SPECIAL FRIENDS OF CLARKSON

Ackermann joined Clarkson’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1975. He was a recognized scholar in the fields of fluvial hydraulics, mechanics of granular flow, fluidstructure interaction, and hydrology. During his 37 years at Clarkson, Ackermann provided keen academic leadership, service and mentorship. He was executive officer and chair of the department for eight and 17 years, respectively. Additionally, he served as fean for three years which culminated in the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation announcing its $30 million endowment gift and the school gaining the name, The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering. Ackermann received many awards during his tenure, most notably the University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2005 and the honorary title, Wallace H. Coulter School Distinguished Professor of Engineering in 2010.

Ehrlich earned his BS in Business Administration and was board chair of Ehlrich Auto Parts until his retirement in 1991. An active alumnus, he served as a Clarkson trustee from 1992-2002 and was later named trustee emeritus. He was actively involved with University admissions. Clarkson created the annual Charles S. Ehrlich Alumni Admission Award in his name. Ehrlich received the Clarkson Golden Knight Award in 1991, an Honorary Doctorate in 2002 and the Lifetime Engagement Award in 2016. He was also a proud recipient of the ECAC Award of Appreciation for his support of college athletics. Ehrlich was active in many organizations throughout the Albany, New York area, including St. Mary’s Hospital board, HSBC’s Central Capital Region advisory board, Emma Willard School, Troy Jewish Community Center, Camp CeDaCa, Heritage Nursing Home and Camp Eisner Board.

Palumbo earned his BS in Chemical Engineering and was the first graduate engineer in Clarkson history to earn distinction as a medical specialist in ophthalmology. Palumbo earned his master’s and doctorate in medicine and surgery, cum laude, from the University of Bologna, Italy. He completed his residency and fellowship at St. Mary’s Hospital/ Rochester Eye Institute in Rochester, New York, and an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the prestigious Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital. Palumbo went on to become a pioneer in laser refractive surgery in the Mohawk Valley, subsequently serving as the Director of Ophthalmology at The Dove Eye and Laser Center for 40 years. He received Clarkson’s Golden Knight Award in 2010.

Rotunno earned a BS in Business Administration and in 1972, founded United Sales Concepts, one of the largest and most successful brokers in the paper and packaging industry, retiring in 2007. He was named an emeritus trustee in 2007, having served on the board for 15 years. Rotunno was actively involved in capital campaigns and the planning of the Deneka Family Fitness Center. In 1986, he received Clarkson’s Golden Knight Award and in 1988, he was awarded an honorary doctororate for his outstanding leadership in guiding the growth and development of Clarkson. The University inducted him into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 and in 2016, he received Clarkson’s Lifetime Engagement Award.

Trowbridge earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. He started his longtime career at Eastman Kodak as a product development engineer in the Paper Manufacturing Division and held numerous roles in the Recordak Corporation, Business Systems Division and Customer Equipment Services Division. Retiring from Kodak after 30 years of service, Trowbridge continued to be very active at Clarkson as chair of two successful capital campaigns and several terms as a member of the Board of Trustees. He received an honorary degree from Clarkson in 1994 and was named a trustee emeritus in 2004.