My name is Kenny.

I am a husband, engineer, racer, photographer, and musician.

I am a composite of the things I’ve done, where I’ve come from, and the people who have shaped me. I have many hobbies and interests all of which are connected by a desire to learn more about the world around me. This desire to learn has guided me to my current pursuit of a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia. I want to use my engineering training to improve the sustainability of humankind through the development of innovative materials and their production methods.

I was raised in a suburb of Detroit, called Sterling Heights, until 2004 when my family moved to Mooresville, NC. As a student I enjoyed math and science, so I participated in extracurricular activities like the FIRST Lego Robotics League and Science Olympiad. At the same time I was racing gokarts and Bandolero racecars, which cemented my interest in engineering because I enjoyed working on the cars and thinking of ways to make them go faster. After graduating high school in 2010, I began my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University. I chose Clemson for its history of automotive and motorsports engineering, and I took full advantage of the resources they had to offer to undergraduate students. I interned with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, co-oped at the Michelin Americas Research Center, and spent five years working with the Clemson Formula SAE (CUFSAE) team. I honed my engineering and leadership skills with CUFSAE by taking on roles such as Chassis Division Leader, Chief Engineer, and Team Leader. The Formula SAE experience was formative for me, and the long and hard hours of work culminated in a job offer from Team Penske to work as a design engineer for their NASCAR teams.

Working for one of the most successful motorsports organizations in history was an incredible experience. I worked with world class engineers, machinists, and fabricators daily, and I had the opportunity to design components and systems using a wide variety of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. I learned how to design creatively, quickly, and accurately so we could bring the best products to the track as quickly as possible. I learned how to work with multiple stakeholders and how to effectively communicate with and build consensus among my teammates. During my tenure at Team Penske, we won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2018 with Joey Logano in the #22 car, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship in 2015 and 2017, and many races along the way.

Although working for Team Penske was a life dream achieved, I knew that my engineering career had more room to grow. My passion for motorsports had not waned, but I realized that I wanted to make greater contributions to the world with my engineering training. I began applying to graduate programs and was recruited to the PhD program at the University of Virginia by Dr. Chris Li. He, and many other university faculty and staff, espoused the UVA mission to create engineering leaders rather than engineering specialists, which fully resonated with my newfound ambitions. I hope to someday lead teams of engineers to develop the technologies that will improve the lives of my fellow humans while reducing our impact on the environment. I believe that pursuing a PhD at UVA will give me the tools and experience I need to achieve this goal and I’m excited to rise to the challenges ahead.