Tony Brennan, Ph.D., retired in 2019 after nearly three decades as an innovator, leader and mentor to countless students and others along the way.

Dr. Brennan and his wife Kathy were consistent champions of our dedicated staff, recognizing its critical role in keeping everything moving as smoothly as possible – all while working primarily behind the scenes.

With their selfless generosity, the Brennan’s ensured that the hard-working members of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering staff are recognized for their outstanding efforts by endowing the Tony and Kathy Brennan Staff Excellence Award.

This year, we have selected two staff members for this distinction. They are being recognized for their front-line efforts to ensure that our physical infrastructure and personnel were consistently safe and for maintaining the stability of the department’s programs during a global pandemic. They are well known in the department and work closely with both faculty and students.

This year’s winners of the Tony and Kathy Brennan Staff Excellence Award are Laboratory and Safety Manager Kevin Gilley, Ph.D., and Facility Operations Manager Mark Haberman. Congratulations to both of them on this prestigious honor!