As part of her Ph.D. project on advanced ceramic materials for next-generation energy technologies in the group of Professor Feldhoff, Merle Wellmann is currently spending four months as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Clemson University in South Carolina. The research stay provides not only access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and scientific expertise, but also valuable insights into the international materials science community.
Before departing for the United States, Wellmann attended the Fulbright orientation meeting in Berlin, where she met fellow German Fulbright scholars representing a wide range of academic disciplines. The international Fulbright network is one of the program's defining features and supports its participants well beyond the duration of their stay abroad.
At Clemson University, Wellmann is conducting research in the group of Professor Kyle Brinkman in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She is hosted by the newly established Advanced Materials Innovation Complex (AMIC), an interdisciplinary research facility that brings together scientists and engineers from a wide range of disciplines. The modern research infrastructure provides opportunities to carry out experiments that are difficult to realize at many other institutions.
Just two weeks after arriving in the United States, Wellmann presented her research at the International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC 2026) in Daytona Beach, Florida. The conference brought together researchers from academia and industry and provided an opportunity to discuss current developments in advanced ceramics while establishing new international collaborations.
Her research at Clemson focuses on oxygen transport processes in ceramic materials for next-generation energy technologies. Using the electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) technique, she investigates material properties that are relevant for applications such as solid oxide fuel cells and other energy-related technologies. The research stay benefits not only from the advanced experimental facilities but also from the close scientific exchange with researchers at Clemson.
Beyond the research itself, the many interactions with researchers and students contribute significantly to the experience. The open and interdisciplinary research environment at Clemson University encourages collaboration across disciplines and provides new perspectives on scientific challenges. The experience and international contacts gained during the stay are expected to further strengthen the collaboration between the participating research groups in the future.
