Lubrizol CEO Rebecca Liebert to deliver 2026 commencement address at Case Western Reserve University
As students from Case Western Reserve University’s Class of 2026 celebrate their graduation during the university’s bicentennial year, they’ll hear from the CEO of a company with historic ties to CWRU.
Rebecca Liebert, president and chief executive officer of Northeast Ohio-headquartered Lubrizol, will deliver the 2026 convocation address on May 13 at Case Western Reserve. She is a leader who has spent her career turning technical expertise into global impact.
As CEO of Lubrizol—a Berkshire Hathaway company co-founded by three brothers who are alumni of the university, and global specialty chemicals leader—Liebert oversees the organization’s business operations and global team, delivering sustainable, science-based solutions that advance mobility, improve well-being and enhance modern life.
“Rebecca represents the kind of leadership we value at Case Western Reserve—grounded in technical excellence and focused on solving real-world challenges. Her career reflects the power of innovation paired with purpose, and I look forward to the insights she will share with our graduates as they mark this important milestone,” said President Eric W. Kaler. “As we celebrate the university’s bicentennial, we are proud to include Lubrizol, a company founded by CWRU alumni and one that has been a significant and longtime corporate partner.”
Before joining Lubrizol, Liebert served as executive vice president at PPG Industries, where she led the company’s global industrial segment and oversaw operations in the Asia Pacific region. Earlier in her career, she was president and CEO of Honeywell UOP and held multiple senior leadership roles within Honeywell. She began her career as a development engineer with Nova Chemicals.
A recognized leader in manufacturing and engineering, Liebert serves as chair of OxyChem and on the boards of the American Chemistry Council and the National Association of Manufacturers. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for her leadership in strengthening and advancing the manufacturing industry.
Liebert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky, a PhD in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Convocation 2026 will take place Wednesday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. at Veale Convocation Center. This celebration, which kicks off a week of commencement activities, is open to all graduating students across the university. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. Find out more about convocation.
A longstanding partnership
The historic relationship between Lubrizol and Case Western Reserve began nearly a century ago when Graphite Oil Products Corporation, now known as Lubrizol, was co-founded by brothers Kent Hale Smith (CSAS 1917, HON 1954), Vincent Kinsman Smith (LAW 1920), and Albert Kelvin Smith (CSAS 1922, HON 1947), father and son Frank A. Nason and F. Alex Nason (CSAS’1922); and Thomas W. James.
Research collaborations between Lubrizol and the university have fueled innovation throughout the university. Support for students includes the Lubrizol Undergraduate Scholarship, Lubrizol Merit Scholarship Fund, and Lubrizol’s support of the Nord Family Emerging Scholars Program.
Transformational gifts helped shape campus infrastructure including The Lubrizol Foundation and Kent H. Smith and Kelvin Smith Fabrication Floor in Sears think[box] and the Kent Hale Smith Instrumentation Laboratory for the Center of Layered Polymeric Systems. Lubrizol co-founders and employee alumni also have significant recognition in the Kelvin Smith Library, including: the Kent Hale Smith Reading Room, the Kent Hale Smith Engineering and Science Wing, the Vincent K. Smith Atrium and Study, the Anne and M. Roger Clapp Reading Room, and the Harry and Sarah Ferber Atrium, endowed by longtime Lubrizol chemist Harry Ferber (CSAS 1935) as a permanent tribute to Lubrizol.
