My Personal Journey- How Cornell’s Chemical Engineering became my Life’s “Secret Ingredient”

In the 2025 Raymond G. Thorpe Lecture, Marlene M. Quijano, a retired Vice President of R&D at Kraft Foods, shares her personal journey and experiences as a Cornell Chemical Engineering graduate. She reflects on how her education at Cornell shaped her career and life, emphasizing the importance of character, self-discipline, determination, and service. Marlene discusses her passion for chemistry and innovation, inspired by her mother's cooking, and how it led her to a successful career in R&D. She highlights the transformative impact of Cornell's financial aid and mentorship, particularly from Professor Thorpe, on her academic and professional development. Marlene also provides insights into her diverse career path, professional achievements, and the lessons learned from overcoming challenges. She concludes with advice on embracing opportunities, building networks, and giving back to the community.

Marlene Quijano is a retired Vice President of Kraft Foods R&D with 30 years of experience in leadership roles across innovation; product and process development; quality; product and process cost management; packaging and engineering. Marlene also held cross-functional assignments in supply chain and human resources. Marlene holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell. She served as the Kraft Key School recruiter for over 15 years as well as serving on The Cornell Food Science Advisory Board and the Chemical Engineering Advisory Council. She is a member of Cornell’s President’s Council of Cornell Women where she is currently Vice Chair of Mentoring. She is passionate about giving back and established the Marlene Quijano Class of 1985 Engineering Scholarship in the College of Engineering to make a transformative difference in the lives of students. Marlene lives in Harrington Park, NJ, and is the mother of twins, whom she is raising bilingual and bicultural. Marlene is Cuban-American and is fluent in Spanish and English.