From Doctorate of Engineering to Dr Pepper

Content

The Shirley and Ting-Wei Tang Endowment Lecture Series, founded in 1999, brings engineering leaders to campus to present a major talk to the University. This year’s Tang Lecture will be presented by:  

Karin Rotem-Wildeman '99 PhD ChE, Chief R&D Officer, Keurig Dr Pepper

From Doctorate of Engineering to Dr Pepper 

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Old Chapel, UMass Amherst
The event is free and open to the public.

As a keynote speaker, Dr. Rotem-Wildeman invites audiences to imagine innovation as more than a process—it is a human endeavor powered by courage, collaboration, resilience, and purpose. She brings an energizing perspective on how leaders can create conditions where science, creativity, and people thrive together.

In this talk she will:

• Share her career journey and the lessons learned along the way
• Explore the topic of food innovation
• Share how engineering can contribute to the future of food

Abstract:

Coming soon...

Bio:

Professional Overview

Karin Rotem-Wildeman, Ph.D., is a global research and development executive, chemical engineer, and innovation leader whose career reflects a belief that science and engineering can improve everyday life when paired with curiosity, courage, and purposeful leadership. She currently serves as Chief Research & Development Officer at Keurig Dr Pepper, where she leads research, development, food safety, and quality while helping shape innovation strategy across a broad beverage portfolio. Her work sits at the intersection of academic research, global industry, venture investment, and entrepreneurial food and beverage innovation.

Innovation and Industry Leadership

Dr. Rotem-Wildeman’s work centers on turning scientific possibility into practical impact. Across leadership roles at Keurig Dr Pepper, The LIVEKINDLY Collective, Godiva Chocolatier, PepsiCo, Physic Ventures, and Nestlé R&D, she has helped bring together science, engineering, consumer insight, and disciplined execution to create meaningful innovation across beverages, coffee, chocolate, snacks, nutrition, and plant-based foods.

Throughout her career, she has built global technical teams and innovation systems that help ideas move from early exploration to real-world application. Her leadership spans product, process, packaging, sensory science, nutrition, regulatory affairs, quality, commercialization, and open innovation—disciplines that together transform promising concepts into products, capabilities, and organizations with lasting impact.

She has also founded and scaled R&D capabilities in emerging and developed markets, including the creation of a greenfield R&D center in China and the development of multidisciplinary innovation teams across the United States, Europe, Africa, and other global regions. These experiences reflect a commitment to creating environments where talented people, rigorous science, and bold ambition can thrive together.

Venture and Startup Engagement

In addition to her corporate R&D leadership, Dr. Rotem-Wildeman has contributed to the venture and startup ecosystem through advisory and investment-related roles. At Physic Ventures, she evaluated hundreds of companies in food, nutrition, and health-related innovation, helping connect entrepreneurs, investors, and established industry partners. Her work in this space reflects a conviction that breakthrough ideas often emerge when different disciplines, sectors, and ways of thinking come together.

Academic Engagement and Education

Dr. Rotem-Wildeman earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University. She also completed executive education in venture capital and open innovation at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds certification in thermal processing from Penn State University. Her educational path reflects a lifelong commitment to learning, experimentation, and applying technical knowledge to meaningful challenges.

She remains actively engaged with university communities through advisory and leadership roles, including service on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and advisory board participation with chemical engineering programs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Lehigh University. Her academic engagement reflects a deep commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers and innovators to connect rigorous research with human-centered, real-world impact.

Selected Expertise

• R&D strategy for food, beverage, and consumer products
• Product, process, packaging, sensory, nutrition, quality, and regulatory innovation
• Innovation systems, portfolio strategy, and commercialization
• Open innovation, venture collaboration, and startup advising
• Global technical organization design and leadership
• University–industry engagement and engineering education advisory work