Clemson professor Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte wins Fulbright to Sweden

Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson University, is planning a four-month visit to Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, after being named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar. The trip is part of his effort to build strategic international partnerships that could benefit South Carolina, including ties with companies such as Volvo, SKF and Enviro.

Martinez-Duarte’s research focuses on transforming renewable materials—such as cellulose, paper and bacterial fibers—into carbon structures for use in batteries and other technologies. He is believed to be the first faculty member in Clemson’s Department of Mechanical Engineering to earn a Fulbright and the first from Clemson to Sweden. Martinez-Duarte expects to depart in March 2026.