Joseph Affholter is an experienced entrepreneur, scientist and technology commercialization specialist. As the MTRAC Commercialization Program Director and Associate Director of Technology Transfer at Michigan State University, he provides leadership to the MTRAC program and directs its outreach, education, communication and commercialization efforts.
He has been active in the mid-Michigan entrepreneurial ecosystem for decades. He is the former Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), a former Dow Chemical research scientist and an experienced life science (biotechnology) leader and industry executive.
Most recently, he has served as a member of the entrepreneurship faculty at Central Michigan University. He is also a co-founder, director and former senior executive of an agricultural life science firm based in Midland, MI.
Joe is a named inventor on more than 22 patents and has been involved in developing platform technology innovations in the biomedical, agriculture, chemical and energy industries.
Through his Michigan-based consulting and innovation firm he has been involved in leading and advising technical, corporate and startup leadership teams for more than 20 years.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Michigan Technological University and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Molecular Pharmacology.