Rachel Watson Clark
About Rachel Watson Clark
Rachel Watson Clark serves as the Principal Leader for Advanced Materials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she applies her extensive background in chemistry and materials science. With a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA, she has held various leadership roles at The Clorox Company, focusing on research development and innovation.
Work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Rachel Watson Clark has been serving as Principal Leader for Advanced Materials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 2023. In this role, she focuses on advancing material science and technology. Her position involves leading initiatives that integrate various scientific disciplines to drive innovation and support the laboratory's mission.
Education and Expertise
Rachel Watson Clark earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA, where she studied from 1993 to 1997. She also holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College, completed between 1987 and 1991. Her educational background has equipped her with a strong foundation in chemistry, which she has expanded to include geology, microbiology, food science, and formulation.
Background in Research and Development
Before her current role, Rachel Watson Clark held several positions at The Clorox Company. She served as Director of Research Development for Renew Life from 2017 to 2019 and as Associate Director for Cleaning from 2015 to 2017. She later became Director of Research Development for Global Technical Discovery for Cleaning from 2019 to 2022. In these roles, she was responsible for leading research initiatives and managing teams to develop innovative cleaning products.
Achievements in Leadership and Innovation
Throughout her career, Rachel Watson Clark has successfully led cross-functional teams to explore new business models and growth opportunities. She has experience in commercializing products from development to manufacturing scale-up and launch. Additionally, she has redesigned R&D organizations to create frameworks that support individual contributions and collaborative efforts.
Passion for Technology and Business Opportunities
Rachel Watson Clark is passionate about unlocking insights that merge technology with consumer benefits. She focuses on positioning products to create business opportunities, demonstrating her commitment to innovation and market relevance in the scientific community.