Michael Alvarez

Michael has established and directed multiple programs to enhance the professional development of advanced degree professionals and increase interconnectivity between industry, government, and academic institutions, predominately in the Bay Area, for more than twenty years. As a management consultant with Andersen Consulting in NYC, he provided strategic business consultation and change management solutions for global corporations in the biopharmaceutical, life science, and energy sectors.  He later founded and directed centers focusing on professional development and business training at several world-leading academic medical institutions, including UCSF, Stanford, and MD Anderson, prior to joining Columbia. In addition to his broad experience with university-industry relations and start-up mentoring, he has also chaired and served on boards for non-profit organizations, devoted to entrepreneurship, workforce development, and global health.  He is widely sought for input and expert opinion on STEM education, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, and has written, reviewed, and published articles on these topics in key venues. Michael holds bachelors and masters degrees from Boston College, where he competed as a student-athlete and later coached NCAA Division I wrestling.