Aerospace engineering senior sweeps 2025 Sigma Gamma Tau undergraduate awards
Published: Apr 22, 2025 11:00 AM
By Caitlyn Griffin
Ayden Kemp, a senior in aerospace engineering and an honors student, swept the 2025 Sigma Gamma Tau (SGT) Undergraduate Awards, winning the South Central regional and the Harry H. Hilton national award. He became the second Auburn student to receive the national award, following the footsteps of Sarah Blackmar in 2003.
"I am most proud of this award for the way it represents Auburn University," Kemp said. "This award feels more like an accomplishment for Auburn than a personal success. Winning an award like this helps raise the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering's profile on national and global levels. I am honored to help increase Auburn's recognition in every way I can."
SGT is the honor society for aerospace engineering, seeking to identify and promote achievement and excellence in aeronautics and astronautics. These highly competitive awards aim to recognize young, outstanding students as they begin their professional careers.
"Membership is only extended to the top 20-30% of each graduating class, so just being a member of SGT is a remarkable accomplishment," said Anwar Ahmed, SGT faculty advisor and professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. "This award is the top SGT award and could be equated to being selected as the top aerospace engineering student in the country."
Three judges reviewed each applicant's credentials and essays and chose the nine regional winners, each receiving a plaque and $250 prize. The national winner is selected from the regional winners and won an additional $750.
The judges evaluated students based on their academic honors and distinctions, involvement in extracurricular activities and technical achievements, such as special projects and published papers.
Kemp, a fourth-generation aerospace engineer, distinguished himself through his undergraduate experience, having interned with Barrios Technology at Johnson Space Center in support of the ISS, and Jacobs Technology, supporting environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) research at Marshall Space Flight Center.
In addition to serving as a physics supplemental instruction leader, Kemp operated as an undergraduate research assistant in the College of Agriculture and engineering intern with the Boeing Industry Design Experience for Auburn Students (IDEAS) program. He also holds leadership roles as president of SGT and Alpha Epsilon, the honor society for biosystems engineering.
Ayden is no stranger to honors at Auburn University. He is also a Grand Challenges Scholar,
the 2024 Outstanding Departmental Student Award for biosystems engineering, 2024 ASABE K.K. Barnes Student Paper Award, Outstanding BSEN Student, 2025 Graduate Engineering Research Showcase biosystems winner, 2024 AUSome Science Video Competition undergraduate winner and winner of Auburn’s Three Minute Thesis competition.
In May 2024, Kemp graduated with his bachelor's in biosystems engineering and began his master's in the fall. The Goldwater Scholar and Astronaut Scholar will earn his second undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering in May.
"This award is a testament to Ayden's well-roundedness as a student," Ahmed said. "Ayden has a remarkable record of service, leadership, research and internships, as well as clear goals for his future that made him stand out as a candidate. He is a shining example of the kind of education Auburn and the Department of Aerospace Engineering strive to offer."
Media Contact: , cvg0007@auburn.edu,
Ayden Kemp, a senior in aerospace engineering and an honors student, swept the 2025 Sigma Gamma Tau (SGT) Undergraduate Awards, winning the South Central regional and the Harry H. Hilton national award.