Dr. Ethel Cormier and Kathryn Stewart elected to Michigan State University Research Foundation Board of Directors

EAST LANSING, Mich. –– The Michigan State University Research Foundation (MSU Research Foundation) announced that Dr. Ethel Cormier and Kathryn Stewart have been elected to the organization’s board of directors.

“With the addition of Ethel Cormier and Kathryn Stewart to our board, we’ve strengthened our position of advancing initiatives for both the university and the entire state of Michigan.” said David Washburn, Executive Director of the MSU Research Foundation.

Dr. Ethel Cormier

Cormier is retired from a management role at the Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G), where she spent her career in Research & Development. During her time with the company, she worked in several divisions, including beauty care, food and beverages, health care, pharmaceuticals and family care, including an Asia regional assignment located in Kobe, Japan.

She was co-founder of the RTCI Program, P&G’s recruiting conference for outstanding African American, Hispanic, Native American and other doctoral and postdoctoral scientists.

“I’m passionate about scientific research, and I have a heart for making opportunities in the field of science possible for those who might not otherwise have them,” Cormier said. “Michigan State and the MSU Research Foundation provide avenues for us to explore these possibilities, and I’m delighted to be a part of that.”

Cormier earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology in 1978 from MSU’s College of Natural Science. From there she went on to earn a master’s degree in biology from Texas Southern University and a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Kathryn Stewart

In addition to founding Cranbrook Capital, which provides seed and early-stage capital

to emerging tech-focused companies, Stewart was a telecommunications engineer with Chevron in San Francisco, where her design and implementation work included 450 megahertz radio, 2 gigahertz microwave and voice/data network design.

“I consider it a true honor to serve on the MSU Research Foundation board, at the institution that granted me my first degree,” Stewart said. “I think my experience makes me well suited to support the foundation’s work in the areas of economic development and technology commercialization.”

Stewart also was partner at Alex.Brown and served as a managing director at Deutsche Bank. She said she has a very keen interest in supporting university-based entrepreneurs.

“The university environment offers a rich combination of intellectual vigor, creativity and youthful energy,” Stewart said. “This doesn’t guarantee success, but it makes it more likely.”

Stewart is a board member at the Venture Lab Advisory Board at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, serves on the Robert H. Smith School of Business Advisory Board and the Dingman Board of Advisors at the University of Maryland and is a committee member of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory-Tech Commercialization Panel.

Stewart holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the Wharton School.

“Ethel and Kathryn bring with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise in the fields of science, engineering, finance and business, and this is going to prove invaluable in helping us achieve our mission,” Washburn said. “I welcome them to the MSU Research Foundation, and I can’t wait to work with them.”

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