This is something you probably wouldn’t expect the president of Auburn University to stand here and say, but the state of Alabama is tremendously fortunate to have Auburn and the UA system as valuable resources and trusted partners. And we are pleased to partner with the UA system. Except for one Saturday in November.

But all jokes aside, we are working together for a common goal, and that’s to move our state forward. We’re also fortunate to have strong support from our lawmakers at the state and federal level. Together, we cultivate and develop our biggest economic resource—our students. It’s fantastic that our students don’t have to leave the state to receive a world-class education.

And at Auburn, our main focus has always been, and will always continue to be, our students. We are constantly looking for ways to increase our students’ chances for success after they graduate from Auburn. We have the highest job placement rating of any university in the state. And that’s because students are our number-one focus. Auburn provides them with an exceptional education to prepare them for their personal and professional lives.

Our students engage, influence and lead at high levels, and our emphasis on service and leadership helps them develop the skills employers are seeking. Employers tell us that our graduates show up on day one with a tremendous work ethic, a willingness to learn and a strong character—traits we know are essential for success. Industry leaders seek out Auburn alumni for their professionalism, leadership, commitment to teamwork and for the immediate contributions they make in the workplace.

We’re aiming to prepare them not just for the jobs in demand today, but for the jobs that will be in demand tomorrow. By looking at what’s emerging, what’s going to be the next big thing, we make sure that our students graduate ready to lead. So, when another large corporation or innovative startup is looking for an ideal location to set up shop, the state of Alabama is at the top of the list because of the quality of the workforce.

Auburn students graduate with practical skills and they can contribute immediately to the economy. Our state is also at the top of the list because they know Auburn is a trusted academic partner that will deliver innovative solutions to the challenges they face.

Auburn plays a unique and very significant role in our state’s economic landscape. As a land-grant university, economic development is in our DNA. It’s what makes communities prosper and citizens thrive. We continue to be an economic driver for our state because of our commitment to excellence, our students who engage, influence and lead, research that delivers real-world benefits, and our community engagement that serves the social good.

Innovation is behind the forward momentum in our state, and game-changing innovations happen at Auburn every day. Partnerships are vital to the work we do at Auburn. Auburn is uniquely positioned as a land-grant university in the state of Alabama. It’s the mission of land-grant universities to be relevant to the state’s economy. To not just prepare the workforce for the demands of the marketplace, but to advance the workforce through innovations and academic discovery.

Ten or 20 years ago, universities tended to work in silos. We discovered that the best way to further our work on campus was to join forces with the partners who stand to benefit the most from our discoveries. Now, we work in tandem with partners who are investing in Alabama. We’re addressing the complex problems facing our state, region and nation, and we’re fulfilling Auburn’s land-grant mission in new and powerful ways.

A great example is additive manufacturing and our partnership with GE Aviation. So, when GE was looking to use additive in their jet engine manufacturing processes, they knew Auburn could help. And our innovations have helped GE streamline their production process and improve the efficiency of jet engine fuel nozzles. By working with GE, they’re benefitting from our years of research and discovery, and we’re getting to refine and improve our knowledge. It’s a win for our students because they’re learning from the people developing the technology. It’s a win for GE, because they’re increasing production. And it’s a win for the state, because GE is bringing more jobs and investing more money.

The aerospace industry is a huge contributor to our state, and it’s an area where the state of Alabama has taken the lead, and Auburn is working to ensure we stay in the lead. We have a partnership with NASA that leverages our additive manufacturing expertise to build components for the next generation of spacecraft. It’s incredibly exciting that Auburn is directly supporting our country’s efforts to send humans back to the Moon.

Another way we’re responding to an industry need is through our partnership with Delta. Airlines are facing a wave of retirements over the next few years, and they’re in need of the next generation of pilots who are trained using the latest technology. Auburn has trained pilots for more than 75 years. So, it was only natural that we joined forces. Delta now offers our students the opportunity to participate in the Delta Propel Pilot Career Path Program. Students who are selected are matched with a mentor from Delta, and they’re given a qualified job offer and an accelerated timeline to become a Delta pilot.

We’re also working with Delta to solve some of the challenges they face. Auburn is a leader in radio-frequency identification technology, or RFID, and we’ve been able to help Delta use RFID to improve the efficiency and safety of air travel. Now that they’re using RFID, airline employees can walk through the cabin of an airplane and in one minute, know they’re missing a life vest from seat 21D. Or it might say the oxygen mask on seat 14C needs to be swapped out. The process of checking and double-checking was time-consuming and costly, and there is always the possibility of human error. By leveraging RFID technology, we’ve addressed those two challenges the airlines were facing—and we’re saving them money.

Our relationship with Delta has been tremendous for our students, and it’s been an asset to them, for sure. And our partnership keeps growing. In November, we opened the Delta Air Lines Education building, so now our students are benefitting from the best facilities possible and they’re learning from the best.

Auburn is a huge contributor to our state’s innovation economy in other areas, too. We are zeroing in on several innovative ways to impact the health and safety of our citizens. We’re making groundbreaking strides in health sciences, cyber security, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and many other areas that have practical impact.

A great example of this is the Auburn dog. Our Canine Performance Sciences program produces and trains dogs that are considered the gold standard in explosive detection dogs. Auburn dogs detect and follow the vapors that are released from explosives, weapons of mass destruction, deadly chemical agents and other safety threats.

These dogs are trained using technology developed at Auburn, and they’re being used to keep crowds safe at large-scale events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Amtrak uses them and so does the New York Police Department’s Counterterrorism unit. They’re at work in federal buildings across the country.

We’re keeping people safe in other ways, too. Our pharmacy school has partnered with the Justice Department on a forensic chemistry program. It helps law enforcement stay one step ahead of new drugs that are being abused. Opioid abuse is a widespread epidemic in our country, and Auburn is working hard to address it.

A lot of Auburn’s research is focused on addressing challenges that are felt around the world, we always place a priority on initiatives that stand to make a tremendous impact at home. We always ask, “What is best for our students?” And we always ask, “What is best for the state of Alabama?”

Our Rural Studio program recently teamed up with Fannie Mae to increase access to home ownership in some of Alabama’s most underserved rural communities. We wanted to make this partnership even stronger, even more impactful, so we invested seed money in the project. We’re combining teaching, research and service, and as a result, our communities are prosperous and have more opportunity. Our resources and combined talents can make a huge difference in our communities.

As a land-grant university, economic development is in our DNA. We really place a high emphasis on entrepreneurial activity. We are trying to create an atmosphere where ideas can percolate and really take off. Nowhere is this more evident than the growth we are seeing in Auburn Research Park. We’re offering organizations the chance to locate their operations adjacent to Auburn’s campus, so they have easy access to faculty expertise and talented students. We’re creating an area of convergence for research, innovation, entrepreneurship and the arts. It’s a new and dynamic ecosystem where the intersection of disciplines and talent can inspire novel solutions.

You might have heard that we are hiring 500 new faculty members. And as we recruit and onboard these new faculty members, we are being very strategic. We’re looking to add faculty who have existing relationships with private and public partners—faculty who have venture capital. We’re looking to bring people to Auburn who are doing great work in areas where we can make the most impact.

Auburn’s role in economic development makes communities prosper and citizens thrive. And research is behind the innovations that make our lives better. Our role as an economic driver extends far beyond the confines of campus. When we engage with our communities and partners, it improves the world around us.

And our most important partners are the people of the state of Alabama. We reach them through outreach and extension. I like to say that outreach and extension are the front doors to Auburn, and their efforts are extremely important in our communities. They hand-deliver our innovations and give Auburn a presence in every Alabama county.

Our award-winning cooperative extension continues to search for novel ways to serve our citizens. For example, more people in our region are interested in becoming farmers. Many of them are first-generation farmers. To help these budding farmers get started, Extension offers a free, online Farming Basics course. This groundbreaking approach to delivering best practices will make an impact on both new and experienced farmers.

Auburn’s Extension efforts are also nimble and responsive. After Hurricane Michael ripped through the Florida Panhandle and Alabama’s Wiregrass region last October, our experts responded to the very real and immediate need close to home. Auburn experts were on the ground to assess the estimated $204 million in direct damage and $307 million in agricultural losses.

Outreach is also on the ground in our communities to improve the quality of life for our citizens. Our initiatives are helping thousands of children in Alabama’s most underserved areas improve their performance in school and increase their college readiness. Outreach is forging new school partnerships to make attending college a realistic goal for hundreds of economically disadvantaged—but academically promising—Alabama students.

We reach more than 20,000 people each year through Outreach’s continuing education initiatives. Through tailored programming, Auburn is serving a variety of constituencies, ranging from veterans and their families, to our community’s senior citizens. An interdisciplinary team is tackling obesity, a problem faced by more than a third of our state’s population. We are committed to improving the quality of life in our state, and our resources and combined talents can make a huge difference here in Alabama.

We are also committed to expanding our role as a partnership university. The investments we’re making today in our state will allow us to collaborate with a broader range of organizations tomorrow. We are bringing on several accomplished leaders who are going to make partnering with Auburn even more attractive. This week, I’m excited to welcome our new Vice President for Economic Development and Chief of Staff Steve Pelham. You all know him from his work in the governor’s office as chief of staff.

We’re really excited to have his expertise and perspective at Auburn.

Before I turn things back over to Jackson, I close with this. Auburn is moving forward. I say it often, but I want everyone to know. Auburn is moving forward, and we are committed to moving our partners forward, including the state of Alabama. Together, we are headed for a bright and prosperous future.

Thank you again for inviting me to speak to you today. It was great to be with you.