In her talk “A Series of Fortunate Events: My Journey as a Cornell Chemical Engineer,” Kathleen Vaeth, ’94, shared her diverse career journey. She highlighted how her solid foundation from Cornell helped her succeed in various roles and industries. Her flexible career approach drove her success and enabled her to contribute meaningfully to a variety of fields.
After earning a master’s and doctoral degree in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she was a Hertz Fellow, Vaeth embarked on a journey spanning startups, mid-sized and large industrial companies, and academia. From developing advanced products for OLED display technologies, wireless sensors, and automotive applications to innovating in commercial printing and power generation, her work reflects a broad application of chemical engineering principles.
Vaeth began her career at Eastman Kodak as a senior researcher and project manager in Kodak Research Labs and advanced to the position of director of future technology for the functional printing business. She then served as vice president of engineering at microGen Systems, focusing on development of MEMS vibrational energy harvesters. Vaeth also served as a senior lecturer and industrial practitioner at the R.F. Smith School, where she created and taught courses on entrepreneurial engineering product design. Prior to her current position, she was the director of user experience and technical sales at OLEDWorks where she managed programs for the automotive, general lighting and microdisplay markets.
Today, as senior research and development engineering manager for new and advanced sensor products at Qualitrol Corporation, Vaeth leads a team dedicated to developing innovative sensor solutions for monitoring the electric grid.
Vaeth is an Optica Fellow and serves as vice-chair of the Health Care Services Board of Rochester Regional Health as well as a member of the R. F. Smith School’s advisory council and the President’s Council of Cornell Women. She has authored over 20 publications, holds 30 U.S. patents, and has delivered numerous invited talks. She lives in Rochester, N.Y., with her husband and two teenage sons.