Lubrizol, Maroon Group show support for science education

Northeast Ohio-based materials firms Lubrizol Corp. and Maroon Group are taking steps to support science-based education.

Lubrizol of Wickliffe, Ohio, has awarded a $2.2 million, five-year grant to Case Western Reserve University. The grant will support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) scholarships for diverse students, internship and co-op positions, and joint research, as well as other programs that promote student research and women in science and engineering, officials said in a recent news release.

Company officials described the grant as "a new commitment that broadens [Lubrizol's] long-standing collaboration with Case Western Reserve University."

"Lubrizol's founders, who all had close associations with Case, believed education was critical for the growth of the individual and the business," company executive Julie Edgar said in the release.

"We are proud to continue this tradition by supporting and growing STEM talent in our local communities, especially among underrepresented scholars," added Edgar, who serves as the firm's corporate vice president of innovation and chief sustainability officer.

Research funded by the grant will be jointly developed in the areas of energy, human health, materials and sustainability — with an intent to potentially seed new projects and funding for projects that demonstrate commercial potential.

"We are always interested in finding ways that the Case Western Reserve community can engage more fully with the industrial sector," CWRU Provost Ben Vinson III said in the release.

During the last decade, Lubrizol and its Foundation have awarded grants totaling more than $10 million to support education initiatives in the communities where it operates, with the bulk of these funds directed toward Northeast Ohio.

Lubrizol is a major producer of lubricant additives. Its Advanced Materials unit includes thermoplastic polyurethanes and other specialty materials. The firm is a unit of global financial firm Berkshire Hathaway and posted sales of $6.8 billion in 2018.

At the grade school level, distribution firm Maroon Group of Avon, Ohio, is supporting the Chemical Education Foundation's You Be The Chemist Challenge. The Cleveland-based regional competition is a collaborative, multilevel academic competition that celebrates the science of chemistry and inspires students to explore chemistry, as well as STEM careers, officials said in a news release.

The event will take place this winter at the Lake Erie Science Center in downtown Cleveland. Qualifying teams of students in grades 5-8 will complete in a quiz bowl format where they collaboratively answer timed short-answer questions. The winning teams advance to the national level competition held in Houston.

"As a part of the chemical industry, I think it's really important to help nurture and elevate the young innovators who will be the brain power of the STEM community in the future," Maroon Group Regulatory Specialist Sarah Banfield said in the release.

"Growing up in a community that helped ignite and foster my passion for science at an early age, I am excited to now get to play a role in this important program and cultivate the education and exploration of chemistry in today's young minds," added Barnard, who also serves as the foundation's Greater Cleveland Area Challenge Organizer.

Maroon's product list includes additives and pigments for plastics and many other markets. The firm has made several acquisitions since New York-based private equity firm CI Capital LLC became its majority owner in 2014.