Michael Kennedy prepares his students for their industry careers by integrating industry practices and management elements into his classrooms.  A mechanical engineer by training, he joined EKU in Fall 2018, following a 20+ year industry career as product developer, process creator and senior manager.

At Lexmark International, Dr. Kennedy created, designed and delivered complex, software-controlled, electro-mechanical products and devices. As a Senior Manager, he led and developed global, cross-functional teams (70+ global staff) through all aspects of product development, design, manufacturing and customer use.  In other roles, he built new processes in product realization, evaluation and testing, quality, manufacturing, organizational skills development and customer experience.

He has been a supportive and long-term contributor to engineering education, having served on two department advisory boards, speaking to classes and sponsoring more than 50 senior capstone projects over a decade.

Dr. Kennedy earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and was utilized extensively in a book that he co-authored with his professor, Superior Product Development: Managing the Process for Innovative Products. He also attained M.S.M.E. and B.S.M.E. from Tennessee.