Alexandra “Sacha” Patera has over a decade of experience in university-industry engagement.  A chemist trained in biophysics, structural biology and rational drug design, Dr. Patera is passionate about fostering external partnerships to enhance the academic research ecosystem. She focuses on building trusted relationships with faculty and scientists to support research, technology, and innovation. 

Before joining Princeton in 2022, Dr. Patera served as Associate Vice President at Rutgers, where she led a university-wide Corporate Engagement Center. She has also held corporate relations roles at Dartmouth College and Northwestern University. Dr. Patera is co-author of "Five Essential Elements of a Successful Twenty-First Century University Corporate Relations Program" (NACRO, 2011), which has influenced global university-industry engagement.

Dr. Patera holds a biochemistry BS from McGill University, a chemistry PhD from Brandeis University and a business executive education certification from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. 

Fun fact: From 1988 to 1990, Dr. Patera was part of a startup that sent protein crystallization experiments to the Soviet Space Station MIR, where she served as a translator and integrated equipment onto the Soyuz rocket!

An immigrant from Czechoslovakia, Sacha grew up on the ancestral lands of the Kanien'kéha Nation in Tiohtià/Montreal. She is fluent in English, French, and Russian, and proficient in Czech and Spanish. Pronouns: she/her/hers. Sacha is spelled with a French pronunciation: ‘Sasha.’