Inspire Innovate Transform

Auburn Inspires

Auburn University is on a drive to inspire, innovate and transform through a heightened student experience, research that offers solutions to real-world problems, life-changing outreach and strong business and government partnerships. These stories exemplify how we are inspiring, and farther down is more information that speaks to the many ways in which Auburn is leading initiatives that engage and empower.

Auburn will take student leadership to new heights

Employers consistently rank leadership among the top attributes they search for in new employees. At Auburn, we provide real-world learning laboratories where students can gain leadership principles in their communities, better preparing them to compete in the marketplace and make meaningful contributions.

Leadership skills provide our graduates with the tools to be successful in a modern economy. Our students graduate prepared for interviews, to work in team-based environments and to effectively manage their time and resources. Every student is different, so we provide multiple pathways of interest to cultivate these skills and transform our students into leaders.

Dave Ketchen and Harrison Evola stand in front of a delivery vehicle.

Auburn professors such as Dave Ketchen often inspire their students on to greatness – in this case with Ketchen helping mentor Auburn graduate Harrison Evola, who now operates the FetchMe delivery service in Auburn. Recently, Ketchen received the Southeastern Conference’s 2018 Faculty Achievement Award for Auburn.

Auburn will expand its role as a partnership university by advancing impactful and transformative research and scholarship

Advancing knowledge is the foundation of discovery and inspires student learning and transformative research. At Auburn, our tradition of innovation serves as a launchpad for entrepreneurs, industry leaders, government officials and others as we improve quality of life and strengthen economic opportunity.

Auburn values all forms of scholarly activity. Whether creative endeavors, such as artistic works and performances, academic publications or inventions, we promote scholarly activity because it prompts intellectual advancement and expands learning.

Auburn will expand its research and development programs to address some of society’s most challenging issues with an emphasis on advancing knowledge in health sciences, improved sustainable resources, advanced manufacturing and cyber security.

To achieve our goals, we will strengthen the culture for faculty to conduct multidisciplinary research. Auburn recently launched the Presidential Awards for Interdisciplinary Research, or PAIR, program to provide funds to support researchers in building competitive teams advancing major technology developments, scientific discoveries or scholarly advances with broad economic, health or societal impact. PAIR will transform our collaboration with leading businesses, industries and government agencies.

Growing research requires increasing and strengthening the quality of our graduate student population, specifically our Ph.D. and professional programs, to cultivate future scholars who will represent Auburn worldwide. We will implement new recruitment strategies targeting top graduate school candidates from across the nation and world.

An important part of that strategy is a new graduate fellowship program to support research and innovation by Auburn doctoral students. These 100 new Presidential Fellows together with PAIR represent a significant investment in the university’s strategic priorities to conduct and bring dynamic research to the national forefront.

Finally, we will elevate Auburn to the Carnegie research one classification, placing us among the nation’s elite. We’re well on our way there now.

Innovate
Strong support for innovative research

New research funding, competitive incentive programs, and targeted graduate student program additions will drive Auburn’s research initiatives and public/private relationships to new and greater heights. Recently, Auburn demonstrated its strong support for innovative research with an announcement to invest $5 million in 11 groundbreaking projects that will deliver practical, life-changing solutions.

Cassie Bebout  works in a lab.

Auburn University senior and track team member Cassie Bebout is inspiring through her work with researchers toward a possible cure for GM1, a rare genetic disease that took the life of her brother.

Auburn will elevate its active engagement with the State of Alabama

Auburn will continue delivering tangible value to the State of Alabama and its citizens through instruction and outreach and by taking a substantial leadership role in engineering, science, agriculture and quality of life. We will be recognized by the State as the first resource for providing innovative solutions to social, economic and environmental issues that allow Auburn to showcase the talents of our students and faculty.

Accomplishing this vision means increasing access to educational opportunities and lifelong learning across the State, especially in underserved communities. By expanding Auburn’s capacity to provide assistance to individuals and communities, we are encouraging innovation and creating new opportunities that elevate our university-community partnerships.

Auburn will strengthen our engagement with both the public and private sectors in the State to provide increased workforce development and economic growth. Working together, we will develop new technologies that create and retain jobs in the State.

Auburn will become a premier model of engagement

Auburn will become a premier model of engagement and will be recognized as a leading provider of instruction, research and creative scholarship.

Auburn will earn a national reputation for our commitment to excellence, our students who engage, inspire and lead, our research that delivers real-world benefits and our community engagement that serves the social good.

Auburn will achieve Carnegie 1 research status, grow partnerships with business, industry and government, and rise in other meaningful metrics of university success.