Kelly G. Pennell, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and director of the UK Superfund Research Center, has been named the inaugural director of engineering research endowments in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Pennell as director of engineering research endowments, effective immediately,” said Rudy Buchheit, the Dr. Rebecca Burchett Liebert Dean. “In this important leadership role, Dr. Pennell will guide the deployment, growth, and stewardship of the college’s expanding portfolio of research endowments that now serve as a critical engine for advancing scholarly excellence, interdisciplinary discovery and graduate research competitiveness.
Pennell brings a distinguished record of achievement as a faculty member, researcher and academic leader. Her scholarly contributions in environmental engineering, risk assessment and emerging contaminants have earned national recognition and sustained federal support. Equally notable is her capacity to build research teams, mentor early-career faculty and cultivate partnerships that amplify the college’s impact.
In this role, Pennell will help sustain the Piman College of Engineering’s large and significant contributions to UK’s research portfolio, with discoveries advancing engineering both locally and globally. She will also continue to foster a college-wide research environment where faculty and students can pursue bold ideas and transformative breakthroughs.
“I am committed to working for the greater good of our research enterprise by focusing my energy and attention on our students, our faculty, our staff and our donors, as well as the broader public we serve through our land-grant mission,” said Pennell. “This new role is both exciting and impactful, offering meaningful opportunities to engage in every stage of the research process—from identifying promising ideas and supporting rigorous peer review to highlighting how scientific discoveries strengthen the research enterprise and benefit society.”
Pennell is an established fate-and-transport expert who has been part of the environmental health and engineering academic community for over a decade working within multi-disciplinary teams across the nation. She is adept at drawing connections between separate disciplines related to complex environmental problems. Her professional background as an environmental consultant, policy liaison and an academic researcher provides unique and critical experience to integrate information resources and meaningfully engage with a variety of stakeholders relevant to the topic of environmental fate and transport.
Since joining UK in 2013, Pennell has held several leadership roles. She has been actively involved in the UK Superfund Research Center, where she was named director in 2020. Additionally, she served in multiple roles for institutes within the Office of the Vice President for Research — as associate director and acting director of the Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute from 2016 to 2019, and acting director of the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment from 2018 to 2019. Pennell also played a key role in establishing the undergraduate environmental engineering certificate in 2018 and serves as director of the program.
