Professional Achievement Award

Scott S. Schwab, Eng ’90
Durham, NC

Scott Schwab has been shedding light on the LED industry for more than 25 years. Even in his retirement, he is continuing to solve problems, currently working with a medical device startup company to establish and improve its operational efficiency.

During his 25-year career, at Cree, Inc., Scott held several vice president positions in the consumer lighting business, where he led a team to develop and commercialize LED Light Bulbs. Prior to his time in the consumer business, Scott held other leadership positions including; product line manager of advanced lighting products, director of business development, managing director of Cree Asia Pacific, vice president and general manager of optoelectronics, director of power products, director of strategic accounts, sales and marketing manager and LED business manager.

Prior to joining Cree, Scott worked for Hewlett Packard, where he was product manager and sales development engineer in the optoelectronics division. Scott especially enjoyed the problem-solving aspects of his work and the diverse teams that he worked with from around the world.

Scott chose Marquette based on the reputation of the engineering program, the small size, and its strong Jesuit mission. He credits his Marquette experience with building a strong foundation for achieving success through hard work without cutting corners. Scott and his wife Cheryl ’90, established an endowed scholarship at Marquette to give back to future generations of students.

Scott also gives back to his local community by volunteering for the Boy Scouts, as well as sharing his time and resources with the Catholic Charities Durham Community Food Pantry. In between attending the weddings of his three sons, Scott is working toward his goal of visiting all the national parks in the United States.

Fun Facts:

Name someone (past or present) with whom you’d like to have dinner.
Thomas Edison. It would be interesting to discuss how he commercialized the incandescent light bulb.

What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?
Living in the residence halls. When I lived on the 2nd floor of McCormick Hall, I met some of my best friends and developed lifelong friendships. I met my wife at a floor mixer on the 7th floor of Tower Hall.

Leave a congratulatory message for Scott!