Dr. Marla Dowell

Marla L. Dowell is the Executive Director of the EDGE Consortium, a national network of leading research universities committed to transforming semiconductor-related education and workforce development. Under the leadership of Dartmouth and Indiana University, the EDGE Consortium advances its mission through three core pillars: Recruit, Retrain, and Retain. The consortium aligns academic programs with industry needs, fosters innovation, and expands the engineering talent pipeline.

With nearly 30 years of public service, Dowell has built enduring collaborations across academia, industry, and government to promote STEM research and innovation. Before leading EDGE, she directed the CHIPS Metrology Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce and held multiple leadership roles at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including Director of the NIST Boulder Laboratory and the NIST Communications Technology Laboratory. Her career reflects a deep commitment to education, interdisciplinary research and development, and advancing measurement science in support of U.S. industry.