Welcome. My name is Marian Kennedy and I am a tenured faculty member at Clemson University, a research-intensive university located in the southeastern US. As a faculty member, my focus is on developing new knowledge for the materials science community and helping students develop into the next generation of researchers, scholars and leaders. When I initially became a faculty member, the research work carried out by my team centered on elucidating structure-property relationships for metallic thin films. Since then, our work has broadened to encompass a wider array of structural materials and also expanded into new engineering education research. Our work takes part both in traditional experimental laboratories, where testing is done, and in our offices, where we read literature, analyze data, discuss our findings, and think.
In addition to research, I also spend time teaching and providing professional development opportunities to faculty and teachers. Below are pictures from field trips to manufacturing facilities by my students and visiting high school teachers.
Featured Research Project
National Science Foundation Grant- RET Site: Engaging and Enabling Teachers through Advanced Manufacturing Research
This grant funded by the National Science Foundation and will enable 10 high school teachers and community college instructors from South Carolina to conduct research at Clemson University. Each teacher will have agency over their own research project related to the development of advanced manufacturing materials or manufacturing techniques. By participating, the teacher’s confidence about manufacturing, knowledge of new manufacturing opportunities, and the research process is anticipated to increase. At the close of the program, each teacher will be able to convey the research process, the manufacturing landscape within the U.S., manufacturing career opportunities and different educational pathways into manufacturing to their students. More information can be found here.