The First, Few, Only and Unusual - AU Accomplishments

• Auburn University figured prominently among the reasons the City of Auburn was named one of the 2009 10 Best Places to Live by U.S. News & World Report.
  
  
• AU is among a distinctive body of institutions designated as land, sea and space grant universities.
  Auburn is one of five universities in the country with the capability and expertise to conduct research into nuclear waste storage for recycling.
  
  
• The university is the oldest four-year, coeducational school in the state and the second-oldest in the Southeast. Women were first admitted in 1892.
  
  
• Auburn's bachelor of wireless engineering degree is the first in the country.
  
  
• Cancer research is a top focus of the College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the few veterinary colleges in the country with an on-campus linear accelerator, MRI and CT-scan.
  
  
• Auburn has the Southeast's first program in software engineering.
  
  
• Auburn's new curriculum in automotive engineering and manufacturing is the first of its kind in the Southeast.
  
  
• Auburn has been actively involved in aviation education since 1941 and has consistently been a leader in aviation education and research.
  
  
• Six NASA astronauts graduated from Auburn, as have three past directors of Kennedy Space Center, putting Auburn in the top five universities nationally with such a distinction.
  
  
• Auburns Southeastern Raptor Center is the Southeast's only full-service, on-campus medical and rehabilitation center for birds of prey.
  
  
• Auburn students who participate in the world-renowned Rural Studio build inspiring, innovative and practical homes to benefit citizens of west Alabama.
  
  
• Auburn's Urban Studio in downtown Birmingham gives students an opportunity to pursue design in an urban setting and engage in community projects.
  
  
• An Urban Modeling Lab is helping the town of Cheng Du, China, rebuild from the massive 2008 earthquake.
  
  
• A new master's degree program in real estate development will be the first of its kind in the region to combine business and architecture curriculums.
  
  
• The United Nations' World Food Programme selected Auburn University as its lead academic partner in the international War on Hunger campaign.
  
  
• Auburn's Hotel and Restaurant Management program and The West Paces Hotel Group have a unique partnership where students train for the hospitality industry and learn the operation of The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
  
  
• The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington is training wounded soldiers in the science of digital forensics so they can become cybersecurity investigators. Auburn is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) and will assist in the training.
  
  
• Auburn University has been selected to represent Alabama as the winner of the Southern Growth Policies Board 2009 Innovator Award. The Natural Resources Management & Development Institute was chosen as an outstanding program that encourages economic opportunities relating to bio-products, alternative energy, and energy efficiency.
  
  
• Named a military-friendly university by G.I. Jobs
  

AU-developed technologies and research include:

• An optical microscope that shows live cells in real time and that holds great promise in revolutionizing medical research.
  
  
• A microscope system that NASA is using on Antarctic expeditions.
  
  
• Antimicrobial coatings with potential to prevent diseases from spreading on contaminated surfaces.
  
  
• Bacteria-eliminating chemical technology currently marketed as a water purification process.
  
  
• Fabric that improves the effectiveness of bullet-proof vests worn by law enforcement personnel by stopping high-powered rifle bullets.
  
  
• A device that improves the operation and safety of automobile air-bags.
  
  
• Germ-killing rubber material.
  
  
• Asphalt that dramatically improves driving conditions.
  
  
• A drug-delivery system that aids in the treatment of muscular dystrophy and diabetes.
  
  
• Biodegradable food source fishing lures.
  
  
• A new egg-injected avian flu vaccine.
  
  
• Technologies for highway and bridge construction.
  
  
• Highly advanced filters used in ventilation systems and in high-level security systems.
  
  
• Food safety sensors.
  
  
• Lightweight air masks that filter out toxins and allow longer use by first responders.
  
  
• A popular and widely used flea pill for dogs.

AU Academic Rankings Since 2002