Dr. Laura Matz is the Chief Science and Technology for Merck, driving innovation and digitalization in Merck across the 3 business sectors, Life Sciences, Healthcare and Electronics. Serving as an executive vice-president within Merck, she is responsible for the corporate innovation teams including the digital office and new digital business models. She possesses 20 years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing and a decade of experience running semiconductor materials businesses.
Laura is a strong advocate for science and engineering in young talent. She has collaborated with ASU over the past 5 years to build a strong pipeline of interns. In 2020, Laura joined the AICHE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) ILI board (Institute for Learning and Innovation) which serves as a conduit for advancing chemical engineering talent for the U.S. Given that artificial intelligence and machine learning are enablers for the continued growth in the semiconductor industry, she is a member of the SEMI Smart Manufacturing committee as well as the local AZ SEMI committee.
Laura has a PhD in analytical chemistry from Washington State University and undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. When she is not working, Laura enjoys watching soccer games and running in the beautiful Arizona weather.