Clarkson University Summer 2021 Magazine

Summer 2021

Bold Moves to Elevate STEM Education Golden Knights Rise

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

GOLDEN KNIGHTS RISE:

Bold Moves to Elevate STEM Education We often hear leaders say they rely on the science to make decisions. In the last year, science and evidence-based research has been at the forefront of the global conversation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as national investments to kick-start economic recovery.

For creative science and STEM research to have a sustained impact, employers tell us they need technology leaders with intellectual curiosity who are also prepared to translate these science-based advances into applied solutions and product innovations that add value. And they tell us those new hires need to be ready on day one to make a difference and reach the marketplace in a timely way — one of the hallmarks of our alumni.

At Clarkson, STEM is at the intersection of all academic programs and science is integral across our core curriculum. We are making bold moves to elevate science education by changing how students learn and collaboratively approach science by formally teaching how to innovate and be entrepreneurial.

Clarkson is fast becoming a thought leader in entrepreneurial science which is igniting new ideas and inclusion across our innovation ecosystem. The expansion and renovation of our Science Center is at the heart of this effort and is being made possible by the generosity of lead donors like Ken ’79 and Jeanne Lally (page 8).

At the same time, we have alumni gaining national attention for using their visionary careers as a launching point for STEM education advocacy, particularly among women. We applaud Jayshree Seth MS’91, PhD’93, for her recent recognition by the Society of Women Engineers with their highest honor this past spring (page 4). Clarkson Professor Laura Ettinger has also been winning national awards for her Inspire! video series that empowers middle school and early high school girls to pursue STEM education (page 5).

In this issue, we also highlight numerous alumni, students and faculty who are making bold moves as Golden Knights Rise around the issues they are passionate about within their experiences and careers.

President Tony Collins

In This Issue

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20 Years of Bioethics

Clarkson celebrates the past, present and future of this pragmatic, progressive program.

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COVER STORY

Embracing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Arts & Sciences Dean Darryl Scriven shares his bold vision for science education.

12

2020 Career Placement Rate Soars

Clarkson graduates secure jobs in their fields of study despite COVID-19’s economic impact.

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Changing the World, One Pint at a Time

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Climbing for a Cause

Rebecca (Worthington) Robinson ’08 serves up the scoop on her career at Ben & Jerry’s.

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Golden Knights Rise: Innovation Challenge

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The Flip Side of Social Media

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The Peak of Video Streaming

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A 100-Year Tradition:

What happens when you send students to their rooms? The answer might surprise you.

Professor Jeanna Matthews explains how bots manipulate your feed.

Professor Jason Schmitt shares why widespread accessibility to video streaming technology in our new Zoom-universe is critical.

Golden Knights Rise in Undying Support of Clarkson Hockey Fans look back on the rich and storied history of Golden Knights hockey as Clarkson prepares to celebrate its centennial this year.

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Clarkson Alumni Association

Kolby Ziemendorf ’14 is on a mission to raise awareness and funds to support suicide prevention.

The Alumni Association celebrates the 2021 alumni award recipients.

ON THE COVER:

Visit Clarkson Online

Dean Darryl Scriven and Professors Jason Schmitt and Silvana Andreescu tap their collective ingenuity to integrate and evolve Arts & Sciences programs and teaching practices.

Go to clarkson.edu/magazine to view the digital version of this and previous issues of Clarkson magazine.

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Golden Knight Spotlight

President Collins Named AITU Chair Clarkson President ANTHONY G. COLLINS has been named chair of the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), an organization of leading private American technological universities and colleges whose mission is to play a vital role in securing the future of American competitiveness in the global marketplace.

AITU member institutions share ideas and best practices to advance and inspire creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in technical higher education. The organization

assists in recruiting the best and the brightest to the member schools by promoting the experiences and rewarding careers that a technologyoriented education offers. AITU also fosters and advances excellence in engineering, science and professional education from K-12 and beyond.

“This is a critical time for institutions like Clarkson and our AITU peers to help our nation step up STEM education across the country so students can develop scientific knowledge, as well as analytical thinking and problem-solving skills,”

says Collins. “Collectively, we need to advance knowledge and apply our expertise in science, technology and other areas of scholarship, research and innovation that will serve our country and solve the issues affecting our global community.”

Crimi ’95 to Lead Clarkson Graduate School as Interim Dean MICHELLE CRIMI ’95, professor of civil & environmental engineering, has been appointed interim dean of Clarkson’s Graduate School. She will work with students, faculty, staff, department chairs, deans and other senior leadership team members to ensure sustained high-quality programs.

“Dean Crimi’s demonstrated commitment to academic excellence, diversity, research training, graduate education and multi-institutional partnerships make her the ideal leader to support graduate students and advance the graduate education enterprise at Clarkson,” says Provost Robyn Hannigan.

Crimi specializes in developing in situ treatment technologies for groundwater contamination, determining the impact of groundwater technologies on aquifer quality and integrating treatment technologies for optimized risk reduction. She earned her BS in industrial hygiene and environmental toxicology at Clarkson in 1995. She 2 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

went on to Colorado State University to earn an MS in environmental health in 1997 and Colorado School of Mines to earn a PhD in environmental science and engineering in 2002.

Before joining the faculty at Clarkson in 2008, she was a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Health at East Tennessee State University. She was the director of Clarkson’s engineering and management program from 2017-21 and currently serves as the University Research Advisory Committee chair.

“I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and our students across our campuses to explore new ideas and grow current opportunities for graduate, professional and continuing education,” says Crimi. “We will capitalize on Clarkson’s reputation and strengths while assessing and responding to learners’ needs and anticipating tomorrow’s challenges.

Our first-rate educational options will become even more accessible, responsive and in demand.”

Knights Receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships ISABELLA (IZZI) GRASSO ’21, a data science major, and Honors student REBECCA MEACHAM TCS’18, ’21, a chemical engineering major,

were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. The fellowship program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s mission.

Grasso plans to complete graduate work toward a PhD in information science at the University of Washington, where she will be working at the Center for an Informed Public. Meacham will attend MIT this fall, working toward a PhD in materials science and engineering. Both recipients are 2020 Goldwater Scholars.

Recent graduates TIMOTHY DUNN ’19 and SEAMUS OBER ’20 also received NSF Fellowships.

From left: Izzi Grasso ’21 and Rebecca Meacham TCS’18, ’21

Out of This World Clarkson’s Connection to Mars 2020 In February, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover landed on the red planet to hunt for signs of ancient life, collect samples for its return to Earth and help demonstrate various new exploration technologies, among other tasks.

To ensure no substances from Earth made their way to Mars, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology, looked to expert committees to validate processes for zero contamination. One such expert was SURESH DHANIYALA, professor in Clarkson’s mechanical and aeronautical engineering department.

“The Mars 2020 program is dedicated to obtaining the purest Mars samples possible for investigating different aspects of Martian geology, particularly evidence

of extant life or life that might have been on Mars at one time,” says Dhaniyala. “The success of this program necessitates that the Martian lander and probe be completely free of terrestrial microbes, as we don’t want to contaminate the surface of Mars and then capture the contaminants and

bring them back and conclude that the life on Mars is the same as on Earth.”

Dhaniyala chaired two JPL and NASA committees charged with reviewing the project’s contamination control measures. An expert in aerosol physics and the resuspension of microbial agents from surfaces, Dhaniyala led teams of experts in examining calculation approaches, and the experiments NASA/JPL teams were conducting to validate the calculation approach, as well as the logistical handling protocols designed to ensure zero contamination of Mars’ surface upon landing.

While Perseverance gets to work, so does Dhaniyala, who is now conferring with a U.N. committee to establish protocols to ensure the safe handling of samples that will be returned to Earth by the Mars Sample Return Campaign later this decade.

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Golden Knight Spotlight

Seth Receives SWE’s Highest Honor JAYSHREE SETH MS’91, PHD’93, corporate

scientist for 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division and chief science advocate for 3M Company, received the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Achievement Award for her impact on SWE and the engineering profession.

The Achievement Award, which was presented virtually at the annual conference in November 2020, is the highest honor that SWE awards. It is presented annually to a person who has made significant and progressive technical contributions.

SWE recognized Seth for her “visionary, sustainability-focused contributions to adhesives, release and fastener technologies; for creating, championing and teaching new methodologies for product and technology development; and for deeply influential STEM advocacy.”

Seth holds 68 patents, has published more than 15 journal articles and was named 3M’s first chief science advocate

in 2018. She has served on 3M’s CEO Inclusion Council and chaired 3M’s Asian and Asian-American employee resource network, A3CTION, in 2019. She currently serves on the A3CTION Advisory Board and Technical Women Leadership Forum Steering Committee. She has received several external awards and numerous 3M individual and team excellence awards, including 17 intrapreneurial grants. In 2019, Seth was the fourth woman and first woman engineer inducted into the 3M Carlton Society.

Seth continues to be an active alumna.

She serves on Clarkson’s Engineering Advisory Council and, this spring, participated in the Ignite Speaker Series. Seth gave a talk on her book, The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, & Imprints, and, specifically, her efforts to promote access to STEM education in underrepresented communities.

LaScala ’20 Promotes and Protects Adirondacks with App NICHOLAS LASCALA ’20 has created DackMap, a live, map-based guide to the Adirondack Park. While the smartphone app serves as a guide for locals and visitors alike, the location data also creates a heatmap to show and predict areas of high or low activity in the Adirondack Park.

This information can help environmental organizations make data-driven decisions to more efficiently manage the region.

LaScala’s inspiration for DackMap was born out of his lifelong passion for the Adirondacks. “These communities, with some exceptions, struggle with catering to tourists and the components that go along with that, such as communication and marketing,” LaScala says. “While tourism is a necessity, some beautiful 4 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

areas of the Adirondacks that I love and the organizations dedicated to protecting them are struggling to handle the large influx of tourists. It’s resulting in a situation where the tourist attraction, the Adirondack Park, is being degraded.”

DackMap recently partnered with the Adirondack Mountain Club to minimize backcountry impacts through hiker education. The organizations will work together to enhance the visitor experience, keep backcountry hikers safe and teach them how to be stewards of the lands and waters they use. The result will be a complete resource for Adirondack Park outdoor education and information.

Learn more at dackmap.com or download from the Apple App Store.

Video Series Aims to Inspire Future Women Engineers LAURA ETTINGER, associate professor of history, has produced a suite of resources designed to empower middle school and early high school girls to overcome the obstacles that traditionally face them in STEM fields.

Ettinger has been a co-principal investigator for a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant to identify systemic changes that will reduce bias and advance the careers of women STEM faculty. That project led to another NSF grant for Inspire! — a video collection meant to do just that.

Ettinger serves as producer.

Filmmaker ZAC MILLER, who teaches video production at Clarkson, is director. He has won national awards for screenwriting, advertising and directing.

Their short documentary, Trailblazers: The Untold Stories of Six Women Engineers, is aimed at older high school students. Three related videos and discussion materials for younger students were also created: Encourage! Leading Women Engineers Encourage the Next Generation, Motivate! Motivational Messages From Accomplished

Women Engineers, and Educate!

What is an Engineer? Perspectives of Trailblazing Women Engineers.

Premiering in 2020, Trailblazers received an Award of Merit in the Impact DOCS Awards Competition.

Ettinger’s research and writings have focused on the history of women and gender in the medical, scientific and technological professions in the U.S. Engineering remains one of the undergraduate majors with the smallest percentage of women in America. The percentage of women engineers in the workplace is even smaller.

For the Inspire! project, Ettinger interviewed nearly 50 women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s.

She believes in the power of their stories to inspire girls and young women to consider paths they might not have pursued before, and to feel less alone while doing so. Ettinger also believes that their stories will illustrate how individual women in engineering have encountered and navigated challenges and how institutions might work to address problems.

The Inspire! educational video collection, including discussion guides and other resources for teachers, can be found at: clarkson.edu/inspire.

Barrow ’22 Receives Goldwater Scholarship BRENDAN BARROW ’22, a physics major from Ballston Lake, New York, was named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar.

Barrow is the 45th Clarkson student to receive a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship since it was first given in 1989. Additionally, 2021 marks the 22nd consecutive year a Clarkson student has received the award.

Barrow, also a Clarkson Presidential Scholar, was one of only 410 students from the U.S. to receive the award. He plans to pursue a PhD in physics, with a potential concentration in materials science.

22

2021 marks the 22nd consecutive year a Clarkson student has received a Goldwater Scholarship.

SUMMER 2021 / 5

20 Years

Advances in Medicine

By Kristen A. Schmitt There has never been a more critical time for bioethics. As new telehealth measures, vaccine development, resource allocation and other healthcare policies, agendas and action plans emerge, those trained to decipher ethical dilemmas become an invaluable resource on the frontlines.

Bioethics practitioners help answer ethical questions within the healthcare system that span research, public health and clinical work and can go beyond the healthcare industry into academia, policymaking and community engagement. This year, Clarkson is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its bioethics graduate program, which includes doctors, nurses, lawyers and other professionals among its graduates.

The program is offered jointly with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“Our students are interested in better understanding how to handle difficult ethical conflicts,” says Paul Cummins, a research assistant professor of bioethics at Clarkson.

“Students who enter the program directly after completion of their undergraduate degrees are often interested in obtaining the master’s degree or graduate certificate to make them more appealing in their medical or law school applications, especially if they plan on focusing on the humanistic components of medical care or health law, respectively.”

And the current bioethics coursework offered through the program is highly relevant with

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of Bioethics

Create a Rising Need for Bioethicists courses specifically focused on current pandemic-related issues and other timely topics like medicine and social justice, healthcare policy and bioethics and the law. For example, last summer, the Contemporary Issues in Bioethics course focused on ethics in a pandemic. Another course, Applying Ethics to Telehealth Practice, is ondeck this fall.

“Bioethics is an expanding field,” says Jane Oppenlander, interim chair of the Bioethics Department.

“There are current issues with how to distribute scarce vaccines and address vaccination hesitancy, health inequalities and health disparities.

Bioethics plays a crucial role in addressing all of these issues and evaluating emerging technologies.

And, in the future, the field will remain essential with new innovations.”

While some industries may have experienced a COVID-related downtick, the bioethics community has only seen an increase in the need for individuals with this specialty.

In fact, enrollment in Clarkson’s bioethics graduate program has increased by 175% since last year, says Cummins. Because of the pandemic, faculty converted courses that previously met in person for online delivery, which allowed for a broader reach to international students who may not have had the opportunity to take bioethics coursework or complete a graduate degree before. Adding to that, Cummins’ continuation of a National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center

R25 grant, which funds the Caribbean Research Ethics Education Initiative, has created a pathway for students in Mexico and Grenada to participate in Clarkson’s bioethics master’s degree program, and the program’s reach is still growing.

“So far, we’ve admitted 15 students in the first cohort of the grant,” says Cummins. “They’ll earn Master of Science degrees in Bioethics from Clarkson University, using faculty from the Autonomous University of Queretaro in Mexico and St. George’s University in Grenada.

“At the same time, we’re helping those two institutions develop their own master’s degrees in bioethics while simultaneously teaching students in two languages.”

“I think that it’s interesting that incoming students during COVID are now committing to a 30-credit MS degree path, rather than a quick 15-credit certificate,” adds Dan Capogna, director of graduate admissions & recruitment. “It’s a new trend. Previously, enrollment

was the other way around. It’s like the pandemic has made them more committed to healthcare and is driving them to want to learn more in order to better produce at their jobs or to elevate within their careers.”

Further, a new bioethics minor is in the works and will be geared toward students in arts and sciences, engineering and health sciences.

“This new minor will give Clarkson undergraduate students across different disciplines an opportunity to get professional ethics training that’s relevant not only to their undergraduate degrees, but also their future career trajectories,” says Cummins.

While the 20th anniversary celebration planning was paused due to the pandemic, several webinars and other virtual panel events are in the works. With the push for continued development and innovation, and as we navigate through the pandemic, bioethics — and graduates of the bioethics program — will remain in high demand.

clarkson.edu/bioethics

From left: Prof. Jane Oppenlander and Prof. Paul Cummins SUMMER 2021 / 7

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COVER STORY

Embracing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Bold Moves to Elevate Science Education

By Kris Ross

Success doesn’t come from doing certain things. It comes from doing things a certain way. That’s Darryl Scriven’s practical yet brazen approach to life, learning and leadership.

Now, as the new dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and fellow in The Shipley Center for Innovation, he’s ready to take Clarkson’s programs to the next level, with a focus on entrepreneurial science.

> SUMMER 2021 / 9

Scriven studied mathematics, philosophy and religion at Florida A&M University and went on to earn an MA and PhD in philosophy from Purdue University. His curriculum vitae shines with progressive leadership positions in higher education as a professor, program chair and administrator. Scriven is also an author, filmmaker and entrepreneur who took a four-year break from his academic career to concentrate on establishing and growing one of his four businesses.

A divergence from academia is sure to raise questions when being considered for a new university leadership position. But when Scriven began conversations with Clarkson, the response was different than he expected.

“I talked with President Tony Collins and Provost Robyn Hannigan,” he recalls. “I kept hearing the same message — that Clarkson values entrepreneurs. So instead of the usual question, ‘Why’d you quit your job and start a business?’ Tony said, ‘You have a fantastic CV. Look at all this business experience you have.’

That’s when I knew I was talking to the right people.”

Experience Effectively Educates

Entrepreneurial Mindsets Embolden

“The future of science education is application,” says Scriven. “Employers want candidates who are job-ready from day one. They don’t have three to five years to train somebody to translate theory into practice. So practical education, applied science, entrepreneurial science — that’s the way of the future.”

Students who complete internships and co-ops gain invaluable experience, real-time understanding and exposure to industry. Scriven believes Clarkson is ahead of the curve in producing career-ready graduates, especially in engineering. However, to stay ahead, we must keep moving and progressing in all programs.

The current development stage of Clarkson’s strategic plan, Golden Knights Rise — which will roll out later this year — is the opportunity to bring all schools within the University into alignment and push them to the cutting edge. “Part of my methodology is speed and implementation,” says Scriven. “If you have those two things, you can get out ahead and be a thought leader.”

Advances in technology evolve from a solid foundation of brilliant scientific research. Successes and failures stoke innovation and ignite the drive to solve life’s most complex mysteries.

However, academic institutions do not formally teach scientists to innovate or to be entrepreneurial. More often than not, we train them to be iterative and risk-averse.

In a bold move, Clarkson is changing how students will learn and approach science. Scientific research and training will shift from iterative to innovative, from risk-averse to risk-tolerant.

“Our students will not only compete, but they will dominate. They will be the ideal job candidates and go on to address serious issues that we need to solve globally.” DARRYL SCRIVEN

Entrepreneurial Science in Action — What Could It Look Like at Clarkson?

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The Innovation Clinic How can we tell, without finding out the hard way, if raw oysters contain Vibrio toxin produced by Vibrio bacteria? In the Innovation Clinic, a two-semester course sequence, student teams — with faculty mentors who are experts in paper sensor design — will enter the Project Sandbox to develop a nanomaterial that can sense the bacteria’s presence and the resulting toxin.

Teams will integrate the nanomaterial into a paper sensor and evaluate the

sensitivity and selectivity of their prototype. Students will also work in the Design Studio, learning from seafood safety experts, sensor manufacturers and entrepreneurial scientists. Topics will include practical use of the sensor, regulatory constraints of using the sensor, market preparation for the sensor (e.g., hardening) and communication of the science behind the product.

Once proof-of-concept has been completed, the Entrepreneurial Science teams will come together with the Reh

“This fail-forward, modern approach to scientific research and training will provide the education and experiences key to producing innovative scientists who know how to commercialize technologies and bring products to market,” says Hannigan.

All students, from day one, will learn new ways of doing science as part of their core curriculum. And for those students majoring in the

sciences, through an entrepreneurial lens, they will gain skills in design thinking and business practices to ignite ideas, pioneer new approaches and generate solutions to real-world challenges. The Reh Center for Entrepreneurship, Clarkson Ignite and The Shipley Center will provide programming, training and guidance as Entrepreneurial Ecosystem partners.

In addition, to ensure students are learning and applying relevant

content and skills, a backward-design approach will further align curriculum to industry needs. “Our students will not only compete, but they will dominate,” says Scriven. “They will be the ideal job candidates and go on to address serious issues that we need to solve globally.”

Hannigan says that this paradigm shift is necessary to meet the demand for entrepreneurial scientists — those who bring the skills of innovation and business acumen together with the courage to challenge norms and take risks in pursuit of discoveries.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 >

Thoughtfully designed spaces in the new Tower of Innovation, an addition to the west end of the Science Center, will elevate the learning experience and better prepare students for future careers.

School of Business teams, who will have been working with The Shipley Center on a commercialization strategy, and Coulter School of Engineering teams, who will support the hardening and manufacturing of the nanomaterials and paper sensors.

Sustainable Solutions While the biofuel industry is growing by 7% annually, it remains largely dependent on the growth of primary biofuel

producers, such as switchgrasses, which consume 17% of U.S. land, or marine algae that cannot yet produce at levels to meet demand. However, the solution could be right in our backyard.

Imagine that a team of students secure funding from Clarkson’s Entrepreneurial Science Fund to cleanly and sustainably extract pectin from apple waste (peels, meat and seeds).

Pectin, a component of cell walls that is the target for biodigestion, is more abundant in apples and some other fruits

and vegetables than in grasses and algae.

Extracting pectin from fruit and vegetable waste would enable the bioenergy sector to achieve production goals while reducing grass and algal farming’s environmental impacts.

Students, now acclimated to Clarkson’s entrepreneurial science culture, will leverage their skills and talents as they come together with faculty experts in green chemistry, plant biology and organic synthesis to explore new research areas that will have direct, local economic impact.

SUMMER 2021 / 11

BY KRISTEN A. SCHMITT

2020 CAREER PLACEMENT RATE SOARS DESPITE COVID-19’S ECONOMIC IMPACT

CAREER ROI MATTERS FOR CLARKSON Unlike some schools that count any employment as placed, we only consider a graduate placed when they enter their chosen career field.

oom interviews. Virtual job fairs. Remote work.

The Class of 2020 and other students seeking jobs and professional experiences during the pandemic have faced myriad uncertainties. In true Golden Knights spirit, Clarkson’s Career Center and students rose to the challenge to adapt, pivot and persevere with success.

Despite the downturn in employment opportunities nationwide, 97% of Clarkson’s 2020 graduates* either found a full-time job in their chosen field, entered graduate school or joined the military within six months of graduation. And hundreds of students found internships and co-ops even as the coronavirus turned multiple industries upside down. In fact, a recent survey found that the average starting salary for Clarkson’s Class of 2020 graduates was $64,384 and $75,946 for those who received graduate degrees. >

*95% of class reporting 12 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

OF 2020 CLARKSON GRADS WERE PLACED WITHIN 6 MONTHS IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREER PATH

2020 CLARKSON GRADS STARTING SALARIES

UNDERGRADUATE

GRADUATE SUMMER 2021 / 13

“ W HETHER THEY’RE FROM LOCAL OR GLOBAL COM PERSONAL TIES TO THE UNIVERSITY, A STRONG C REALLY CEMENTS THE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE

“I think that is a direct testament to the quality of the relationships that we have with our existing employers and Clarkson’s emphasis on professional experience among our student body,” says Jeff Taylor, associate vice president of student affairs & global initiatives.

“Our Career Center has taken a proactive approach by reaching out to employers and students, particularly during the past year. Employers continually highlight Clarkson’s graduates for their ability to work in teams and for their work ethic.

This ensures employers return to recruit our students in this tough economy.”

The Value of Virtual

P

rior to 2020, Clarkson held two job fairs each year that allowed students of all levels the ability to chat with 200 potential employers and network with Clarkson alumni.

However, the pandemic altered the job recruitment landscape, forcing many schools to cancel their job fairs altogether. The Career Center team met that challenge head-on, flipping their traditional recruitment method to hold virtual job fairs instead — a trend that reverberated through other colleges and universities, too. Because of the ability to attend these events remotely, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that the number of employers participating in virtual career fairs skyrocketed. In 2020, more than 90% of NACE’s surveyed employers recruited virtually, which is a significant shift, as just over one-third previously recruited this way.

“We started working closely with each senior and had dedicated teammates working with each of the schools, at both the undergraduate and graduate student levels,” says Taylor. “The manner in which the entire Clarkson community came together really paid dividends.”

Michelle Crimi ’95, interim dean of the Graduate School and a professor in civil & environmental

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engineering, believes the switch to virtual recruiting was actually a benefit to her students as it gave them a more personalized experience when interviewing.

Whereas before, students were competing for an employer’s attention, now, because of the virtual component, students were able to effectively talk with future employers one-on-one.

“Our students are just so adaptable,” says Crimi.

“They just dove right in and companies quickly pivoted to adapt, too. I’m just so impressed all around.”

Unfortunately, several members of the Class of 2020 had offers revoked because of the pandemic’s negative effect on the economy. However, LC Drives, founded by Russ Marvin ’88, PhD’17, swiftly came to the rescue, offering those with rescinded offers full-time jobs.

The New Student-Based Remote Economy

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ith plenty still unknown in May 2020, 22% of employers had canceled internships completely while another 19% were undecided about how to proceed, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

However, as companies adjusted to managing a remote workforce, about 70% of the companies surveyed by NACE decided to continue with internships virtually.

Clarkson students rose to the task, transitioning into the new student-based remote economy for a variety of internships within the engineering, management, medical, communications and professional industries, despite the shift in working arrangements. Others were able to complete in-person internships, mostly within the manufacturing industry, but with different protocols in place than during previous years for safety reasons. Overall, students reported that their experiences were positive.

“Some of our students were able to turn their summer internships into co-ops so they could

PANIES OR HAVE LARKSON PARTNERSHIP WITH EMPLOYERS.”— JEFF TAYLOR

continue with school while also working,” says Crimi. “While Clarkson values a traditional education model with hands-on and in-person learning, seeing how successful the remote work experience and online courses have become is eyeopening. Students are just excelling no matter what.

“Students reported that their experiences were generally positive,” adds Crimi, “and I credit the companies with that because they had to quickly pivot and figure out how to accommodate interns while also figuring out how to proceed with doing business.”

Part of that is due to the close relationships that Clarkson has cultivated with alumni and other employers who were willing to continue employment despite the tough financial landscape during the pandemic — employers who return to Clarkson year after year because of the quality students interested in putting their coursework into action.

“Whether they’re from local or global companies or have personal ties to the University, a strong Clarkson partnership really cements the relationships we have with employers,” says Taylor.

Job Placement Post-Pandemic

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

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hile securing a professional experience during a pandemic required extra effort, ROBERT BROCKWAY ’21 didn’t let that deter him from seeking opportunities. After several virtual interviews that he says “illustrated how both job candidates and employers have had to adapt to this unique time,” Brockway took a position at Safran Optics 1 last summer, which evolved into a co-op for the fall 2020 semester.

“I worked part time in the quality engineering department,” says Brockway. “I was able to develop a work schedule with the company that allowed me to work in the office part time while completing a full course load remotely.”

According to Brockway, Safran Optics 1 provided a healthy and safe environment, operating within strict safety protocols that limited building traffic and provided an on-site nurse to pre-screen every employee before they entered the main building. Hand sanitizer and extra masks were also provided.

“Since the company was proactive with their health protocols, we were able to safely conduct meetings in the office to solve problems and collaborate as a team while maintaining social distancing to ensure a safe and healthy work environment,” says Brockway.

“They had a great plan in place that resulted in a safe work environment. I was able to come to work every day and learned a lot during my time there.”

T

he job landscape will continue to evolve even as we resume pre-pandemic ways of doing business.

“Recruiting may permanently be changed, and we look forward to working with our corporate partners to ensure that Clarkson continues to provide outstanding talent,” says Taylor. “We anticipate some companies implementing more virtual recruitment events instead of in-person events as a way to engage with more students in more places.”

But Clarkson’s Career Center is ready, having successfully proven that they can shift their abilities to focus on providing support and service in a pandemic economy. A pandemic may have closed many doors, but not for Clarkson students who continue to defy convention and persevere in their desire to bring classroom lessons into real-world careers.

Robert Brockway ’21

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE PINT AT A TIME

BY ALISON POWER

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF, ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF WORK, YOU WERE ASKED, “ARE YOU READY TO HELP CHANGE THE WORLD?” REBECCA (WORTHINGTON) ROBINSON ’08 SERVES UP THE SCOOP ON HER CAREER AT BEN & JERRY’S.

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ebecca (Worthington) Robinson ’08 was asked this very question on her first day with Ben & Jerry’s.

Robinson is the head of brand marketing operations at Ben & Jerry’s for North America, leading the team responsible for go-to-market strategies, sales and operations planning, execution and financial targets in the U.S., and strategic oversight and accountability for the brand and product strategy in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. “It’s our job to be a part of end-to-end development and lead execution of marketing strategies that drive business performance and progressive values and deliver the fun and irreverence that define the Ben & Jerry’s brand,” says Robinson.

Ben & Jerry’s brand marketing operations make sure the magic happens crossfunctionally to bring ice cream to fans anywhere, anytime.

It’s an ideal role for Robinson, an ambitious lifelong learner dedicated to elevating the already legendary brand.

Her craving for a unique experience is what attracted her to Clarkson. A native of Pavilion, a small town in western New York, she reflects, “Clarkson felt right from the moment I walked on campus.

I was impressed with their programs, real-life focus and opportunity to get involved. The University offered more than what I saw when visiting other schools. It was clearly a place where I could explore many different areas and interests.”

And explore she did. With a major in international business and a minor in communications, Robinson spent a semester abroad in Italy, learning about the challenges facing multinational organizations, while also dabbling in ancient Roman art history.

“I took an art history elective while abroad. The professor had us meet him all over the city for class. We would sit in front of the actual piece we were learning about — it was amazing. I will never forget being in the Sistine Chapel as we learned about Michelangelo.” It is an experience Robinson cites as demonstration of the kind of well-rounded education she received from Clarkson.

While in school, Robinson worked in the sports media office, played on the Golden Knights volleyball team, joined Delta Zeta and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and founded the Investment Club (still an active club over a decade later). As a business major, she took the foundational Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation course that gives students the opportunity to create and run their own business. “You truly learn lessons you can depend on once you are out of school and that are applicable to real life. It was far more than a textbook-only education,” she recalls of her experience.

Robinson applied what she learned and was exposed to at Clarkson to what has been a nontraditional career path: from IT to digital marketing to customer development to

>

CLARKSON PREPARED ME WITH A DIVERSE MINDSET AND SKILL SET TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO A LARGE COMPANY OR SMALL COMPANY…

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEN & JERRY’S

SUMMER 2021 / 17

sales and marketing. She started out at Johnson & Johnson, where she was part of an information technology leadership program that rotated participants across different divisions of the business. The rotation was formative and helped Robinson clarify the direction she wanted to pursue: sales and marketing. She went on to work for a small private company, Mentholatum, and was eventually recruited by Unilever to work in customer development on beauty and personal care products.

“Clarkson prepared me with a diverse mindset and skill set to be able to adapt to a large company or small company throughout my career so far. I’ve been fortunate to get to work with so many great people and brands within the [consumer packaged goods] industry.”

In 2018, she joined the team at Ben & Jerry’s, a wholly-owned autonomous subsidiary of Unilever, which operates its business on a threepart mission statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community.

Robinson — who had been interested in the ice cream company and its mission for years — had proactively reached out to people there to say, “Hey, at

some point, I really want to work with you.” She kept in touch and kept that network alive. “When the right opportunity came up, I interviewed with a lot of other candidates, but ultimately it was the right fit at the right time,” Robinson says.

“What I think is really inspiring and cool about Ben & Jerry’s is the company expects that we bring our whole selves to the office, not just our business experience” she says. “Ben & Jerry’s is a company that supports, provides opportunity and challenges their employees to continue their learning journeys across the three-part mission every day.”

During the pandemic, Ben & Jerry’s has been there for their fans.

“We’ve provided comfort, fun and an indulgent moment people have needed, whether by themselves or with their families, throughout the pandemic,” Robinson reports.

And now the company is going beyond the nearly universal human love of ice cream — they recently introduced Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Desserts, a “frozen dog treat.” The company has a “strong dog culture,” Robinson said, with employees allowed to bring their pooches to

work. “They’re not in public spaces or our kitchens,” she explains, “but they’re allowed in our offices. When you walk in, there are baby gates in doorways everywhere.” There was even an office competition to see whose dogs would end up on the Doggie Desserts packaging.

Robinson has had an impressive career and, by all accounts, is just getting started, though she is quick to give credit to the people who have helped her along the way. “The network created from my time at Clarkson is priceless,” she says. “The professors pushed us to be better and constantly challenged us. I will forever be indebted to what they taught me. Some professors I’ve stayed in touch with have become advisors, friends or collaborators in industry projects over the years.”

Robinson does her part to pay it forward, mentoring students or recent alumni, and keeps an eye out for fellow Clarkson alums.

“I’m grateful for my four years at Clarkson. I made amazing friends, developed a strong network and gained a ton of experience. Clarkson taught me that if it doesn’t exist, there is nothing stopping you from creating it.”

CLARKSON TAUGHT ME THAT IF IT DOESN’T EXIST, THERE IS NOTHING STOPPING YOU FROM CREATING IT.

CLARKSON’S BEN & JERRY’S™ NIGHTS This beloved tradition marks the legacy of the first Honors Program gift from a late Clarkson University custodian, Shirley Nelson. Nelson admired hard workers who strive for excellence in their daily lives, particularly Clarkson Honors students. She wanted to fund an event that promotes student relaxation and enjoyment. At these impromptu get-togethers, students get to take a break and enjoy their favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

18 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

ACCELERATE YOUR

CAREER

Clarkson’s Flexible Degree Options Fit Your Life and Goals.

Mallory Fisher ’16, MBA’18 Program Planner, Lockheed Martin

Business

Data Science

Healthcare

Engineering

Education

Sciences

Interdisciplinary Programs and Joint Degree Programs

Onsite, Online and Hybrid Graduate Programs in Potsdam, Schenectady and Beacon, New York

clarkson.edu/graduate SUMMER 2021 / 19

By Suzanne F. Smith olby Ziemendorf ’14 likes challenges, particularly physical challenges that require stamina and an enduring commitment.

As a senior at Clarkson, Kolby and his girlfriend (now wife) Catherine (Zarnofsky) Ziemendorf ’14 decided to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) by climbing all the high peaks in the Adirondacks during National Suicide Prevention Week.

“A friend of mine in high school had died by suicide,” Kolby says. “It was something that was always with me. I wanted to do something for him, and to be honest, I needed to find some closure for myself.”

Forty-Six Mountains in Seven Days With help from The Shipley Center at Clarkson, the two started a Facebook site, a webpage and a donor drive. Their goal was to raise $10,000. And while their ambitious climbing schedule was thrown off course by a persistent black bear and an unplanned overnight in the frozen woods, the two emerged from the experience with stories to share and $15,000 in donations.

Eight years later, that inspirational Adirondacks trek has morphed into

Below: Catherine (Zarnofsky) Ziemendorf ’14 (l) and Kolby Ziemendorf ’14 (r) on a climb in Yosemite National Park with Half Dome in the background. Right: Photos from the nationwide community of 46Climbs hikers.

20 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

an annual national fundraising event, 46Climbs, with mountain climbers across the country — and even the world — climbing for a cause.

Under Kolby’s leadership, 46Climbs has so far raised more than $500,000 for AFSP to support suicide research, education and advocacy.

Participants can climb any time during the weeklong event. “We have had climbers from California to New England participate,” Kolby says. “We’ve also had mountain climbers and hikers join us in 10 countries, including China, Argentina, Sweden, Tanzania and Australia.”

Last year, 1,033 people participated, raising $187,000. Among those climbing and raising money were three Clarksonaffiliated teams: the Outing Club ($3,338), the Clarkson Alumni Team ($3,885) and the “Kyle Hates Hiking” team, led by Kyle O’Grady ’18. O’Grady’s team raised $10,000, earning them a place in 46Climbs history as the team with the most funds raised and elevation climbed.

As a fundraiser, Kolby points to the amount of money raised as an indicator of the success of 46Climbs. But as a mountaineer, he also likes to measure its

success in terms of elevation gain. “Last year, participants climbed a combined total of 3,152,809 feet, which is like climbing Mount Everest from base camp 273 times,” he says. Since 2015, the combined elevation gain is equivalent to ascending Mount Everest 774 times.

The path to 46Climbs began in 2013 with one of Kolby’s first dates with Catherine. “I didn’t really know much about the Adirondack Mountains or mountain climbing,” he recalls. “I grew up in Rochester, which is pretty flat.”

The two met as juniors when they were both living on the fourth floor of Moore House. They had a lot in common; both were native New Yorkers and serious athletes. Kolby, a mechanical engineering student, played for Clarkson’s varsity baseball team all four years. Catherine, who majored in innovation and entrepreneurship, was a member and captain of the women’s D-III cross-country team.

46Climbs, a national fundraising event founded and led

by Kolby Ziemendorf ’14, has raised awareness and more than $500,000 to support suicide prevention.

“The campus was green when we left Potsdam to drive to the Adirondacks,” recalls Kolby of that first date and first climb. “But the mountains — Cascade and Porter — were a sheet of ice.”

The experience was hardly ideal. But the relationship stuck and a love of mountain climbing was born. Today, Kolby and Catherine make their home in the Albany area, where Kolby is employed as the site facilities engineer at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory and where Catherine has worked as a project analyst at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory since 2015.

“It’s a great location for climbing,” he says. “The Adirondacks, the White Mountains and the Catskills are all within driving distance.”

For Kolby, balancing a demanding career and a national fundraising event is

Climb to Conquer Suicide September 3-12, 2021 To register to climb or donate, visit 46climbs.com.

like having two full-time jobs. But he is deeply committed to the success of both.

“Catherine and I have both known people affected by depression and touched by suicide,” he says. “Today, with so many people experiencing new or worsening mental health conditions brought on by the COVID-19 restrictions and social isolation, it is so important to raise awareness and let people know that help is available.”

SUMMER 2021 / 21

Golden Knights Rise

Innovation Challenge Reveals Students’ Erin Draper ’03, MBA’14 wanted to help Clarkson students. In a semester when student activities and opportunities for community bonding have been in low supply, boosting the spirits of the student body seemed vital.

Delivering 4,000 pizzas or putting together 4,000 care packages was not feasible. Instead, the managing

director of Clarkson Ignite turned to the mission of her program to churn the creative juices of socially distanced Golden Knights.

“I got thinking about what we do from an Ignite standpoint around innovation — just trying to engage them mentally and engage them with their academic expertise and trying to be productive and fun, but also educational,” says Draper. “So we issued a challenge.”

Their goal was simple: offer students a loosely academic and fun creative challenge with the potential to win attractive prizes.

DAY 1

DAY 2

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DAY 3

DAY 4

For seven days, a new student challenge activity was issued, to be completed using only items found in the students’ living quarters or that could be ordered and delivered to campus safely. Students submitted a video showing their version of the completed challenge, which was then judged by Clarkson faculty and staff.

The Ignite team was hopeful their challenge would engage a couple dozen students. When the videos began rolling in, the response shattered any conceivable goal.

“On Monday after we launched the first one, we all sat there and just hit refresh, refresh. Then we got to watch

QUARANTINE CHALLENGES

Creative Nature all of these videos come in,” says Draper. “This significantly exceeded our expectations. I remember thinking that if we got 10 or 15 submissions every day, that would be great.”

“We had 195 on the first day,” adds Ignite Fellow Matt Hawthorne ’19, MS’21. “We were just shy of 600 responses across all seven days.”

The intent of Clarkson Ignite is to foster an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive. While Draper won’t take credit for teaching students how to be innovative, Clarkson Ignite certainly succeeded in revealing creative potential.

DAY 5

DAY 6

Using only items on hand

“I think what’s awesome about Clarkson, and what we do in Ignite pretty well, is adapting quickly. We try to take the temperature of what’s going on, try to understand what students’ needs are and be proactive about it,” says Draper. “Seeing the students take on this challenge just made me proud to be part of this community.”

View the videos at clarkson.edu/innovation-challenge

Day 1: Build the CU Letters Day 2: Window Decoration Day 3: Build a Rube Goldberg

Machine Day 4: Build a Fort Day 5: Build Quarantine Workout

Gear or Routine Day 6: Quarantine Food Creations Day 7: Build a Golden Knight Grand Prize: Golden Knights Rise Share how you rose during this unprecedented time. How did you stay positive and productive?

DAY 7

GRAND PRIZE

SUMMER 2021 / 23

“Social media companies argue that they’re not a news company, not a publisher, which means that they don’t have the same

When Bots Rule the World

accountability

By Kristen A. Schmitt

regarding false news on their platforms that those companies would.”

Jeanna Matthews

In 2020, 1 in 5 U.S. ad 24 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

S

ocial media became a lifeline during the last year as quarantining and social distancing played havoc with in-person gatherings. While many use social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in touch with family and friends, others use it to stay up-to-date on news and current events.

In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, about one in five U.S. adults got their political news primarily through social media in 2020.

Jeanna Matthews, a professor of computer science, says that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Matthews studies the world of automation and platforms with a specific focus on algorithmic accountability and platform accountability, shedding light on the flip side of the social media equation. Every day, big decisions are made with software: algorithms that plug in numbers and other data to determine whether someone should be hired, what news you should see and everything in between.

“The whole basis of managing our media landscape has been completely uprooted by algorithmic curation and, even more than that, very active manipulation of those algorithms,” says Matthews.

Professional hackers and foreign governments use these algorithms to manipulate information and even attack you. Software curates the content you see based upon your history of “likes” or “votes” and prompts the algorithms, otherwise known as bots, to highlight specific content. It’s almost like “programming” that caters directly to you.

“This doesn’t mean that the content is true,” says Matthews. “In fact, lies and extreme content are often the stuff that spreads the quickest.”

Matthews points out that the use of bots (for example, thousands of false accounts who follow and support topics in unison and sometimes even have the same profile picture) can create thousands of false “likes” that propel misinformation forward because the algorithm works as a voting system. This skewed system is cyclical because the more “likes” something gets, the more engagement that social platform receives, resulting in happy advertisers and more revenue for the company. “Big platforms have turned a blind eye to

Jeanna Matthews works with McNair Scholar Mariama Njie.

algorithmically controlled accounts for years,” says Matthews.

She suggests one of the first fixes to the algorithmic problem is getting rid of the bots, but points out that the social media companies haven’t been aggressive enough because of the benefit they receive from the bots’ existence. Nor do these companies believe they have the same responsibility as those whose existence is purely journalistic.

“Social media companies argue that they’re not a news company, not

a publisher,” says Matthews, “which means that they don’t have the same accountability regarding false news on their platforms that those companies would. They’re technology companies.”

While some social media companies banned accounts and removed violent content surrounding the 2020 presidential election, Matthews still urges caution and common sense when navigating social media. She says it’s important to pay particular attention to news sources, possible fake accounts and questionable content that gain an accelerated promotion on platforms — it’s likely due to algorithms and bots and not a true representation of public sentiment.

As for the future of social media, Matthews believes building credible authenticity and transparency will remain a key issue over the next decade. Globally, some governments aggressively censor social media platforms, which is obviously something the U.S. likely will not do.

However, creating more transparency and holding social media companies more accountable could be a good first step in gaining traction among the wellestablished algorithms that dictate social media content.

“Right now, we have three major models worldwide,” says Matthews. “One where the government controls all, another with certain data privacy restrictions, and then you have the U.S., which is basically just leaving these decisions to the whims of private companies. I would really like to see our government craft a social media platform model that aligns with Western democratic values, but at this point, there has been very little attempt to do so.”

ults got their political news primarily through social media.

The Peak of Video Streaming hh

itt

By Kristen A. Schm

26 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

ay only be at classroom m

The all of the students half-capacity, but urse are present. registered for the co e attending class Remote students ar link shared by virtually via a Zoom hmitt. This inProfessor Jason Sc el, implemented person/hybrid mod distancing in to allow for social s solid internet classrooms, require just one example of connections and is st t usage over the pa the shift in interne 19. year due to COVIDic, media em nd pa Before the ’t at the all-time consumption wasn w, the majority high it is today. No lation relies on of the global popu t to virtually connec streaming services r for work, school with others — eithe d to stream or socializing — an In fact, according entertainment, too.

Morgan, there’s to a report by J.P. where so much never been a time constantly coming original content is

. Companies out of the pipelines Twitter and even like Netflix, Hulu, ported increased Pinterest have all re a age, which shows engagement and us e tim toward screen shift in sentiment ming habits never ea and a surge in str seen before. ,” says Schmitt, “It’s a perfect storm unication, Media & chair of the Comm t. “Right now, we’re Design Departmen ion that is, more witnessing a populat g a growing amount than ever, consumin ent … and wanting of video-based cont a daily basis.” more and more on there are currently He points out that who identify as 4.57 billion people s, with 3.5 billion active internet user artphones. And regularly using sm ing handheld the majority are us videos. However, devices to stream cess is equal and not everyone’s ac broadband can be impacted by r technology he accessibility and ot

Data – and video specifically – is now part of humanity’s collective nervous system. But ensuring everyone’s accessibility in what’s now a Zoom-universe … we’re just starting to realize how critical that is.

in an intensely interruptions that, ove problematic. mediated world, pr global internet “Eighty percent of d video data, and traffic is compresse are uploaded to 500 hours of video . ute,” adds Schmitt YouTube every min is o specifically — “Data — and vide ity’s collective now part of human t ensuring nervous system. Bu ility in what’s now everyone’s accessib we’re just starting a Zoom-universe … cal that is.” to realize how criti

ccess Creating Equal A rld in a Mediated Wo

in video streaming Schmitt’s interest mplement his and accessibility co unding the need other projects surro research outputs for open access to y is empowering and how technolog the Global South. online education in e documentary, Schmitt’s 65-minut

ess of Scholarship, Paywall: The Busin 000 views, which has had 350, ote the importance continues to prom to scholarly output of equitable access unity. for a global comm ll out and we Even as vaccines ro ities, Schmitt resume normal activ in internet predicts this uptick eaming is likely usage and video str main on a to remain — and re ich is why video global scale — wh me a critical issue bandwidth has beco ice providers. A among internet serv sor/decompressor, new video compres ward helping to or codec, geared to is a necessary reduce the file sizes eaming. next step to keep str ing sent “With more data be pipelines, a 50% through the digital file size is a big reduction in video . deal,” says Schmitt new codec — the He points out that a uld be the solution.

H.266/VVC — co

y prepares video The new technolog the internet, but for streaming over load times, greater with shorter video eased available resolution and incr ming providers. bandwidth for strea create Codecs are used to that all computers streamable media . “Basically, can universally read ific components,” they have two spec encodes the says Schmitt. “One it becomes compressed files so mputer can co a digital format a codes, or de read, and the other e fil so it can play decompresses, the inally captured.” back as it was orig itt, the new However, for Schm rtant component codec’s most impo erall data usage is a decrease in ov will create more cost and how that r consumers. equitable access fo ll reduce disparities “Decreased cost wi content for a global in access to digital hmitt. consumer,” says Sc

SUMMER 2021 / 27

A 100-YEAR TRADITION:

Golden Knights Rise in Undying Support

1922-23 Clarkson hockey team photo

28 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

t of Clarkson Hockey

By Jake Newman

lthough unique to each member of our expansive community, the Clarkson experience for the past 100 years has included one constant for nearly every alum, student, current and former faculty and staff member, and friend of the University: the rich and storied history of Golden Knights hockey.

The 2021-22 season sees Clarkson hockey celebrate its centennial.

From the first games played on an outdoor surface at Ives Park to the newly renovated Cheel Arena, the game of hockey has been ingrained in the culture of Clarkson and the surrounding Potsdam community since its inception.

And while the on-ice efforts of the Golden Knights cannot be understated, one of the true hallmarks of the Clarkson hockey experience lies in the rabid fandom from the Green and Gold faithful.

Each time the hockey team skates onto the ice, the Clarkson hockey community rises to the occasion to support its beloved squad.

>

Loud and proud Pep Band alum Matthew W. Keil ’09

SUMMER 2021 / 29

This was especially true for the 53 years that the Golden Knights inhabited Walker Arena, according to Steve Yianoukos ’72.

Yianoukos, who worked in Clarkson’s athletic department for 35 years, including 15 years as athletic director before his retirement in 2019, has seen as many Golden Knight hockey contests as anyone.

“I was a season ticket holder when I was 11 years old, and I have been one ever since, through my high school days, college, my professional career,” says Yianoukos. “To me, being part of Clarkson hockey is deeply embedded as one of the very most rewarding things in my life. I really enjoyed going to the games, watching the games. It has been a big part of a lot of Clarkson alums’ lives.”

Walker Arena, named for the father of Clarkson hockey, Murray Walker, housed the Golden Knights for more than half a century. In that time, Clarkson posted an almost unfathomable 471-160-22 record.

Each night, the stands were packed full of fans, eager to make themselves known.

They stood together in the pursuit of one common goal: to will the Golden Knights to victory.

30 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

“In Walker, we only had roughly 1,400 seats, but we used to get in 2,200 to 2,500 people at the games,” says Yianoukos.

“Walker is more like a gladiator pit: you only had about four rows of seats. But they would just jam in there. So, if you were on the ice surface and looked up, the only thing you saw was people. They’re on the beams, they’re on the rafters, they were all the way around.”

The packed Walker Arena — a notoriously difficult place to play according to most coaches who experienced the venue from the visitor’s bench — was home to some of the most

“Hockey is interwoven right into the fabric of the people.”

JERRY YORK

successful Clarkson hockey teams in the storied history of the program.

“Back when Walker was in its prominence, we had three teams make it to the final game in the country. It was the 1962, 1966 and 1970 teams that made it to the final game,” says Yianoukos. “During the 1970s is when Jerry York came in to replace Len Ceglarski. It took about three or four years for him to build it up, but from 1976 through the last year in Walker, which was around 1990, the teams were exceptional.”

Jerry York, a legend in his own right, has coached college hockey since he began his tenure at Clarkson during the 1970-71 season as an assistant, before heading the program for six seasons. York then spent the next 15 years behind the bench at Bowling Green State University until the 1994-95 season, when he became the head coach at Boston College, where he remains to this day. York is a five-time NCAA National Champion and is the first coach in NCAA Division I hockey history to win 1,000 games.

Through his 48-year, hall-of-fame coaching career, York still recalls the atmosphere of Walker Arena.

“Oh, that was a terrific old venue. Small ice surface, small capacity. The student body, the fan base was right on top of all of the action,” recalls York. “Everybody now has built bigger arenas and more prostyle arenas. Back in those days, everyone had the old barns, and back in the 70s, Clarkson was probably considered one of the most difficult places to play in college hockey. They had a huge bell they’d ring every time we scored a goal. The fraternities really supported the teams. It was a raucous environment.”

Yianoukos adds, “The pep band was at the far end, and the visitor’s locker room was right there. Back then, the big tradition was that the Delta Sig fraternity had a bell, and every time we scored, they would clang it, and it was very annoying.

In between periods, they would be banging that thing the entire time, so it was a real distraction to the visiting teams.”

Yianoukos and York agree that the Clarkson hockey community feels like family. Attending games is as much a social outing as it is a sporting event, and that goes for students and local community members alike. Yianoukos hearkens

back to memories as a Clarkson student.

When talking about the passion for the hockey program among those on campus, Yianoukos’ description evokes an almost spell-like bond to the team.

“Most of the Clarkson students have never skated, never seen a hockey game until they get here. And when they come in, they just fall in love with it,” he says.

“I remember my freshman floor, I played freshman hockey that year, and everyone in the dorm went to the games.

They just thought it was the greatest thing going. I don’t know if it’s the physicality, the speed, but for whatever reason,

“To me, being part of Clarkson hockey is deeply embedded as one of the very most rewarding things in my life.”

STEVE YIANOUKOS ’72

it is a big draw to the Clarkson student.”

York recalls the community atmosphere fondly. Having grown up just outside of Boston, he said he cherishes the nine years he spent in small-town Potsdam and the friendships he made through Clarkson hockey.

“I met a lot of really good people, rocksolid people. The families I met there, the interactions with the faculty, just the regular student body — I really enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of Potsdam and of Clarkson in particular,” York says.

“It’s a small town, that’s the key.

Clarkson hockey is the focal point,” Yianoukos says.

And so, while the longstanding success of Clarkson hockey can be reflected in record books, the memories of seeing the Golden Knights rise in support of their team is what stands out so prominently to those who lived it.

“The long, successful history of Clarkson hockey has been well supported by the University, by the town and by the alumni. It’s an integral part of the Clarkson experience, I think,” York says.

“Hockey is interwoven right into the fabric of the people.”

SUMMER 2021 / 31

Alumni Association

LETTER FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Dear Fellow Clarkson Alumni: When I look back at the past 12 months, it’s easy to think about the struggles and the challenges. But more often than not, I think about how proud I am of Clarkson — the students, the staff and the alumni.

Our professors and staff took on the incredible, in terms of preparing our campuses for in-person instruction. Our students took on the challenge, sacrificing many aspects of the college experience that we as alumni take for granted. Our alumni have shown a tremendous amount of support, both in terms of engagement and financial contributions to help support these efforts across the Clarkson community.

What was the end result? Clarkson did not just persevere; the University thrived. As we’ve come to expect from Clarkson, when faced with a challenge, Golden Knights rise to meet it.

Clarkson students have done amazing work in their studies. Thanks to their academic success and their experience at Clarkson, many are prepared to join a workforce that felt very uncertain just a year ago. They stepped up by adhering to the Clarkson Commitment and, in all regards, were an example to their peers in other academic institutions around the country.

I can’t say enough about how thankful I am for the Alumni Association leadership, our friends in Development & Alumni Relations, the Career Center, Athletics, Admissions and our other partners on campus. Thanks to their combined efforts, we saw a record amount of alumni engagement in the 2020-21 academic year — not just with each other, but with students on campus as well.

While I’m extremely excited to start reconnecting with Clarkson and all of you in person soon, what I have learned over the course of the pandemic is that we don’t need to be near someone to be close to them. As members of the Clarkson community, we always seem to find ways to build strong bonds and connections and build each other up, regardless of proximity, our backgrounds or where we are in our careers.

We have shown that just taking a few minutes to make a phone call, send an email or join a Zoom meeting can make all of the difference to a new student, parent, recent graduate or alum. There are more ways for us to connect now than ever, and with that comes more opportunities and more success.

We’re looking to build upon this foundation in the coming years and will continue to provide alumni with more ways to stay engaged and connected with Clarkson. Please keep an eye out for these opportunities, and help us to grow and stay connected.

Thank you for all that you have done to help Clarkson succeed, and I can’t wait to see you all in the near future.

Let’s Go Tech!

— RON AYERS ’02

32 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Ron Ayers ’02 President Monica Young ’00 Executive Vice President Kathryn Campbell ’03 Past President Eric Democko ’02 Chapter President Liaison Juan Martinez ’95 Communications Liaison Sue Bynum ’79 Alumni Admissions Liaison VACANT Reunion Liaison Eric Carney ’01 Graduate Alumni Liaison Lisa Jeffers ’03 Affinity Group Liaison Gabrielle Piraino ’19 Career Center Liaison Dan Horn ’15 Student Life Liaison VACANT Clarkson Fund Liaison VACANT Faculty Liaison AFFINITY MEMBERS/ MEMBERS AT LARGE

Bill Jeffers ’01 Member at Large Cindy Dowd Greene ’78 Golden Knight Affinity Liaison Peter Gordon ’81 Golden Knight Affinity Liaison Sam St. John ’03 Honors Program Affinity Liaison Amanda Geary ’13 Greek Alumni Association Liaison Brett Gobe ’03 Pep Band Alumni Association Liaison Sidney Spiers Student at Large Adam Bifulca Student at Large

Find your Alumni Association chapter and leadership online at: engage.clarkson.edu/ alumni-association

Alumni Awards The Clarkson Alumni Association Awards recognize and reward alumni for outstanding service to Clarkson and build pride among our powerful network of 44,500+ alumni.

The Golden Knight Award The Alumni Distinguished Service Award, better known as the “Golden Knight Award,” was established in 1962 to recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves as Clarkson’s best representatives and ambassadors.

George C. Schatz ’71, HD’12 Schatz received his BS in chemistry from Clarkson University in 1971 and a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

He was presented with an honorary degree from Clarkson in 2012.

Schatz is a theoretical chemist, former editor-in-chief at The Journal of Physical Chemistry and the Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University. He has contributed significantly to theories of dynamical processes important in chemistry and is

the recipient of several awards, including the Bourke Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Feynman Prize of the Foresight Institute, the Herschbach Medal, the Debye Award of the American Chemical Society and the Ahmed Zewail Prize in Molecular Sciences.

In the field of chemical reaction dynamics, Schatz was one of the pioneers in the application of quantum scattering methods to determine the cross sections and rates of simple gas phase reactions. His work in nanoscience has contributed to the development of computational electrodynamics and electric structure methods for the study of noble metal particles and molecules interacting with metal particles.

Schatz has produced an impressive body of work, with over 1,100 scientific publications, including his book, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics in Chemistry.

In 2020, Schatz was named one of the Ten Most Influential Chemists Today by Academic Influence. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Kenneth S. Solinsky ’71 Solinsky received his BS degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson in 1971, an MS in industrial engineering from Texas A&M and an MS in business management from Stanford.

Solinsky began his career with the U.S. Army’s Engineering Intern Training Center and later joined the U.S. Army Night Vision Laboratory where he progressed through a series of increasingly responsible engineering and management positions for the first production Night Vision Goggle, the Army’s first Thermal Tank Sight, an integrated payload for the Army’s first Unmanned Air Vehicle, and was then project manager, Night Vision Devices.

Golden Knights Celebrate Golden Reunion

In 1987, he and his wife, Grace, formed Insight Technology. Insight grew from a two-person startup to become the nation’s premier developer and producer of Night Vision and Electro Optical Systems for the individual warfighter, with over 1,300 employees and sales exceeding $330 million. Insight products are used by all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, federal law enforcement agencies and allied nations. In 2010, Ken and Grace sold Insight Technology to L3 Communications where Ken became president of L3 Warrior Systems.

In 2005, Ken and Grace acquired the precision optics capabilities of Eastman Kodak and formed Rochester Precision Optics (RPO), a company he still owns. Later, Ken started OnPoint Systems, LLC. Its flagship product, SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence, a GPS-based dog collar, was named the Best Virtual Fence by WIRED magazine.

In 2019, Solinsky formed Envision Technology, LLC, which develops advanced Night Vision and ElectroOptical Systems for the U.S. military.

Ken holds over 20 utility patents, has won numerous public sector and government awards, is a sponsor of the Clarkson Ignite Program with the SolinskyIgnite Research Fellowship and has served on Clarkson’s Scientific Advisory Council.

50 1971-2021

SUMMER 2021 / 33

Alumni Association

The Golden Knight Award CONTINUED Siren R. Chudgar MD ’96

Lynn T. (Sokolowski) Kassouf ’76

Chudgar received his BS in civil engineering from Clarkson in 1996 and a doctor of medicine from SUNY Upstate Medical University. He was active in many student organizations, serving as president of Tau Beta Pi and a Student Admissions Representative.

Chudgar left a practice in New York to work with Anthem, Florida Blue and Novitas Solutions. Currently, he works with WellMed and is a family physician.

Chudgar is an Annie Clarkson Society member and served on Clarkson’s Board of Governors and the Alumni Council. He and his wife have established a scholarship.

Kassouf received her BS in mathematics from Clarkson in 1976 and an MS in secondary education and math from Concordia University in 2005. At Clarkson, Lynn played basketball, volleyball and ice hockey; she is a member of the Omega Delta Phi sorority.

Kassouf left Carlyle Compressor as a reliability engineer and later returned to the workforce as a high school math teacher until retiring. She developed and implemented the CARES process for effective academic intervention.

Kassouf is an Annie Clarkson Society member and has served on Clarkson’s Board of Governors.

Robert H. Donaldson ’51 Donaldson received his BS in chemical engineering from Clarkson in 1951 and an MS in industrial statistics from the University of Rochester in 1957. At Clarkson, Donaldson was the photo editor for the Integrator and Clarksonian. He was a member of Lambda Iota fraternity and Tau Beta Pi and Omega Chi Epsilon. He is a lifetime member of the Clarkson Roundtable and the Annie Clarkson Society and was awarded the Charles Ehrlich ’56 Alumni Admissions Award in 2011. Donaldson is currently president of Delta Planning, Inc., a management consulting firm he founded in 1982, and has served as CEO, CFO or director for a number of public and private corporations.

34 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

Scott A. Kingsley ’86 Kingsley received his BS in accounting from Clarkson in 1986. Scott was inducted into Phalanx and played intramural hockey.

Kingsley held executive leadership positions with Carlisle Companies Incorporated and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He retired as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Community Bank System Inc. He is currently a director at the Crouse Health Foundation.

Kingsley completed the 2020 Boilermaker Road Race to benefit OnMyTeam16, a pediatric cancer support organization, and raised a recordbreaking $31,382.

An active alum, Kingsley is an Annie Clarkson Society member and has served as a guest speaker for various events.

The Woodstock Award This award was created in 1986 to recognize young alumni. Given at the 5th-20th reunion years, the award honors candidates who demonstrate a unique combination of career accomplishment, service to Clarkson and service to their community.

Eric P. Carney ’01, MS’20 Carney received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Clarkson in 2001; a master’s in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park; and a master’s in engineering management from Clarkson in 2020.

Carney is the program chief engineer for the Health Usage Management System, Electric Brake and General Actuation product lines at Collins Aerospace and holds a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III certification for systems engineering.

He serves as the graduate alumni liaison on the Alumni Leadership Board and is a member of the Clarkson University Pep Band Alumni Association.

Michele A. Gauger ’01 Gauger received dual degrees in chemistry and biomolecular science from Clarkson. She later completed doctoral studies in biochemistry and biophysics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and obtained a JD from Harvard Law School.

Gauger is the director of client relations for RPX Corporation, working with clients in a variety of technology sectors to provide patent risk management services.

Gauger has served as the regional president for Clarkson’s Bay Area alumni chapter since 2014.

She has organized and attended many regional events, assisted in local recruiting efforts and served as a panelist and speaker for Clarkson events. She is also on the Honors Program Alumni Advisory Board.

Katelyn R. Karekos ’16 Karekos received her BS in chemical engineering with great distinction from Clarkson in 2016.

Karekos is a chemical engineer at Barentz North America, working primarily in research and development in the household, industrial and institutional market.

Karekos has stayed well connected to Clarkson ever since graduating and continues to help Clarkson grow its geographical footprint. She currently serves as the regional chapter president in Southeast Florida and is very active with the COGO Committee and Alumni Admissions programs.

Kevin L. MacVittie TCS’09, ’11, PhD’14, MBA’19 MacVittie graduated from The Clarkson School in 2009 and received his BS in chemistry in 2011, his PhD in chemistry in 2014 and his MBA in 2019.

MacVittie is the chief technology officer for Skip-Line, where he specializes in hardware, software and web applications to improve pavement-marking application. He is a mentor for the Austin Technology Incubator TEX Venture Mentoring Service Program at The University of Texas at Austin.

MacVittie consults for The Shipley Center at Clarkson and mentors students whenever possible. In 2020, he created a scholarship to provide financial assistance for students.

Brynn M. Matkoski ’06 Matkoski received her BS in interdisciplinary engineering and management in 2006 from Clarkson and an MBA focused on supply chain operations from the University of Maryland.

Matkoski has 15 years of experience in supply chain management and is currently a senior program manager of supply chain optimization at Amazon.

Matkoski stays actively engaged in the Clarkson community, currently serving as the regional chapter president in Seattle, Washington. She has also volunteered as a presenter for Knight Class, a program that focuses on professional development skills for undergraduates.

Melanie L. Waldman ’11 Waldman received her bachelor’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship from Clarkson in 2011.

Waldman is a senior solution consultant for Arctic Information Technology, where she helps clients achieve their goals through business analysis and enterprise system implementations. She volunteers with her community’s Honor Flight hub and its charitable knitting program.

Waldman was one of the key alumni leaders involved with creating and executing the newest Clarkson tradition, Cold Out Gold Out. She serves as a regional chapter vice president for Denver and received the Gordon C. Baker ’27 Service Citation in 2017.

The Honorary Alumni Award This award recognizes and rewards nonalumni for providing outstanding service to the University or the Alumni Association.

Anna Marie S. Collins For over 25 years, Collins has served Clarkson’s Education Department in many capacities following a 30-year career teaching public school.

Throughout her postretirement years, Collins mentored and supervised 75 social studies teaching candidates. She worked with each novice teacher for a full school year while they completed their residencies. She also taught over 25 workshops on classroom management and effective teaching methods.

Collins’ involvement in local schools as a representative of Clarkson is exemplary. She has been a constant presence in many Capital Region public and independent schools for the past two decades.

The Lifetime Engagement Award This award recognizes alumni who have remained engaged and supportive of Clarkson’s mission for 50 years or more.

Robert A. “Soupy” Campbell ’61 Campbell received his bachelor of business administration in accounting from Clarkson. He earned an MBA from the University of Colorado Boulder and became a CPA in 1968.

As a Clarkson Trustee, Campbell currently serves as chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee. He was past president of the Clarkson Alumni Association and received the Golden Knight Award.

Campbell began his career with Deloitte Asia Pacific and became a partner in 1975, holding professional and leadership roles, nationally and internationally, before retiring as CEO.

William F. Helmer ’56 Helmer received a bachelor’s in civil engineering in 1956. After serving as an engineering assistant with the Atlantic Refining Company, he reported to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Upon retirement, he returned to Atlantic and was promoted to district engineer.

In 1961, he founded Helmer-Cronin Construction Inc., which focuses on commercial, industrial, institutional and multifamily housing construction.

Helmer is a past president of the Clarkson Alumni Association and received the Golden Knight Award in 1991. He is a Clarkson Emeritus Trustee.

SUMMER 2021 / 35

Class Notes

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1950s

ROGER F. MCCOACH ’70 (ChE) has recently obtained faculty emeritus status at County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. Roger recently retired after teaching mathematics at the college for 44 years. The award is based upon his superior accomplishments in professional growth and engagement, service to the college community and teaching effectiveness. He holds an MA from Stony Brook University and a PhD from New York University. Away from academia, he is an enthusiastic traveler, having visited 45 U.S. states and 86 countries.

STEVEN M. SCHERER ’69 (ME) is the vice president of Grassy Waters Conservancy, which works to protect the Grassy Waters Preserve in West Palm Beach.

During the pandemic, he called upon current Clarkson students to assist with the Conservancy’s website and social media presence.

HENRY C. OKRASKI ’58 (EE) has received a lifetime achievement award for modeling and simulation from the National Training & Simulation Association.

1960s

RONALD A. ’62 (EE) and Sue Joseph, who met while Ron was at Clarkson, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 21, 2020.

1970s

JAMES D. HANKEY ’70, ’71 (ID; MS,IM) is

celebrating 30 years of service as a deacon in the Rochester Diocese.

GEORGE C. SCHATZ ’71, ’12 (Cm; H) was recently named one of 10 Top Influential Chemists by Academic Influence. He is a theoretical chemist, editor-in-chief at The Journal of Physical Chemistry and the Charles E. and Emma

H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University.

JOEL SILVERMAN ’74 (ECE) was recently featured in a podcast series: How We Got Loud. Listen to the interview at howwegotloud.com.

ELIZABETH A. FESSENDEN ’77, ’81, ’85, ’00 (ECE; MBA; MS,EE; H) joined the

board of directors of Alpha Metallurgical Resources as an independent nonexecutive member.

JOHN D. FOELL ’77, ’79 (ECE; MS,ECE) retired on April 30, 2020, from a very successful career with Bell Labs, and then Raytheon Company, as a radio hardware engineer. He also taught electrical engineering at Indiana Tech for eight years. He now spends his time in hobbyland with antique radios and pipe and electronic organs. He is in his 35th year of entertaining patrons at the Embassy Theatre with its vintage 1928 Page theatre pipe organ. Still can’t play worth a darn but can fix, tune and maintain it quite well.

CLEIGHTON D. SMITH ’77, ’79 (CEE; MENG) became a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers — the highest level one can obtain within the organization.

WILLIAM T. THOMSEN ’78

DAVID M. SPATZ ’68 (Cm), through a generous gift, established the David M. Spatz ’68 Endowed Chair to support Clarkson’s engineering and management program director.

36 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

CRAIG M. TARVER ’68 (Cm) received the 2021 George E. Duvall Shock Compression Science Award from the American Physical Society for his contributions in advancing the understanding of condensed phase explosives.

(CEE) was named the 2021 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year by the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia.

ROBERT R. ZIEK JR. ’78

(ChE) was reelected to the Board of Trustees at Clarkson University, where he serves on the Financial Affairs and Academic Mission committees.

1980s

ERIC A. CIOPPA ’82 (MBA) joined the

Bureau of Insurance, State of Maine, in 1988 as a statistician, then served as the supervisor of the Workers’ Compensation Section prior to becoming deputy superintendent in 1998. He was unanimously confirmed as superintendent in 2011, and, in 2017, was reconfirmed for another five-year term. In 2019, he served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, after serving three years as an officer. He traveled extensively internationally in this capacity. In 2020, he was appointed by his peers to serve two years as the insurance representative on the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) in Washington, D.C. FSOC provides comprehensive monitoring of the stability of our nation’s financial system and has 15 members.

Eric is currently serving as vice chair of the Financial Stability Task Force.

DOUGLAS NEUGOLD ’82 (ID), a private

investor, has joined the board of directors at Target Arm Inc.

CHRISTOPHER R. POWELL ’84 (Ma; CS) a solutions architect director at SAIC, was selected as a corporate fellow, one of 25 in the company. His focus areas are in high performance computing, data analytics and IoT. JOHN RUSSELL ’84 (ME) retired as a senior engineer from Canon Virginia Inc. JEFFREY L. CORLISS ’85 (ID) has been

ranked a 2021 Best in State Wealth Advisor by Forbes and Barron’s. As managing director of RDM Financial Group, he uses his 30+ years of financial industry experience to design comprehensive wealth plans for individuals, businesses and families.

ROBERT A. HOUSEL ’85 (CEE) has been

elected the Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association chairman of the board of directors.

TIMOTHY P. CARPENTER ’86 (CEE), engineer and manager of MRB Group’s Syracuse office, has joined the Group’s management team.

PATRICK J. MEANEY ’86 (ECE) was

accepted into the IBM Academy of Technology on March 13, 2020. Of the new member class, the Academy said, “These individuals have not only demonstrated exceptional leadership for IBM’s clients; they have also contributed significantly to our Academy through initiative work and leadership in Affiliates worldwide. An Academy membership is highly sought after as it provides a unique platform to network with the very best and brightest technical minds in IBM.”

SASANGAN RAMANATHAN ’92, ’95 (MS,ChE; PhD,ChE), dean of the faculty of engineering and a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at Amrita University, presented at the First Shows Manorama Online Techspectations 2020.

1990s

TIMOTHY K. CANHAM ’91 (ECE) is the Clarkson connection with the Mars Perseverance Rover! He is the Ingenuity Helicopter operations lead and was the flight software lead before that. Learn more about this impressive endeavor at mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter.

JAYSHREE SETH ’91, ’93 (MS,ChE; PhD,ChE), corporate scientist and chief science advocate at 3M, received the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Achievement Award, SWE’s highest award, for her contributions to the engineering profession and SWE. LEO J. TITUS JR. ’91 (CEE) has been promoted by Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) to chief operating officer of the ECS Group of Companies.

ROBERT B. TYO ’83 (ME) was awarded the FAA’s 2020 Air Traffic Organization Superior Leadership Award. He is the time based flow management program manager.

GREGG J. MINER ’84 (ChE) joined the JELD-WEN executive team as senior vice president, Global JELD-WEN (JELD-WEN Excellence Model), and was appointed to the Association of Manufacturing Excellence board of directors.

KARL E. SCHRANTZ ’86 (CEE) has been appointed commissioner of the Oneida County Department of Water Quality and Water Pollution Control.

SANDEEP K. DALVIE ’89, ’92 (MS,ChE; PhD,ChE) works at The Chemours Company as the global supply chain director of its titanium technologies business.

SUMMER 2021 / 37

Class Notes

AMANDA J. ZULLO UGC’05 (MA) has been appointed principal at J.W. Leary Junior High School in Massena, New York.

CHAD COOKE ’96 (CE) has been appointed the Saratoga County commissioner of public works.

MICHAEL J. BEACH ’93 (ECE) has joined

Broadbent & Associates Inc. as the director of engineering.

CHRISTOPHER ENGLISH ’93 (IE&M) has joined KROHNE as the vice president of sales for the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

MICHELLE L. CRIMI ’95 (IH) has been

named the inaugural David M. Spatz ’68 Endowed Chair at Clarkson University.

STEPHEN J. WILKINSON ’95 (MBA),

a senior mining executive, has been appointed chief executive officer of Gold’n Futures Mineral Corp.

MARC J. KENNEY ’96, ’97 (CE; MENG) has joined KLJ Engineering as a senior water process engineer.

KELI R. HOLLIS ’04 (By) took over a dental practice, now

named Grasse River Family Dental, in Canton, New York, when the previous dentist retired after 40 years.

38 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

ANDRE CHAMBERS ’98 (MS,MS) has joined the Washington Football Team as chief people officer.

NATHAN MCLEAN ’03 (CE) has joined Menard Group USA as an Upstate New York regional sales engineer.

LUKE MILLER ’98 (EE) is the vice president of Aerospace & Defense Business at Lattice Semiconductor.

LAUREN M. LIVERMORE ’04 (CE), a managing engineer at Barton & Loguidice, was appointed president of the New York Water Environment Association.

2000s ESI A. ASARE ’00, ’01

(MBA; MS,MS) has joined the School of Medicine at UMass Medical School as the director of admissions.

HONG ZHOU ’00 (MS,ChE) was recently

promoted to professor in the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Department of Chemical Engineering.

JOSHUA J. KENYON ’01 (EE), a retired lieutenant colonel with 20 years of service in the Air Force, has joined the solar energy development company Core Development Group as a developer.

DAVID A. YOUNG ’02 (Ph)

has joined Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions as chief technology officer.

HEATHER J. FELI ’03 (ChE) was recently promoted to product engineering leader for the Electronics Manufacturing Team at Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense.

In this new role, she oversees the product manufacturing and engineering for production programs and some development programs; ensures proper documentation and processes are in place for quality products to be built and delivered safely, within budget, and on time; and facilitates mentoring and training for her team. Heather celebrated her 10 year anniversary with the company in September 2020.

THOMAS A. LILIENTHAL ’05 (eB) has been named plant manager at the Novelis automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky.

AMANDA N. BARNHART ’08 (ISBP) is cofounder

of Peace & Plenti, a digital platform and marketplace that supports small business owners and startups.

PETER J. CHRISTIANO ’08 (CE) has been promoted to managing engineer at Barton & Loguidice.

BRIAN T. SINSABAUGH ’07, ’08 (BTM; MBA) an associate in the Land Use and Zoning Practice Groups at Certilman Balin, was named to the 2020 New York Metro Rising Stars list of Super Lawyers.

JENNIFER N. COOMBS ’09 (PS) is an associate professor at the College for Financial Planning, where she developed and leads the Chartered SRI Counselor™ designation program.

RAJIV NARULA ’11 (PhD,EvSE), a faculty member in the School of Science, Health & Criminal Justice at SUNY Canton, has been promoted to associate professor.

ERIN E. AMBROSE ’16 (IE), a Canadian hockey player, most recently with Les Canadiennes, has pledged to donate her brain to science — specifically, concussion research, which has historically focused on male brains.

(Photo by Shanna Martin)

KEITH D. SAVINO ’08 (ChE): “After graduating from Clarkson, I went on to get my PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Rochester, finishing in 2013. Right after that, I opened and ran my own restaurant for three years. Now, I am lead engineer at Zymtronix. I married my beautiful wife, Carolina AlexanderSavino, on June 12, 2016. We are expecting the first addition to our family on June 30, 2021!”

inspections, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulatory compliance programs, industrial hygiene field assessments and on-site safety support. Check him out at safety-collective.com.

PATRISSE CULLORS ’16 (H) is the executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.

She was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in 2020 by TIME 100, and is an author, educator and artist.

MARY G. ADAMS ’14 (CE), superintendent at Mortenson, has been named one of ENR Midwest’s 2021 Top Young Professionals.

JAMES A. DERVAY ’16, ’20 (ME; MS,EE) is an

MATTHEW J. KINNIER ’09 (IE&M) has been named a member of the intellectual property law firm Hoffman Warnick LLC. KATHERINE H. REARDON ’09 (IE&M) has been promoted from attorney to principal at Fish & Richardson.

2010s

EVAN M. MILES ’11 (EE) is a regional stormwater program manager in the Environmental Business Line at Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington’s Core.

NORA M. HOULIHAN ’15 (Cm) defended her PhD in nanoscale engineering.

JOELLE L. KESSLER ’15, ’18 (AE; MS,EM) has joined the certifications team at GPMS as a project manager.

Electrical Engineer II working for Raytheon Technologies Corporation in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In addition to earning his master’s, James was also awarded a U.S. patent this past September.

He is the son of proud alumni parents, James S. ’85 (CEE) and Jody L. (Paller) Dervay ’86 (ME).

AMANDA L. CRUMP ’16 (MBA) has been promoted to senior staff assistant at SUNY Canton and appointed interim director of the university’s One-Hop Shop Student Service Center.

MATTHEW J. ZARBO ’14 (CE) has been promoted to senior project engineer at Barton & Loguidice.

KEVIN D. LABAS ’12 (EnvE) started his own safety consulting business, The Safety Collective. He is excited to be chasing his passion for educating the workforce on safety. Kevin holds his BCSP Certified Safety Professional certification. He provides customized safety training, interactive audits and SUMMER 2021 / 39

In Memoriam

Class Notes

AUSTIN E. FLORIAN ’17 (EM) competed in the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation World Cup and is hoping to land a spot at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

DAVID C. HOLLINGSHEAD ’18 (ME) achieved his MBA in May 2020 and has joined BMW Group as a PACE associate.

MARISA C. CLARK ’19 (EM) has been

promoted to Engineer II at Barton & Loguidice.

TIMOTHY J. DUNN ’19 (EE) has received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

HAYLY K. STEIN ’19

(MS,OT) is the new occupational therapist for the Town of Webb Union Free School District in Old Forge, New York.

RYAN P. TEZAK ’19 (DPT) is the clinic

director at a newly opened branch of BenchMark Physical Therapy in Delaware.

2020s

SEAMUS D. OBER ’20 (EE), a doctoral student in the Manthiram Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, has received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

MYKALA R. WISWELL ’20 (DPT) is a physical therapist at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and Northern Physical Therapy in Lyndonville, Vermont.

(Photo by Caledonian Record)

MARRIAGES

1940s

ROXANN L. (BAIN) ’03, ’05 (BMS; MPT) and

William G. Cheney ’41 (EE), 2012.

Louis J. Boccia ’48 (ChE), 2021.

George E. Boziwick ’48 (EE), 2021.

James M. Kniskern ’48 (ChE), 2020.

John F. O’Brien ’49 (EE), 2021.

Kyle Fennell, September 21, 2019.

CATIANNA R. (CUSHMAN) ’17 (CE) and BRADLEY R. MCAULIFFE ’17 (ME), August

7, 2020. “We were wed despite having to plan an entirely new wedding in two weeks (after planning our original wedding for over a year). We had decided when the pandemic hit that nothing would stand in the way of our love. When our New York wedding was canceled, we were willing to get married in a field if we had to. Instead, our families and community pulled together to create the best and sweetest day of our lives. We said ‘I do’ with twenty of our closest people in our home state of Texas.

We held our Clarkson flag proudly and will forever be thankful for our freshman dorm, Ross 3, where it all began.”

BIRTHS ROXANN L. (BAIN) ’03, ’05 (BMS; MPT) and Kyle Fennell, a daughter, Kylee Mae, October 22, 2020.

ALLISON C. (RUSSELL) ’05 (CE) and JEFFREY A. LIA ’03 ’06 (CS; MS,CS), a son, Kellan

Edward, October 30, 2018.

MARY E. (KONECNIK) ’10, ’11 (Ma; MBA) and MICHAEL P. MCCABE ’10 (CE), a daughter,

Millie Ann, February 11, 2021.

MEGAN A. (PELLETIER) ’11, ’14 (By; DPT) and IAN J. KEATING ’11 (CE), a son, Nolan Michael, October 24, 2020.

BRENDAN A. ’11, ’12 (Ph; MBA) and KATHRYN V. (O’LEARY) WIEDOW ’11, ’12 (ME; MBA), a

daughter, Riley Frances, November 4, 2020.

How to Submit a Class Note To submit a class note for inclusion in the monthly electronic newsletter or next Clarkson magazine, please visit clarkson.edu/milestones.

Questions can be directed to alumni@clarkson.edu.

40 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

1950s Stuart H. Bouchey ’50 (EE), 2020.

Richard S. Flanigan ’50 (ME), 2020.

Otto Frank ’50 (ChE), 2021.

Charles M. Harvey ’50 (ChE), 2012.

John D. Mulholland ’50 (BA), 2020.

John F. Stets ’50 (EE), 2020.

Harvey A. Stocker ’50 (ChE), 2020.

Eugene F. Wells ’50 (EE), 2020.

Angelo H. Ceci ’51 (ChE), 2020.

Lewis Morgan ’51 (Cm), 2021.

Donald T. Opalecky ’51 (Cm), 2017.

Donald P. Wiedmann ’51 (ME), 2021.

Edwin F. Hawxhurst ’52 (Ac), 2020.

Theodore M. Kudzy ’52 (BA), 2020.

Floyd A. Morley ’52 (BA), 2021.

David R. Peterson ’52 (CE), 2020.

Lowell P. Smith ’52 (ME), 2016.

Richard R. Nissen ’53 (BA), 2020.

Paul W. Alfke ’54 (BA), 2020.

Gordon J. Griffith ’54 (BA), 2021.

Donald B. Argersinger ’55 (BA), 2021.

Ronald B. Barber ’55 (ME), 2020.

Wesley J. Buyck ’55, ’63 (ME; MS,ME) 2020.

Richard C. Dorf ’55 (EE), 2020.

Richard T. Ashcroft ’56 (EE), 2020.

Blase J. Chiarello ’56 (CE), 2020.

Ronald R. Fenaughty ’56 (ME), 2020.

Richard A. Russell ’56 (CE), 2020.

George S. Kimmel ’57, ’91 (BA; H), 2021.

Robert J. Paoni ’57 (EE), 2020.

Dante H. Degni ’58 (ME), 2021.

John B. Shafer ’58 (EE), 2019.

James P. Couch ’59, ’62 (ChE; MS, ChE), 2018.

Stanley T. Watson ’59 (ME), 2021.

1960s Irwin J. Faibisch ’60 (EE), 2021.

Daniel J. Taylor Jr. ’60 (ChE), 2021.

Kenneth Gardiner ’61 (BA), 2020.

Ross E. Hamilton ’61 (ID), 2021.

Carl E. Mueller ’61 (ChE), 2021.

Victor Pecore ’61 (MS,ChE), 2021.

Edward A. Smuts ’61 (ME), 2021.

James Stupp ’61, ’71 (ME; MS,ME), 2020.

William G. Van Note Jr. ’61 (BA), 2020.

Melvin V. Laramie ’62 (ChE), 2020.

Martin Rosenzweig ’62 (EE), 2019.

Werner A. Classen ’63 (CE), 2021.

Donald E. Siegel ’63 (ID), 2020.

Allen E. Winegard ’63 (IM), 2020 George Castle ’64 (Mgt), 2020.

Bruce G. Houran ’64 (CE), 2021.

David H. Tuell ’64 (ME), 2020.

Eugene A. Deardorff ’65 (MS,BSci), 2020.

James E. Miller ’65 (Cm), 2020.

Michael Piccolo ’65 (ID), 2020.

John Zoldi ’65, ’71 (EE; MS,ES), 2021.

Paul Fasulo ’66 (Ac), 2020.

Robert Suhr ’66 (Cm), 2020.

Joseph J. Charles Sr. ’67 (Ph), 2020.

Samuel H. Givand ’67 (Cm), 2020.

Robert Pulaski ’67 (Ac), 2020.

Steven H. Prince ’68 (Ec), 2020.

Robert L. Van Housen ’68 (ID), 2021.

Roger W. Breeze Jr. ’69 (ID), 2020.

William C. Lewis ’69 (EE), 2020.

David C. Smith ’69, ’71, ’75 (Cm; MS,Cm; PhD,Cm), 2021.

James S. Sutherland ’69 (ID), 2016.

1970s Jay F. Ayers ’70 (ME), 2021.

Edward W. Tanzini ’70 (ID), 2020.

Richard B. Abbott ’71 (ME), 2021.

Richard E. Dinaburg ’71 (Ac), 2020.

Richard D. Lytle ’71 (ME), 2021.

John A. Penderleith ’71 (ChE), 2020.

Roger J. Skinner ’71 (ID), 2021.

Thomas J. Stapleton ’72 (ID), 2021.

Dennis E. Kugler ’73 (Mgt), 2020.

Peter J. Lawless ’73 (MS,MS), 2020.

Sanford W. Mace ’73 (Cm), 2020.

Howard M. Saidel ’73 (Mgt), 2021.

Thomas R. Verburg ’73 (ID), 2021.

Vincent D. Kelly ’74 (Mgt), 2020.

Thomas N. Olechowski ’74 (CEE), 2020.

Raymond C. Sisak ’74 (MS,MS), 2020.

Larry R. Taube ’75, ’76 (ChE; MS,IM), 2020.

Harry T. Delles ’76 (CEE), 2021.

Neil H. Muyskens ’78 (ECE), 2021.

David M. Honan ’79 (CEE), 2021.

William A. Kelly ’79 (CEE), 2020.

Harold A. Landahl ’79 (Ac), 2019.

1980s Joel A. Field ’80 (ChE), 2021.

Kim M. Gebhardt ’80 (Mkt), 2020.

Rea J. Simpson ’80 (ECE), 2021.

Elizabeth Worsh ’80 (Mkt), 2020.

John J. Glenning ’81 (ChE), 2021.

James Whitcomb ’81 (ME), 2021.

Mary J. Murray ’83 (Ac), 2021.

John J. Hurney ’84 (ChE), 2013.

James A. Van Buskirk ’85 (CEE), 2021.

Etop B. Esen ’86 (ChE), 2021.

Douglas Case ’87 (ECE), 2020.

Michele A. Evans ’87 (ME), 2021.

Richard C. Semo ’88 (CEE), 2020.

1990s Yogesh R. Popat ’90 (MS,ChE), 2021.

Donald R. Gamble Jr. ’91 (Cm), 2020.

Wenqiu Liu ’96, ’98 (MS,Cm; PhD,Cm), 2020.

Jennifer Thornton ’97, ’98 (BA; MS,MS), 2020.

2000s Kristie L. Francis ’09 (BMS), 2020.

2010s Sean P. Delaney ’10 (Cm), 2020.

Jon A. LaClair ’11 (CE), 2020.

Jeremy W. Benoit ’12 (GSCM), 2021.

Jacob M. Ladouceur ’13 (IE), 2021.

Jan D. Achenbach ’17 (H), 2020.

2020s Jacob D. Pinto ’21 (CpE), 2021.

SPECIAL FRIENDS OF CLARKSON

A. George Davis, 2021

Michele A. Evans ’87, 2021

William R. Wilcox, 2020

Allen E. Winegard ’63, 2020

Davis retired in 1993 after a long career at Clarkson. A graduate of Union College and Harvard University, Davis came to Clarkson in 1953 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During his tenure he was an assistant and associate professor of mathematics, chairman of the mathematics department, dean of student affairs and associate dean of science. Davis was instrumental in developing the personal computer program at Clarkson, the Educational Resources Center and The Clarkson School. He was the only faculty member to be honored three times as Outstanding Faculty Advisor and also was official timekeeper and scorer at Clarkson’s home hockey games.

Evans graduated magna cum laude with a degree in mechanical engineering. With more than 34 years of experience in the defense and aerospace industry, Evans led a significant number of programs in support of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as for commercial and international military customers. She most recently served as executive vice president of the Aeronautics business area for Lockheed Martin. She served on the boards of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and Girls Inc. and was a member of Clarkson’s Coulter School of Engineering Advisory Board.

Wilcox was a distinguished professor emeritus and distinguished professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering. He served as department chair, dean of engineering and founding director of the Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP).

He was director of the consortium for the NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Crystal Growth at Clarkson and also served as the associate director for the International Center for Gravity Materials Science and Applications. In 2017, he was named a distinguished professor emeritus and honored for 42 years of exemplary service to the University. Wilcox was husband to Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Liya Regel.

Winegard was an active member of the Clarkson Alumni Association for several decades. He received the prestigious Golden Knight Award in 1993, the Stub Baker Service Award in 2003 and the Lifetime Engagement Award in 2018. At the time of his passing, he was a sitting member on the Executive Board (Reunion Liaison) of the Alumni Association Leadership Board. A kind and gentle man, he was loved and will be missed by all who were fortunate to have known him. His legacy at Clarkson will live on through his and his wife Barbara’s endowed scholarship.

SUMMER 2021 / 41

Embracing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem > CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Towering Innovation New approaches to science require reimagining lab and learning environments. An exciting expansion and renovation project — made possible through lead gifts from Ken ’79 and Jeanne Lally, Karel Czanderna ’77 and Dan Shirkey ’80, and David Walsh ’67, as well as state funds and grants — will ensure the Science Center continues to support innovative learning and cuttingedge research with lifelong impact for students, faculty and industry partners.

Opened in 1969, the Cora & Bayard Clarkson Science Center is the oldest academic building on the Hill Campus and is the only academic facility that has not received a major renovation over its lifetime. The plans would add two stories on top of the west end of the Science Center, where it is currently a two-story structure. The renovation plans would also update classroom and lab spaces, as well as the building’s energy efficiency.

The new Tower of Innovation — an addition to the west end of the building — will feature thoughtfully designed labs, design studios and communal and collaborative gathering spaces. These new spaces will support work across disciplines and elevate the learning experience to better prepare students for careers of the future.

42 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

“The beauty of this new space and unique learning model is the possibility of getting students who do not think of themselves as researchers or makers to align themselves with that thinking,” says Scriven, who, as an entrepreneur himself, knows that risks can pay off. “Just like a bumblebee knows it can fly, these students will fly. And they will get better and better at it with different iterations.”

Race to the Top Over the next five years, Scriven hopes to also grow graduate degree offerings in the social sciences and the arts through threeand four-plus-one master’s programs — a win-win for both prospective and current students.

“Graduate degrees align us with research, and with more research comes more teaching assistants and research assistants,” explains Scriven. “We can grow the graduate programs while strengthening undergraduate programs. We will have people in all disciplines who are capable of commercializing, cooperating and doing interdisciplinary work.”

“Clarkson is the place where we develop makers who know how to apply knowledge. Students leave and become unleashed. The only way to compete is to be a better value. There are some places we will never compete with in terms of cost, but we can compete with them in terms of what a student gets from a Clarkson education.”

Learn more about Dean Scriven at clarkson.edu/people/darryl-scriven.

3D Bioprinting: Developing Sensors to Protect Against Sunburns Silvana Andreescu, Professor and Egon Matijević Endowed Chair of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science

Professor Silvana Andreescu, with graduate student Abraham Finny and undergraduate student Cindy Jiang ’22, has discovered a custom bioink that can be 3D printed into a skin-safe ultraviolet (UV) sensor that guards against sunburns. The team recently published their findings in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. Andreescu and her team saw the need for a small, portable, low-cost and easy-to-use device that can detect high levels of UV radiation at the time of exposure.

The team proposed 3D bioprinting — which can produce biological structures such as organs, tissues and scaffolds — as an additive manufacturing technique to print wearable and functional sensors for consumer use. The method enabled the one-step fabrication of sensors that are reproducible, mechanically stable and ready to use.

“We combined gelatin and other materials, including titanium, into a colorful, photoactive, printable ink. When the titanium is activated by UV light, like from the sun, the dye degrades and changes color, indicating exposure,” Andreescu says.

“Professor Andreescu has been instrumental in reimagining science education at Clarkson to become more experiential and entrepreneurial,” says Provost Robyn Hannigan. “Her research serves as a prime example of taking a real-world problem and creating a solution — and then moving it from labproven to market-ready.”

— COMING SOON — Volume MMXXI Number 1 June 2021 Printed in USA Marketing & External Relations 315-268-4483 PUBLISHER AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Kelly O. Chezum MBA’04

EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

Kris Ross

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES & PROJECT MANAGEMENT

David Homsey

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Patricia Lane Melissa Lindell Jacob Newman Alison Power Kris Ross Jennifer Sampson Kristen A. Schmitt Suzanne F. Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS

Nancie Battaglia Jada Flanagan Susan Kahn Kris Qua

clarkson.edu

CLARKSON is published two times per year by Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699. Circulation: 45,000 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Development Operations, Clarkson University, Box 5510, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13699; email: developmentops@clarkson.edu EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY Clarkson University does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status in provision of educational opportunity or employment opportunities. This policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation does not apply to the University’s relationships with outside organizations, including the federal government, the military, ROTC and private employers. Clarkson University does not discriminate on the basis of sex or disability in its educational programs and activities, pursuant to the requirements of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the American Disabilities Act of 1990, respectively.

CLARKSON Legion

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Leadership

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STAY CONNECTED TO CLARKSON!

— FALL 2021 — SUMMER 2021 / 43

Clarkson Confident

Dupree ’16, PhD ’20 Credits McNair Program With Elevating Her Career Path

By Jake Newman

IF

you had asked Emmalyn Dupree ’16, PhD ’20, to plot her future as she began her undergraduate studies at Clarkson, earning a doctorate would likely not have been part of the plan.

But thanks in part to a place in the McNair Scholars Research Program, offered to her as a biomolecular science major at Clarkson, Dupree found a path that has led her to complete her PhD in chemistry.

The McNair Scholars Research Program offers first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds or students from underrepresented groups interested in performing research in science or engineering an opportunity to participate in a 10-week, in-residence summer research program.

Students are matched with a Clarkson faculty member whose research interests closely resemble theirs, among other resources.

As a sophomore enjoying researching with Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science Costel Darie, Dupree found the McNair program while exploring her options for continuing her research, which focused on using proteomics and mass spectrometry to identify protein biomarkers for certain diseases and conditions.

Dupree, a native of nearby Massena, New York, said that at the time, she was unsure what she wanted to do upon completing her undergraduate degree. She

44 / CLARKSON MAGAZINE

knew she wanted to make a difference in the world of science and thought that entering industry made the most sense. She didn’t know anyone who had pursued a doctorate or what such a program would entail.

“It was quite intimidating, and honestly, I felt like maybe I didn’t belong in graduate school,” says Dupree. “I knew that the McNair

“The McNair program gave me the confidence I needed to feel like I was prepared for graduate school and that I belonged there.” program would provide me with a lot of information about the process and would immerse me in the field of academia. I knew it would give me the potential to connect with researchers on the PhD track and learn about their experiences.”

In Dupree’s experience, being part of the McNair program made an

immediate impact. She had access to the workshops, luncheons and presentations provided to McNair Scholars and gained vital experience in presenting research. She also had the opportunity to attend scientific conferences and continue to learn, which helped lead to her decision to attend graduate school.

“Going to graduate school for my PhD was the best decision I have ever made, and the McNair program was one of the key players in making that a possibility for me,” Dupree said. “The McNair program gave me the confidence I needed to feel like I was prepared for graduate school and that I belonged there. I learned so many invaluable lessons through this program, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my future.”

Having finished her PhD, capped off by her dissertation looking at the effects of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals on the Great Lakes ecosystem, Dupree now works as a scientist for a government contractor, using her knowledge of mass spectrometry she gained during her research with Darie through the McNair Scholars Research Program.

Above all, Dupree said the McNair program brought her to the realization she could make a difference through her graduate education and that it would be an important and impactful chapter of her life.

“The McNair program gave me the confidence I needed to feel like I belonged in the world of academia,” Dupree said. “I was provided with all the tools I needed to succeed in the application process, as well as the skills to succeed in my studies.”

For more information on the McNair Scholars Research Program at Clarkson, visit clarkson.edu/mcnair.

24 HOURS 772 DONORS $167,363 DOLLARS RAISED The Clarkson community stays connected and helps fellow Golden Knights Rise.

Thank you for coming together to give back, make an impact and inspire the next generation of alumni to continue the tradition.

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SAVE THE DATES: SEPTEMBER 25-26, 2021

The Clarkson Connection to The Cathedral of All Saints

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:

Bill Jeffers ’01 with daughters Lynn and Lily, Andrea Riedman ’14, and Jay A. Higle ’70 at The Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York.

Visit engage.clarkson.edu for more details on this and other Clarkson@125 events planned through 2021-22.

The exterior of the Cathedral, which was built in the late 1800s with Potsdam sandstone from the Clarkson family quarry.

A plaque found on a structural column within the Cathedral commemorates the Clarkson family.