Draper Named Clarkson's Interim Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

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POTSDAM, NY (03/16/2018) Matthew E. Draper '02, '03 MBA has been named interim vice president of Development and Alumni Relations at Clarkson University. He will also continue to serve in his current positions as Executive Director of the Shipley Center for Innovation and as Director of Corporate Engagement.

After graduating from Clarkson in 2003, Draper spent eight years at W.W. Grainger, the world's largest industrial distributor. He held several management positions with progressive responsibilities in sales, supply chain, and operations. Draper returned to his alma mater in October 2010 to launch the Shipley Center, a discovery-driven entrepreneurial support hub that provides inventors and entrepreneurs with access to commercialization expertise, potential investors and University faculty and student resources.

Draper is the co-developer of the Clarkson Model for Commercialization, a process recognized by the Kauffman Foundation as a best-demonstrated practice in technology innovation. The Shipley Center and its staff team have launched over 200 startups since its inception, maintains a regional presence in supporting innovation and idea generation, and supports an active pipeline of over 400 projects at any given time.

In August of 2016, Draper also accepted a cross-appointment in Development & Alumni Relations as the Director of Corporate Engagement. In that role, he has focused on cultivating relationships with key industry partners for recruitment, research, and philanthropy.

Draper graduated from Clarkson in 2002 with a degree in Business Administration. He received his MBA from Clarkson in 2003 with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. He and his wife, Erin '03, are active in the alumni network and engaged in a number of local and regional initiatives throughout the North Country and New York's Capital Region.