Experts Guide
Whether you’re looking for commentary on breaking trends shaping the world or a background briefing, our experts are available to help.
Clemson's Experts at Work
Hidden treasures of America’s national parks are closer than you might think
America is becoming a nation of homebodies
Many gluten-free foods are high in calories and sugar, low on fiber and protein, and they cost more − new research
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World-renowned in the fields of physics, chemistry and spectroscopy, Ken Marcus’ discoveries have fueled innovations in health care, national defense, advanced materials and other industries. His fierce curiosity and commitment to excellence have led to a broad-ranging career that encompasses everything from nuclear forensics to race cars. He is a subject matter expert in nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation, analytical chemistry, biopharmaceuticals and physics. He has produced more Ph.D.’s through his research group, per capita, than nearly any other office on campus.
The animal-human bond is unique and profound. As the founding dean of Clemson’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM is leading the effort to increase the number of veterinary clinicians and scientists to positively impact people and animals in South Carolina and beyond. Dr. Marks’ expertise is in general veterinary topics, small animal internal medicine and small animal emergency medicine.
With timber as a renewable, carbon-friendly resource, Dustin Albright’s research focuses on different applications of prefabricated light-framing and mass timber systems, including those with cross-laminated timber (CLT). The use of timber in buildings positively impacts its carbon footprint, and, for South Carolina, it contributes to the state’s $21 billion forest products industry. As a founding member of Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute, Albright’s work contributes to wood-based construction materials’ design advancements.
Society depends on cloud-computing in ways most people don’t even realize. It’s more than photo storage. It’s being able to go to school online during a pandemic, knowing how long an automobile wreck is going to delay a commute, and providing a developing country with an opportunity to communicate and export goods globally. As an internationally recognized expert and leader in her field, Amy Apon explores the performance, improvement and evaluation of parallel and distributed systems, and utilizes various cloud-computing architectures in order to solve important scientific and industry-related problems.
Every year, the White House releases an economic report. If you look in the chapter on international trade, Scott Baier and his co-author’s information can usually be found there. Baier is a nationally recognized thought leader in economics whose research consistently has a real-world impact on trade policy. His subject matter expertise includes but is not limited to the causes and consequences of globalization, the economic impact of free trade agreements and economic growth. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a senior economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors under George W. Bush. From 1999-2012, Baier was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta. He has also served as a consultant to the Congressional Budget Office, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Kimberly Baker comes to work every day with food on the brain. Whether it’s food safety, shelf stability or the creation of nutrition fact panels, Baker’s expertise in food science, nutrition and the culinary arts addresses food safety from a unique scientific and health-conscious perspective – without sacrificing flavor. Her work includes establishing the Food2Market program and teaching all aspects of food safety, working with food entrepreneurs, small and large manufacturers, organizations, consumers, farmers and both state and national entities.
Laine Mears is an advanced manufacturing expert within the Clemson University Department of Automotive Engineering. With nearly three decades of experience in education and industry, his work spans advanced controls for manufacturing, assembly processes, human-machine interaction, Industry 4.0 and national advanced manufacturing trends. Mears works closely with industry to integrate real-world problems into his manufacturing labs, which aim to mimic working factories with a full vehicle assembly line, and teams of multidisciplinary staff and students from all levels of the engineering spectrum at the Clemson Vehicle Assembly Center. Through Mears’ work, Clemson is on the leading edge of human-focused Industry 4.0 research through a number of projects.
Optical fibers are used in a growing range of applications central to modern life ranging from communications, e-commerce, manufacturing, defense and medicine. John Ballato has spent his career researching the fundamentals of fiber optic development by looking at materials and how they influence light. His work has led Clemson to become the only university in the United States with the industry scale capability to make and test optical fiber.
Mental health is a critical component of overall well-being that influences one’s ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships and contribute to communities. Studies have shown a concerning correlation between social media use and mental health challenges. Clemson University expert Brooke Bennett addresses the impact social media has on body image and how negative body image affects those struggling with mental health. She examines how the shift from traditional media to influencer culture has affected modern-day body ideals and increased the range of people negatively impacted by body image.
It is believed there are over 5 million insect species on earth. While most insects are beneficial, most people can agree you don’t want any pests in your home, office space or anywhere else you commonly frequent. At Clemson, one man has dedicated his life to figuring out how to control the unwelcome intruders in our lives. Eric Benson studies the insects that invade the places where we live, work and play, analyzing their habits and learning their weaknesses. He uses the data he collects to create new and better ways to manage them.