NC State Names Dawn Mason Assistant Vice Chancellor for Partnerships

Dawn Mason, Ph.D., has been named NC State’s new assistant vice chancellor for partnerships, effective September 12. In this position, Mason will be integral to fostering strategic collaborations between the university and industry, government and nonprofit partners. 

“Dawn brings extensive experience leading and developing successful partnerships,” said NC State Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Partnerships and Economic Development (EAPED) Julie Smith. “As a longtime partner of the university, her unique insights will be invaluable as we work to create impactful collaborations.”

Mason comes to NC State from Eastman, where she oversaw global external innovation, including serving as the primary liaison for the company’s partnership with NC State and leading the Eastman Innovation Center on Centennial Campus. Her leadership helped drive the decade-long partnership, which saw Eastman hire 112 students, invest more than $20 million in research and report $220 million in return on investment.

“I’m honored to join the Wolfpack as part of the Office of Partnerships,” said Mason. “By working alongside our partners and the university community, I’m excited to build upon our collaborations while developing new opportunities for faculty and students.”

By working alongside our partners and the university community, I’m excited to build upon our collaborations while developing new opportunities for faculty and students.

During her time at Eastman, Mason spearheaded successful units, which advanced technologies from catalysis to polymer modification and process improvement. In addition, she served in a variety of leadership roles within Eastman spanning 20 years. Mason has held a number of managerial positions with a proven record of driving effective talent and portfolio management, and aligning organizational strategies to achieve specific goals. She started her career as a chemist at DuPont.

In her new role, Mason joins the leadership team in EAPED’s Office of Partnerships. She will oversee and provide leadership support for the unit’s core partnership development function — working to expand collaborations across disciplines while helping bring in new strategic opportunities. 

“We are thrilled for Dawn to join the partnerships team,” added Mark Schmidt, Ph.D., NC State’s associate vice chancellor for partnerships. “Through this new position, she will enhance corporate engagement as we continue to help further NC State’s mission.”

Mason earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri and her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Texas A&M. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.

In addition to helping manage the overall partnership portfolio, Mason will also assist in implementing recommendations resulting from the Corporate Relations Task Force. The internal task force, charged by Chancellor Woodson to create a more collaborative model for university-wide corporate engagement, provided key insights to help position NC State for continued future success. 

NC State’s Office of Partnerships actively manages 134 partnerships between NC State and industry, government and nonprofit organizations, with more than 70 of these partners based on Centennial Campus. The team works to build and grow long-term, strategic collaborations in order to provide meaningful opportunities to faculty and students, drive innovation and spur economic growth.