Dr. Kenneth J. McDonald, Ph.D.

Dr. Kenneth McDonald is an associate professor and deputy director of the chemistry program in the Department of Chemical & Biological Science & Engineering (CBSE) at the United States Military Academy (USMA). He teaches courses in physical chemistry, materials engineering and general chemistry. 

He earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from Illinois State University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Dr. McDonald received a doctorate in inorganic chemistry in 2012 from Purdue University, where he studied the electrochemical synthesis of semiconductors for use in photoelectrochemical cells to split water into H₂ and O₂ using solar energy.

After receiving his doctorate, Dr. McDonald worked for the Toyota Research Institute of North America for two years before returning to higher education. He has been at USMA since 2016 and has taught in the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering - now Civil & Environmental Engineering (Engineering Materials and Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanics and Design) - and the Department of Chemistry and Life Science - now the Department of Chemical & Biological Science & Engineering (General Chemistry I/II and Physical Chemistry I/II).