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Oct. 31, 2012

AUBURN -- Former Auburn football player Dr. John Cochran was presented the 2012 Walter Gilbert Award prior to the Tigers' game against Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday.

The Walter Gilbert Award is given annually to former Auburn athletes who have distinguished themselves through achievements after graduation from Auburn. The award is given in memory of the Tigers' three-time All-America center Walter Gilbert, who later became vice president of Texaco's European Oil Operations.

Cochran lettered at linebacker for Auburn from 1963-65. He was named to the Academic All-SEC team and the National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete team in 1965 when he had an A+ average in aerospace engineering. He also was awarded Auburn's Cliff Hare Award and the President's Award in 1965.

"I'm real fortunate to receive the award," Cochran said. "You have a lot of people who received it that are extremely successful, and there are a lot of other folks out there that I know that if they'd been nominated, I might not have. It is a tremendous honor."

A native of Crossville, Ala., Cochran graduated from Auburn in 1966 with a degree in aerospace engineering and stayed at Auburn to get his master's in 1967. He began looking at fellowships to pursue a doctorate, and in 1970, Cochran received a Ph.D., also in aerospace engineering, from the University of Texas at Austin. He also received his J.D. in Law from the Jones Law School in 1976.

After spending more than two decades as a professor at Auburn and performing research in his field, Cochran was named head of Auburn's Department of Aerospace Engineering, a position he still holds today.

Col. Jim Voss (Auburn '72) is a retired NASA Astronaut, one of Cochran's former students, and a fellow Walter Gilbert Award winner. With almost 20 years of service as professor and head, Cochran says he is still motivated by students like Voss who want to develop their interests in science and technology the way Cochran did more than 40 years ago.

Cochran's tenure of teaching and research has been concerned with a range of topics in the areas of astrodynamics, guidance, dynamics, control, and stability of motion. He has taught numerous courses, including basic and advanced astrodynamics, aircraft stability and control, dynamics of flight, aircraft structures, optimal control, spacecraft attitude dynamics and control, and engineering law and ethics.

The author or co-author of more than 150 technical papers and reports, many of his journal publications have dealt with spacecraft attitude dynamics and control. Working with graduate students, Dr. Cochran has also developed simulations of aerospace systems including towed maneuverable atmospheric flight vehicles, missile launchers, and tethered satellites.

As a consultant to engineering firms and corporations, Dr. Cochran has provided technical advice in the areas of dynamics and guidance and control of airplanes, missiles, fixed-wing and helicopters and spacecraft.

He has consulted with law firms on product liability cases and the Department of Justice on intellectual property issues. In addition, he has presented seminars to engineers on legal topics such as contracts, products liability, professional liability, and environmental law.

Cochran was joined by his wife, Carol, and sons, Chris and Jonathan, in receiving the award.

Cochran is the 32nd recipient of the Walter Gilbert Award.

Walter Gilbert Award Recipients:

Year          Athlete                      Sport
1981          Joe Stewart                  Football
1982          Thomas K. McGehee            Football
1983          Joel Eaves                   Football
1984          Dr. David Middleton          Football
1985          William A. Fickling, Jr.     Basketball
1986          Ted Fereira                  Football
1987          John Adcock                  Football
1988          Bill Nichols                 Football
1989          C.H. "Babe" McGehee          Football
1990          Billy Hitchcock              Baseball, Football
1991          Vince Dooley                 Football, Basketball
1992          Jeff Beard                   Track
1993          Morris Savage                Football
1994          Ed Dyas                      Football
1995          Lloyd Nix                    Football
1996          Richard Guthrie              Football, Track
1997          Jim Voss                     Wrestling
1998          Ernie Warren                 Football
1999          Dr. James E. Martin          Basketball
2000          John Mengelt                 Basketball
2001          Hal Herring                  Football
2002          Jim Fibbe                    Basketball
2003          Mac Crawford                 Football
2004          Charles Carlan               Baseball
2005          David Marsh                  Swimming
2006          R. Kenneth Johns             Football
2007          D. Gaines Lanier             Football
2008          Pat Sullivan                 Football
2009          Ray Groover                  Basketball
2010          Ken Rice                     Football
2011          Read Montague                Track & Field
2012          Dr. John Cochran             Football

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