The start of a new year is a time of reflection, celebration, and transition. However, the transition can also feel overwhelming and intimidating. Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) alumni Marian and Richard Clancy understand this perspective all too well. Their connection to Tech runs so deep that they even exchanged their wedding vows on campus, commemorating two life-changing transitions in one special place: from students to graduates, from individuals to life partners. Reflecting now, they see their Georgia Tech experience as the foundation for what followed – in careers, personal growth, and lifelong learning.

Marian began her career in BASF’s Professional Development Program, a two-year rotational program that exposed her to a range of departments, industries, and locations. At the time, BASF was actively recruiting female engineers, and the program was designed to help young professionals explore where they could best fit – rather than committing to a more permanent career path so quickly.

After just her third assignment, Marian had already shifted from the textile industry to BASF’s Polymers Division Plastics Group. “I loved tech service. For an engineer, it was the ultimate in exposure to a variety of situations, products, and industries,” said Marian. “Clients bought plastics, but the applications could be in toothbrush bristles, automotive headliner fabric, fishing line, paper machine felts used to make paper, industrial filaments for brushes, even Christmas trees, you name it.”

Marian credits Georgia Tech with preparing her to succeed in any role. “The most important thing I learned at Georgia Tech is how to learn,” she says. In time, Marian’s career led her into the semiconductor industry and worldwide supplier quality. “The ability to teach myself whatever I needed to get the job done was invaluable in advancing my career, while taking me all over the world, including extended assignments in Mexico, the Philippines, and Korea. It was very exciting!”

Richard reflects on their shared journey— both professional and personal— and how materials science shaped their thinking. “We developed our skills in the workplace and in our personal lives, and in so many ways, they overlap,” he says. “That’s part of what materials engineering teaches you: things are not separate. They are interconnected because everything has a microstructure, just like we learned in class.”

Both Richard and Marian continued to draw heavily on their MSE foundations as Richard moved into Lean operations and management while Marian built a career in Six Sigma.

Richard’s advice to current and future MSE students is simple: “Don’t feel pressured to make a decision at 18 that defines your entire future. Don’t worry. Just be curious, and enjoy the process,” he says.

Over the years, the Clancys have navigated careers spanning large corporations, start-ups, semiconductors, automotive, bio-tech pharmaceuticals, defense and space, homeschooling, and political engagement. They credit their adaptability to the problem-solving mindset and foundation cultivated at Georgia Tech. They encourage students to embrace the same openness and sense of adventure: “Treat Georgia Tech like a lab experiment. Take as many classes as you can, even in subjects you don’t think you’ll enjoy,” Richard advises. “You don’t really know what will be useful 10 years down the road in your career.”

Ultimately, the advice the Clancys share extends beyond academics. “Enjoy the process of learning,” Richard says. “Your Georgia Tech degree gives you a foundation strong enough to take on just about anything you set your mind to,” adds Marian. 

For Marian and Richard Clancy, Georgia Tech was more than a degree— it was the place where they honed their skills, expanded their perspectives, and built a life together. And just as their own story began on campus, they hope the next generation of MSE graduates will launch their own adventures with curiosity, courage, and openness to everything the world has to offer.