New employee spotlight: Fanny Coutelot and Kevin Ozment

This week, the Clemson Family welcomes Fanny Coutelot, Ph.D, and Kevin Ozment. While the paths they followed to Tigertown are quite different, Coutelot and Ozment share a sense of gratitude and excitement for their new positions at Clemson.

Fanny Coutelot is a research associate in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences who studies the dynamics of trace elements in the environment. She conducts research from the Rich Laboratory at the University’s Advanced Materials Center in Anderson. Originally from France, Coutelot holds a doctorate from the University of Bordeaux. She comes to Clemson from the University of Georgia, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher based at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. While at UGA, Coutelot helped to organize an international conference on heavy metals in the environment. She also served as a mentor for two master’s students who are now working in the field.

Coutelot—who brings her cat, Kitoune, with her—was attracted to Clemson because of its research community. At the University, she sees “potential for very interesting research in an active community.” Coutelot’s research on the fate and transport of trace elements aids the construction of quantitative models which contribute to our understanding of contaminant transport in the environment and helps engineers design effective remediation approaches. “Clemson University is a great community, which has a lot of equipment and people who are excited about good research,” said Coutelot.

Kevin Ozment moved from his hometown of Greensboro, NC, to the Clemson area, where he will join the Clemson University Police Department as an officer. Yet Ozment’s transition is not only a geographic one: he is also moving out of retirement. Following 32 years of service as a firefighter, Ozment retired from the City of Greensboro Fire Department in January. Spending more than three decades in one of the most dangerous professions imaginable might make some want to slow down as they enter retirement—but not Ozment. As a retiree, he seized an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream while moving closer to family.

After visiting family in the area, Ozment and his wife, Paula, decided they had to move to Clemson. “The atmosphere in the area is amazing,” says Ozment. “After coming here to visit the area, I said I wanted to be a part of what’s going on here.” Ozment’s interest in moving to Clemson and his desire to stay active in the emergency services field led him to a job posting for the Clemson University Police Department. This was an offer he could not ignore. “I’ve wanted to be an officer since I was young,” says Ozment.

While Ozment surely has a lot to look forward to in his new role at Clemson, he takes time to look back and reflect on the relationships that helped him get here. When asked what accomplishment he’s most proud of, Ozment replied, “Having the support of my loving wife. She was willing to let a retired fireman start a new career in a new city. Without having her by my side and having the support of the rest of my family, I’m not sure where I would’ve ended up or what I would be doing after retirement. I am so happy to be in Clemson and appreciate everyone’s warm welcome.”