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Jeffrey Fergus – Faculty

Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Jeffrey LaMondia (left) and Jeffrey Fergus enjoying their awards.

Jeffrey LaMondia (left) and Jeffrey Fergus enjoying their awards.

Jeff Fergus is Professor of Materials Engineering and Associate Dean for Program Assessment and Graduate Studies in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Jeff is an expert and a longstanding advocate for sustainable engineering for the purpose of benefiting society. He has leveraged his extensive experience and position in the College of Engineering to advance the awareness and application of sustainability principles and practices into engineering and engineering-related teaching and research, for engineers and non-engineers alike.

He has taught numerous sustainability classes, designed to be accessible to a range of students in disciplines within and beyond engineering.  He has also co-taught the introductory course for the Minor in Sustainability Studies.  Several of his engineering classes qualify as electives in the Sustainability Studies Minor, and he is an active supporter of a proposed minor in Sustainable Engineering within the College of Engineering.  For the past three years, he has offered a four-week program in Spain called Sustainable Technologies and Practices in Northern Spain.

Jeff dovetails his research area in materials engineering, related mainly to materials for energy conversion and storage, with his passion and commitment to sustainable engineering practices. He has also been an organizer for two recent Engineering Solutions for Sustainability conferences.

One of the most impactful activities related to sustainability undertaken by the College of Engineering may be the guest lecturer program Jeff organized. The program includes seventeen cooperating engineering faculty members who have volunteered to provide lectures on 21 different sustainability-related topics for any class in the College of Engineering or anywhere on campus. These guest lectures allow faculty members in other disciplines to introduce engineering-related sustainability in a wide variety of classes where the instructor may not be familiar enough to present on the topic.

Jeff has an expert understanding of the underlying issues related to the crucial needs of society, its future workforce, and the types of engineering solutions needed to create a more sustainable and compassionate world.  He is a quiet, thoughtful, strategic leader who recognizes and seizes high leverage opportunities to integrate the principles, concepts, and practices of sustainability with the academic discipline and practice of engineering.