I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

Jorge Rueda quickly realized that Auburn University was home after his arrival in August 2016.

Rueda, an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering, joined Auburn University several months after completing his doctoral degree at Iowa State University. Originally from Colombia, he earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander.

When deciding to move to Alabama, Rueda observed that once faculty members come to Auburn, they tend to stay.

“One of the main things I noticed was that the current faculty had all been here for several years,” Rueda said. “The new faculty members coming in weren’t to replace anyone — it was because they were creating new positions. I didn’t see that in other places, and I could tell something good was happening.” 

He quickly knew he made the right choice.

He knew he could talk to any faculty member for advice, which he’s learned is something faculty members don’t have at every major university. 

“We have an amazing work environment,” Rueda said. “It’s rare to find a department like ours.”

Now a tenured professor, Rueda is paying it forward by offering the same assistance he received in 2016 to new civil and environmental engineering faculty members.

“There is great collaboration across all disciplines here,” he said. “We want everyone to succeed because when that happens, we all succeed, and Auburn is successful.”