studio, large and small group study rooms, flexible classrooms, computer labs and more, while also serving as the home for engineering student organizations. The main floor houses suites for student recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, academic advising, career development and corporate relations center, the Engineering Academic Excellence Program and offices for support staff. 

The third floor incorporates ample, spacious student study areas with large-group and small-group study rooms, along with boardrooms, conference rooms and a Grand Hall.