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From advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and developing solutions to environmental and energy challenges to improving athlete health and expanding Auburn’s global reach, this year’s newest Alumni Professors demonstrate the far-reaching impact of exceptional faculty scholarship, teaching and service.
Collectively, the honorees have authored hundreds of scholarly publications, secured more than $40 million in research funding and mentored hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. Their work is improving communities, advancing scientific discovery, shaping public policy and strengthening Auburn’s reputation nationally and internationally.
“Auburn’s Alumni Professorships honor those faculty whose influence extends well beyond their individual disciplines,” Provost Vini Nathan said. “Through their scholarship, creative work, teaching and mentorship, these faculty members continue to shape the Auburn experience for our students and contribute to the excellence and reputation that generations of our institution’s alumni proudly carry forward.”
Presented annually by the Alumni Association, Auburn’s Alumni Professorships recognize tenured faculty who demonstrate exceptional achievement in teaching, research and service. Five new faculty members are selected each year based on their leadership and sustained impact across at least two of the university’s core mission areas.
The honorees will be formally recognized this fall at the Endowed Faculty Recognition Ceremony, hosted by the Office of the Provost, alongside other distinguished faculty members. Learn more about this year’s recipients below.
Mark O. Barnett
Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
For nearly three decades, Dr. Mark Barnett has combined engineering research, student mentorship, and public engagement to address some of the nation’s and Alabama's most pressing environmental challenges. A professor of environmental engineering and licensed professional engineer, he is nationally recognized for advancing environmental protection in areas ranging from water and sanitation in rural communities to nuclear waste disposal while also translating research into practical solutions that improve communities and expand economic opportunity.
Barnett has built an impressive record of scholarship, authoring more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, publishing a book, helping to secure more than $35 million in research funding, and earning more than 3,000 citations with an h-index of 30. Just as importantly, he has translated that scholarship into meaningful improvements for communities across Alabama. His work addressing wastewater and sanitation challenges in Alabama's Black Belt has advanced Auburn's national reputation while informing state and federal policy and helping secure more than $25 million in collaborative funding to improve water infrastructure in underserved communities. By bringing together researchers, government agencies, and local stakeholders, he has helped develop sustainable solutions that have become a model for addressing environmental justice through engineering. In recognition of his expertise, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm appointed Barnett to the Department of Energy's Environmental Management Advisory Board in 2023, and he serves on the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board.
Equally committed to educating future engineers, Barnett has mentored nearly 40 graduate students, many of whom now hold faculty positions, leadership roles in industry, and appointments at universities around the world. His commitment to student success extends beyond research, emphasizing professional ethics, public service, and the responsibility engineers have to protect the health and well-being of the communities they serve. His contributions to both the university and the state earned the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering's inaugural Community Impact Award in 2025 and continue to demonstrate how engineering research can create lasting benefits for Alabama and beyond.
Evangelos Miliordos
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Sciences and Mathematics
In less than a decade at Auburn, Dr. Evangelos Miliordos has emerged as a leading researcher in theoretical and computational chemistry. His research combines advanced computational methods with fundamental chemical theory to design new catalysts, predict the behavior of complex molecular systems, and develop innovative solutions to challenges in clean energy, carbon capture, and quantum computing.
Miliordos has established an exceptional record of scholarship, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, including two papers in Science in 2023 and 2025. His pioneering research has identified new strategies for selectively converting methane into methanol, capturing and converting carbon dioxide into valuable products, and designing stable materials for next-generation quantum technologies. By uncovering the molecular principles that drive these processes, his work is providing scientists with new pathways for developing cleaner energy technologies and more sustainable chemical systems. Recognized for both the rigor and creativity of his research, he has earned the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the American Chemical Society's OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in Computational Chemistry, Auburn's COSAM Dean's Research Award, and the college's 2025 Young Faculty Scholar Award. His work has attracted international collaborations, invited presentations at leading scientific institutions around the world, and support from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.
Equally dedicated to teaching and mentorship, Miliordos has guided graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to prestigious fellowships, national laboratories, and leading research universities. He is also known for bringing innovation into the classroom, developing new approaches to teaching chemical bonding that help students master one of chemistry's most challenging concepts.
Gretchen Oliver
Professor
School of Kinesiology
College of Education
Since joining Auburn’s College of Education in 2012, Dr. Gretchen Oliver has transformed the School of Kinesiology’s biomechanics research with the establishment of the Sports Medicine & Movement Laboratory, one of the world’s leading centers for sports biomechanics, injury prevention, and human movement research. An internationally recognized expert in baseball and softball biomechanics, her research produces practical solutions that improve athlete health and performance at every level, from youth to collegiate sports, and she translates it into real-world applications used by physicians and healthcare professionals.
Oliver has authored more than 216 peer-reviewed publications, secured over $1.5 million in external research funding, and shared her work through more than 40 invited and keynote presentations worldwide. Her research has been cited more than 3,800 times, reflecting the significant influence of her scholarship. Her achievements have earned some of the profession’s highest honors, including election as a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology in 2026 and the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport in 2024. She has also received Auburn’s Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring and the American Sports Medicine Institute’s Dale Baker Career Service Award.
Equally significant is Oliver’s commitment to developing the next generation of scholars. She has mentored 24 doctoral and nine master’s students, many of whom now serve as faculty members, researchers, and leaders in professional sports organizations, including Major League Baseball. More than 90 percent of publications and conference presentations produced in her laboratory are led by graduate students, reflecting her emphasis on mentorship and independent scholarship.
Oliver’s impact extends beyond campus through partnerships that translate research into real-world injury prevention and performance enhancement. She served on the Chicago Cubs Performance Science Advisory Board, has led sports medicine initiatives for USA Team Handball and the United States Polo Association, and serves as an editor for the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
Miranda Reed
Professor
Department of Drug Discovery and Development
Harrison College of Pharmacy
Since joining Auburn in 2015, Dr. Miranda Reed has established a nationally recognized research program while helping shape the university's growing leadership in neuroscience. A professor and interim department head in the Harrison College of Pharmacy, Reed investigates the biological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease and cognitive dysfunction, with research that is advancing new therapeutic approaches to Alzheimer's disease, prenatal cannabinoid exposure, and other neurological disorders.
Reed has established an exceptional record of scholarship, securing more than $6.7 million in research funding, including multiple highly competitive National Institutes of Health awards, and publishing more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and five book chapters. Her research has expanded scientific understanding of synaptic signaling, glutamatergic dysfunction, and the molecular mechanisms that contribute to cognitive decline while identifying promising therapeutic targets for neurological disorders. As director of Auburn's Center for Neuroscience Initiative, she has strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration, expanded research infrastructure, and enhanced Auburn's competitiveness for federal research funding. Her accomplishments have earned numerous honors, including Auburn's 2024 Provost Award for Excellence in Research Mentoring and multiple Faculty Research Excellence Awards.
Equally committed to education and mentorship, Reed has taught undergraduate, professional, and graduate students while helping develop Auburn's Practice-Ready Pharm.D. curriculum, the Bachelor of Science in Drug and Biopharmaceutical Sciences program, and the Graduate Certificate in Neuroscience. She has mentored more than 100 undergraduate researchers, along with numerous graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, many of whom have gone on to advanced training and successful careers in research, healthcare, and academia.
Giovanna Summerfield
Professor
Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures
College of Liberal Arts
For more than two decades at Auburn, Dr. Giovanna Summerfield has distinguished herself as an internationally recognized scholar, educator and academic leader whose work bridges languages, literature, culture and Mediterranean studies. A professor of Italian and French, Summerfield’s scholarship spans eighteenth-century French and Italian literature, European and Mediterranean history and culture, women’s studies, film, and mafia and anti-mafia movements. Her interdisciplinary approach has helped establish Auburn as an important center for Mediterranean scholarship while expanding opportunities for students and faculty to engage with languages and cultures around the world.
A prolific scholar and author, Summerfield has published 16 scholarly books, four creative books, 27 book chapters and 26 journal articles, in addition to presenting more than 75 conference papers and 36 invited lectures. Her international reputation is reflected in her service as editor-in-chief of Italica, book review editor for Modern Italy and founding co-editor of I.S. Med: Interdisciplinary Studies on the Mediterranean. She has twice served as an Erasmus Mundus Visiting Scholar at the University of Catania and has received numerous honors, including Auburn’s Creative Research and Scholarship Award, the Castanoli Endowed Professorship and a 2025 Ragusa Foundation Fellowship. Her 2024 novel, Il coraggio di dire, was also nominated for Italy’s national Forum Traiani literature prize.
Summerfield’s impact at Auburn extends equally to teaching, international education and academic leadership. During a decade as associate dean for educational affairs in the College of Liberal Arts, she expanded online education, developed international study, exchange and internship opportunities, strengthened career services and experiential learning, and advanced interdisciplinary programs in global citizenship, sustainability, leadership and community engagement. She also revitalized Auburn’s Italian Studies minor, founded the Auburn Taormina study abroad programs and established Auburn’s Mediterranean Studies Research Group, creating lasting opportunities for interdisciplinary and international engagement.
