The Axia Institute Appoints New Executive Director

June 2021

Doug Gage, Vice President for Research and Innovation, is pleased to announce that John Hatfield has been appointed as the Executive Director of Michigan State University’s Axia Institute.

Charles Hasemann, Assistant VP for Innovation & Economic Development, and Interim Executive Director for The Axia Institute over the past six months stated, “It was a pleasure to support Axia through this transition and to help create a plan that focuses on emerging value chain opportunities. In these months, I have been impressed with John’s knowledge of the Axia ecosystem, his thoughtfulness, and his leadership instincts.”

John joined the Axia Institute in 2018 as the Director of Marketing and Communications. In his time with Axia, he has worked to refine Axia’s offering to industry and has led several marketing efforts aimed at developing the Institute’s consortium-based outreach strategy. He has also worked as part of Axia’s leadership team to help define the Institute’s marketplace and competitive positioning.

“I am honored to take on this role and to lead the Institute as we work on expanding our base of corporate clients,” commented Hatfield. “The Axia Institute provides a unique marketplace offering and I look forward to working with our team to help deliver value chain solutions to customers in each of our three critical areas of focus.”

Hatfield has spent his entire career in marketing and sales across numerous industries. He earned a BA from Kenyon College, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Axia to move forward without losing a beat—partnering with corporations to deliver innovative research and solutions for Health Care, Food, and Advanced Manufacturing value chains. The Axia Institute is poised for success,” added Hasemann. “I’m pleased to continue serving as an advisor to Axia and providing any needed support in my role as Axia’s direct connection to the Office of Research and Innovation.”

About Axia
Located in Midland, The Axia Institute®, is a premier research and education center dedicated to developing effective and sustainable solutions to improve public and private value chains. Established by Michigan State University in 2013, The Axia Institute® partners with industry to solve grand challenges and conduct cross-disciplinary research in areas of value chain optimization, data analytics, engineering, smart packaging, anti-counterfeiting, and water and food safety. The Institute was founded by leaders in value chain creation and development at MSU, including the Eli Broad College of Business, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Engineering, College of Social Science, and School of Packaging. Founding donors include The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Foundation, Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, and the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation.