Margaret Pafford is the Interim Executive Director of Corporate Engagement at Case Western Reserve University. In this role, she leads strategy and relationship-building initiatives, connecting industry partners with CWRU's world-class academic resources, research capabilities, and talent.
Margaret brings a deep understanding of corporate R&D and strategic partnerships to the university, having spent over 15 years at The Lubrizol Corporation. During her tenure, she held progressive leadership roles, culminating as the Director of External Technology and Open Innovation. Her extensive background in navigating corporate innovation, managing R&D portfolios, and directing intellectual property strategy enables her to expertly bridge the gap between academic research and commercial business objectives.
A chemist by training, Margaret understands the lifecycle of technological advancement from the lab bench to commercial-scale production. She began her career as a Senior Research Scientist at Rohm and Haas Company, focusing on electronic materials and polymer design. She also maintains a strong commitment to scientific education, having previously served on the chemistry faculty at both John Carroll University and Arcadia University.
Margaret holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Scranton and is a proud Fulbright Scholar.