Madison and Jared Powell arrived in Auburn as newlyweds with different dreams and separate career goals. Now, they will walk across the same graduation stage as Dr. Powell and Dr. Powell, earning Ph.D.s. Their fields could not be more different, but a shared Auburn experience turned two individual journeys into a milestone achieved together.
Jared came to Alabama to pursue a dream tied to Auburn since childhood. Though raised in Michigan, he grew up cheering for the Tigers because his father played baseball here in the late 1980s. Discovering Auburn’s strong experimental plasma physics program confirmed that this was where he belonged.
“I’ve been an Auburn sports fan my entire life,” he said. “When I found out how good the plasma program was here, it sealed the deal.”
Madison planned to complete a master’s degree in education administration, not a doctorate. She wanted to impact students and teachers, but the support she found at Auburn led her toward a bigger opportunity. Professors encouraged her to continue, and a close cohort made the work meaningful.
“I just enjoyed it,” she said. “They told me I was seven classes and a dissertation away from a Ph.D., and I thought, ‘That’s just eight things. I can do eight things.’”
Madison’s research focuses on authentic leadership in education and how momentous experiences, such as nature-based learning trips, help build stronger school leaders. She hopes her work will support teachers, students and future administrators in developing transparent, empathetic leadership. Her path in school leadership has now led her to serve as an assistant principal in Opelika.
Jared’s research tackles the “radio blackout” problem that affects spacecraft when they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. His dissertation explores how radio waves travel through plasma and how to improve communication during re-entry. “I’m proud to make one small contribution to a problem people have worked on for more than 60 years,” he said.
Like many graduate students, both Powells spent late nights writing, revising chapters and preparing for their defenses. They understood each other’s workload because they were living it at the same time. Their dog, they joked, deserves an honorary degree after sitting through every practice presentation.
Outside of academics, they protected their time together by never skipping daily workouts. OrangeTheory became their shared escape. “It’s guaranteed time we can spend together,” Jared said.
Auburn soon became more than a place to study. Community, opportunity and small traditions, like Toomer’s lemonade or spotting toilet paper in downtown streets after a big win, made it home. “Auburn people love Auburn,” Madison said. “Not just the winning or just sports. All of it.”
Jared will begin a postdoctoral research appointment at Auburn in January, working on additional experiments and publications before pursuing a career in industry. Madison hopes to one day become a principal, and maybe even a superintendent, focusing on leadership that supports students and teachers. Both careers look outward, toward impact far beyond campus.
A single Ph.D. represents persistence and long nights of work. Two Ph.D.s under one roof represent something deeper, devotion not only to their fields but to each other. As Auburn welcomes the Powells across the graduation stage, the community celebrates not just two new doctors, but a family whose Auburn story is just beginning.
Courtesy of Auburn University
