Symposium Showcases Bright Minds

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Auburn University faculty gathered for the 2019 Auburn Research Faculty Symposium, during which they discussed and gave presentations on their groundbreaking research, from neuroscience to rural housing design to additive manufacturing and more.

The annual event provides Auburn and Auburn University at Montgomery faculty an opportunity to share their discoveries university-wide and with the community.

“Auburn researchers are working every day to solve real-world problems for the benefit of citizens in Alabama and beyond,” said Dr. James Weyhenmeyer, Auburn University vice president for research and economic development.

“The annual faculty symposium is a great chance for everyone to see this innovative research and scholarship firsthand.”

In addition to roundtable discussions designed to help faculty achieve external funding for research projects, a series of Auburn Talks highlighted the following:

  • Dr. Allan David, the John W. Brown Associate Professor of chemical engineering, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering: “Nanoparticles for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy”

  • Dr. Sarah Zohdy, assistant professor of disease ecology, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences: “What's the Buzz? Disease Emergence in a Changing World”

  • Dr. Mollie Mathis, assistant professor of accounting, Harbert College of Business: “U.S. Taxation of Foreign Earnings: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (See page 35 for more on Mathis's research.)

  • Dr. Steve Brown, professor of political science, College of Liberal Arts: “Alabama Justice: The Cases and Faces That Changed a Nation”

Following the Auburn Talks, more than 90 researchers gave poster presentations of their recent work, and collaborative teams that received the Presidential Awards for Interdisc iplinary Research discussed their projects on topics ranging from housing affordability to advanced manufacturing of medical implants. Other projects featured included rural health disparities in poverty-stricken areas, treating the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, neuroscience research and graduate education, reducing carbon dioxide emissions or using them for other means, and other critical areas of human and environmental health.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn's commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact. Auburn's mission to educate, discover and collaborate drives its expanding impact on the world.