News From Clarkson - The E-Newsletter for Clarkson Alumni

October 2007

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CLARKSON UNIVERSITY RATED 70TH IN NATION BY WASHINGTON MONTHLY MAGAZINE
Clarkson University has been ranked 70th among national universities by Washington Monthly magazine's 2007 Annual College Guide -- moving up 30 spots over last year's ranking of 106. The Washington Monthly Annual College Guide is an alternative to the U.S. News & World Report and other college rankings. The magazine says that their ratings system is unique, expanding from the traditional ranking measures of alumni giving, faculty salaries and financial resources. The first criterion the guide examined was social mobility: Does the school do well at recruiting and graduating poorer students? The second was research: Is the school supporting the research that is key to the nation's strength by producing Ph.D.s and research grants? The final was service: Does the school foster an ethic of giving back to the nation through military or civilian service? While placing in the top third of the ranking overall, Clarkson did exceptionally well in the service category, ranking fifth out of the 242 universities for the percentage of its students serving in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). "Clarkson University has always excelled in the areas that the Washington Monthly College Guide bases its criteria on," says University President Tony Collins. "The number of students in our Army and Air Force ROTC programs is a fine measure of dedication to service. And there are other examples, such as student clubs, fraternities and sororities, and individual students involved in service projects or fundraising for charitable organizations. "Social mobility is another tradition for us. From its founding, Clarkson has provided a chance for first-generation and working-class college students to excel in academics and in life after college. In fact, today, one in seven of our alumni is already a CEO or senior executive. "As I've said before, Clarkson doesn't shy away from the opportunity to be ranked in college guides, be it Washington Monthly or U.S. News & World Report. Whatever numbers one uses though, one thing is clear: Our students and alumni are pushing the boundaries of what is known and applying their ingenuity to develop new solutions to real-world challenges." Washington Monthly describes itself as the most insightful magazine on politics and government in America. In its third year of publishing college rankings, it is receiving acceptance as a critical tool in the college selection process. Texas A&M University was the top-rated national university in this year’s guide.

CLARKSON UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES EGON’S DAY WITH FOUR DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS
October 18 is "Egon's Day" at Clarkson University, a celebration of science and culture, commemorating 50 years as a faculty member for Egon Matijevic, Victor K. LaMer Professor of Colloid and Surface Science and Distinguished University Professor. The four speakers of Egon's Day, who include two Nobel Laureates, will celebrate Matijevic's five decades in Potsdam with presentations on science and humanity, science and history, science and art, and science and technology. The public is invited to attend free of charge. Renowned among alumni as a maestro in the lecture hall and among his peers world-wide for his scientific virtuosity, Matijevic's contributions to Clarkson are legendary, and Egon's Day will truly be a celebration. Matijevic has inspired excellence in the laboratory, the classroom and in life. As a world-renowned researcher with numerous patents and innovations to his name, he has defied convention among his higher education peers and led the Clarkson faculty to always place students first. Egon's Day kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 18, in Bertrand H. Snell Hall at a reception with the distinguished lecturers. Clarkson University President Tony Collins will open the event with a welcome presentation at 10 a.m. Poet Virginia Clark Clarkson, Hon. '89, will read her poetry on the theme of science and humanity in Bertrand H. Snell Hall Room 213 at 10:15 a.m. Sir John Meurig Thomas, professor emeritus of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, will speak on "The Sons of Genius: Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday and Humphrey Davy" in Bertrand H. Snell Hall Room 213 at 10:30 a.m. Nobel Laureate Richard Ernst, professor emeritus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, will speak on "Fascinating Tibetan Painting: Art Seen Through the Eyes of a Western Scientist" in Bayard & Cora Clarkson Science Center Room 360 at 1:30 p.m. And Nobel Laureate Ivar Giaever, professor emeritus of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will speak on science and technology in Bayard & Cora Clarkson Science Center Room 360 at 3 p.m.

NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR ELIOT SPITZER PERFORMS CONVENTION-DEFYING GROUNDBREAKING FOR CLARKSON UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT CENTER
New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer broke ground for Clarkson University's Technology Advancement Center on Tuesday, October 9. The $5 million capital project has been funded by the State of New York to support the construction of an incubator facility to support information exchange and technology transfer, as well as renewable energy research and development laboratories. The governor performed the convention-defying groundbreaking with a student-built robot, assisted by the school's FIRST Robotics team, comprising Clarkson students, and Massena and Salmon River high school students. "To see the next generation thinking, being creative, coming up with ideas, able to build a robot ... this is what persuades me that the optimism I feel every time I travel to a town, a village, a city across the state -- that that optimism is warranted," said Governor Spitzer. "And I want everybody to be infused with that optimism. "I go to colleges wherever I can, because that is our economic future. And those of you who have been listening to me over the last number of months, know that I have been stressing the need to invest in our educational infrastructure -- not only K through 12, but our public and private higher educational system -- our SUNY system, our private higher educational system must be the backbone of our economic growth. "And so, I'm thrilled to be here... . I want everybody to understand the future is ours... . We are confident that we will succeed as we go forward, based upon the wisdom of the next generation. Tell us what you need and we will make sure that you get the resources you need to build for the future, because that's what we all care about." "Clarkson University is committed to turning research discoveries into promising businesses -- not just across the North Country but around the nation and through this state," said Clarkson University President Tony Collins. "Sixty-five percent of our students come from New York State. We want to see them prosper within this state and have opportunities to reach their full potential in this economy. We want them to say that this is a premier place to live and say with pride that 'I Live New York'." (See full video of the groundbreaking at http://media.clarkson.edu.)

CLARKSON COMMUNICATION & MEDIA PROFESSOR FEATURED IN THREE EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE NATION
Dave Beck, assistant professor of communication and media at Clarkson University, is representing the school with his work in three different locations across the country this fall. His artwork, including a digital 3D animation, printed images and a sculpture, is featured in Philadelphia, San Diego, and Green Bay, respectively. While each location is a separate exhibition, they all share a similar focus on the subject of digital art. In Philadelphia, Beck is participating in an exhibition titled iDEAs 07: Beyond Boundaries, which is part of The International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference in mid-November. The exhibition takes place at the F.U.E.L. Gallery. In San Diego, Beck's digital print has been chosen (from 3,000 entries representing 40 countries) as one of the 100 pieces to be featured in The Art of Digital Show. The curator/judge for this show is Neal Benezra, director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition is currently running now through November at the Lyceum Theater Gallery in the historic Gaslamp Quarter. In Green Bay, 13 artists are exhibiting their work in a show titled Sculpture at the Edge. All of the work is situated at the edge of what is, and what is not, sculpture. Beck has both a digital print and a rapid-prototyped sculpture in the exhibition, which lasts from October through November. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Stephen Perkins, takes place at the University of Wisconsin -- Green Bay's Lawton Gallery. Beck, a digital artist and sculptor, joined the Clarkson faculty this fall to help build one of the University's most recent additions to its curriculum -- the digital arts and sciences major. Find out more about the exhibitions above at http://www.idmaa.org/idmaa2007/index.shtml, http://www.artofdigitalshow.com, and http://www.uwgb.edu/lawton.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AWARDS $1.1 MILLION TO CLARKSON UNIVERSITY MCNAIR PROGRAM TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR DOCTORAL STUDY
For the fourth time, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded Clarkson University a Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement grant. The award will total $1.1 million over five years. Clarkson previously received the grant in 1995, 1999 and 2003. The goal of the McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program is to increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by underrepresented student groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "I'm extremely pleased to help deliver funding that will aid in restoring America's tradition of innovation and excellence in the sciences," said U.S. Congressman John M. McHugh. "Clarkson University stands as an impressive example of the results that hard work and ingenuity can deliver. I'm proud of Clarkson's significant contributions to the scientific community and I'm certain that this McNair grant will help a new generation of scholars set the path for our future." Ronald E. McNair was among the Challenger Space Shuttle's seven-member crew, who met with tragedy and death in 1986. As a tribute to his lifelong achievements, Congress and the McNair family formed the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program to assist young people in not only following McNair's path, but in taking the initiative to blaze trails of their own. Since its inception, Clarkson's' McNair program has provided intensive research experience and graduate school preparation to more than 160 students. The prestige of being a Clarkson McNair scholar is shared by only 24 students each year. Clarkson, as a McNair host among 180 programs nationwide, stands with UC Berkeley, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Purdue, Texas A&M and Howard University, among others. More than 60 percent of students who have participated in Clarkson's McNair program have continued their education in master's and doctoral degree programs, with a total undergraduate graduation rate of 98 percent. The first Clarkson McNair scholar completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 2002. Since that time, five more scholars have completed their Ph.D. and 13 more are on track to complete their doctorates by spring 2008. A tribute to the Clarkson McNair program's success is its strong collaboration with Clarkson faculty, who take the time to mentor McNair scholars through an intensive summer research project. Guidance is provided through the research process with added opportunities for conference presentations, networking and publishing possibilities. To supplement the summer research component, the McNair program provides regular seminars and workshops on research ethics, graduate school application process, graduate school funding sources and preparation for the Graduate Record of Exams (GRE) among other related topics. The McNair program is coordinated by Marjorie Warden, program director; Tammy McGregor-Twiss, assistant director; Sue Englert, administrative coordinator; and David Wick, director of research.

SCHOLARSHIP FOR MELISSA A. WALSH ‘03
Although many of you have been informed, the Class of 2003 suffered a great loss on July 26, 2007. Melissa A. Walsh ’03, ’05 was killed in a one-car motor vehicle accident in the Syracuse area. Melissa had a love for life and enjoyed her years at Clarkson University, where she met numerous friends and created unforgettable relationships. Most importantly, she met her husband, Michael T. Walsh ’03, one month into her freshman year. Melissa was dedicated to her education, and was determined to help others through her career. She worked hard to complete her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2003, and decided to continue her education at Clarkson. In 2005, Melissa graduated with her master of physical therapy degree. As a physical therapist, Melissa could educate others on the importance of health, assist in healing serious injuries, and improve the quality of life of many. At the time of her accident, she was practicing in an outpatient orthopedic clinic, MaryLou Corcoran Physical Therapy, in Fayetteville, N.Y. In her memory, family and friends have created the Melissa A. Walsh Memorial Scholarship for future Clarkson University students. This scholarship will be presented to students pursuing an advanced degree in Physical Therapy. Also, since Melissa was raised in Massena, N.Y., a second scholarship will support a Massena Central Senior planning to pursue a degree in the health care field. The scholarship committee would be appreciative for donations for this cause from willing Clarkson University alumni. Contributions will keep alive Melissa’s passion for helping others. Donations may be sent to the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, Clarkson University, PO Box 5522, Potsdam, NY 13699-5522. Contributions may be made out to Clarkson University; please indicate the Melissa A. Walsh Memorial Scholarship Fund. Your donations are greatly appreciated; the Scholarship Committee and Clarkson University wish to extend a sincere thank you for any assistance you are able to provide.
Sincerely,
Lindsay M. Perkins, P.T., MPT, ’03, ’05
Co-Chair, Scholarship Committee

LEGGIO STANDS TALL IN CLARKSON WIN
A two-goal first-period effort was all the scoring the Clarkson University Hockey team would need as the Golden Knights held off Providence College behind the solid goaltending of senior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY), shutting out the Friars 2-0 before 2,599 fans at Cheel Arena on Saturday night. Leggio picked up his fourth career shutout behind a 28-save performance as Clarkson, which defeated UMass 2-1 in overtime on Friday, improved its record to 2-1. Providence fell to 0-2. Ranked 13th in the nation, Clarkson jumped out to a quick start, scoring 2:47 after the opening faceoff. Junior Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) started off the scoring, lifting in a backhand shot to finish off a breakaway for his first goal of the season. Classmate Dan Tuttle (Augusta, ME) sent Guthrie in on the breakaway with a pass from center ice. Freshman Lauri Tuohimaa (Helsinki, Finland) also assisted. The Knights made it 2-0, at 15:47, when sophomore Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) knocked down a pass in front of the Providence goal and slipped a pass around a Friar defenseman to senior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) who knocked in a shorthanded tally for his first goal of the year. Providence picked up its play over the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Green and Gold 19-10 in the final two periods, but Leggio, last season’s ECAC Goaltender of the Year, was on top of his game turning aside all of the Friars’ chances. For the game, Providence held a 28-20 shot advantage. Tyler Sims made 18 stops for the Friars. Both teams were 0-of-3 on the power play. Clarkson opens ECAC Hockey play next Saturday, hosting North Country rival St. Lawrence University.

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Clarkson CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization) is in the middle of its huge campaign. Last year, the club raised and donated $10,289 to The Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation; our goal this year is $15,000. In order to reach our goal, we are asking for the support of alumni, friends, and businesses to donate to the cause. The club is in the midst of hosting about eight events and activities to raise more money as well. To get more information about the events or about how to donate, please contact the CEO club’s philanthropy coordinator Nicole Waldow at waldownl@clarkson.edu.

B2 NETWORK TO BROADBAND BROADCAST HOCKEY GAMES!
B2 Networks and Clarkson University Athletics announced that Golden Knights Men's and Women's Hockey will be broadcast live on B2 Networks, its new exclusive home for broadband broadcasting. The partnership will begin this fall with home games for both men's and women's ice hockey being shown live on the world's premier broadband broadcasting network. Clarkson's away games at B2 partner institutions will also be broadcast live and be available to fans worldwide. "Our relationship with B2 Networks will provide yet another outlet for our faithful fan base to watch Clarkson Hockey," said Steve Yianoukos, Clarkson University Athletic Director. "With more than 30,000 alumni scattered all over the country and world, this partnership will allow anyone to keep up-to-date with the program." By teaming with B2 Networks, Clarkson ice hockey will be available for viewing by a worldwide audience. Live hockey games will be aired through the school's athletic Web site http://www.clarksonathletics.com as well as http://www.b2livetv.com. Fans wanting to watch Golden Knights hockey via B2 Networks will need a high-speed Internet connection and a current version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. Games will be sold on an individual basis for $6 (US), and a season pass to view all Clarkson men's and women's ice hockey games broadcast on B2 Networks for $50 (US) will become available in the near future. While B2 Networks will be the broadband provider, WCKN will continue to be an imperative part of broadcasting Clarkson Hockey, providing all of the camera coverage for the Internet streaming at the high level that has come to be expected of Clarkson’s station. “The future of visual media is in the realm of Internet broadcasting, and we at WCKN are excited about the opportunities this partnership with B2 Networks has brought us,” said WCKN Station Manager Wesley Hall. “We look forward to broadening our horizons and providing a great broadcast for our new internet viewers.” “WCKN is more excited than ever about covering this year’s Golden Knight Hockey action!” exclaimed Dan Dullea, the faculty advisor to WCKN Television. “We are really looking forward to delivering more, and better, Internet video streaming of games via Clarkson’s new partnership with B2, and we are proud of our other new addition, the voice of Clarkson Hockey, Bob Ahlfeld, who will be delivering the play by play for our productions on the net. We welcome our new and closer relationship with the athletic department to provide the best coverage of Golden Knights’ sports to our alumni and other fans world wide.” B2 Networks is a premier provider of reliable and secure international television and pay-per-view broadcasting systems. For the B2 Networks' Programming Guide visit www.b2livetv.com, or for information about B2 Networks, visit www.b2now.com.

LATE GOAL FROM SELINA KEEPS KNIGHTS UNBEATEN THROUGH FOUR GAMES
An uncharacteristic performance nearly doomed the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team on Saturday afternoon against Niagara University as the Golden Knights were whistled for six penalties in the first two periods, but held on to salvage a 2-2 tie in front of 197 fans at Cheel Arena. The Golden Knights moved to 3-0-1 overall while Niagara fell short of evenings its mark, moving to 0-1-1. Clarkson will look to get back on the winning track next weekend when it visits Robert Morris University. Sophomore Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) saved the day for the Golden Knights by scoring with just 35 seconds left in the contest after the Knights trailed for the majority of the game. Clarkson was penalized seven times in the game, the most infractions the team has received since November 3, 2006, a stretch of 31 games. Clarkson’s 170-minute streak of holding its opponents without a goal came to a quick end in the first period as Niagara’s Ashley Riggs scored on a shot from just inside the blue line as Golden Knights’ goaltender Eve Grandmont-Berube (Drummondville, QUE) was screened and could not see through the shield as the puck flew past. Kara Edwards picked up the assist for the Purple Eagles. Niagara extended its lead to 2-0 late in the second period when Frances McPhail finished off a scrum in front of the net as the Knights were half way through killing off a two-minute penalty. However, the two-goal deficit seemed to spark Clarkson as the Golden Knights picked up their energy level. Sophomore Genevieve Lavoie (Delson, QUE) won the battle for the puck behind the net and cut the Purple Eagles’ lead in half with an unassisted goal on a wrap around with just under three minutes remaining, her team-high fourth goal of the season. It appeared as if the penalties were going to be too much for Clarkson to overcome, but late in the third frame, the Golden Knights took a time out to prepare their last offensive rush. With the goalie pulled, Clarkson skated six-on-five and took advantage of the extra attacker by scoring with just 34.9 seconds remaining. Selina skated over the blue line and, from just inside the right circle, wristed a shot over the shoulder of Jill Zelonis that sent a pinging-echo through the arena as the puck settled into the back of the net after barely ricocheting off the underside of the crossbar. Brooke Beazer (Kingston, ONT) and Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) each earned assists on the game-tying goal. Clarkson finished with a 25-19 advantage in shots, holding small leads in that category in each period (6-5 in the first, 9-8 in the second, and 10-6 in the third period). Niagara went 1-for-7 on the power play and the Knights were 0-for-7 as the Purple Eagles killed off six minor penalties and a five-minute major. Grandmont-Berube finished with 17 saves while Zelonis stopped 23 shots for Niagara.

KNIGHTS FINISH ONE WIN SHORT OF LIBERTY/SUNYAC TITLE
What could have turned out to be a rough weekend for the Clarkson University Volleyball team turned into a near title as the Golden Knights came within one match of taking the Liberty League/SUNYAC Challenge title at Union College on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights moved to 16-11 on the season with a 3-1 weekend in Schenectady after posting upset wins over New Paltz and Skidmore on Friday, followed by a win over Potsdam State on Saturday and a loss to Union in what ended up as the championship match. Clarkson beat Potsdam State in four games, 30-26, 24-30, 30-28 and 30-22, but lost to the Dutchwomen in three straight 30-19, 30-23, 30-20. In the opening match of the day, freshman Alison Schroeder (Webster, NY) continued her strong defensive display by posting 30 or more digs for the third consecutive match. "It is very tough to beat a team three times in a row and I have to give my team a big compliment for gutting out their gritty win over Potsdam," said coach Johan Dulfer. "We were not at our best after such a long night (on Friday), but once again our defense kept us alive and put us in a position to win. It wasn't easy, but I'm proud of how we put ourselves in a position to play for the tournament title." The second match of the day proved too much for the Knights to handle as 14 games in 14 hours took its toll. An exhausted Green and Gold squad ended up digging just over 30 balls in the match after producing two 90-plus dig matches the previous day. "Union is a difficult opponent for us," coach Dulfer said. "Normally their blocking intimidates us a little bit, but today it was our defense that let us down a little bit. Credit Union for playing well, but I think that our two five-game matches had something to do with this. I look forward to seeing what we can do against Union the next time we see them." Sophomore Jenna Stock (Johnstown, NY) was selected to the All-Tournament team for her efforts over the weekend.

IN WOOD’S WORDS
“If Not Now …When?” is the title of this month’s column provided by Jim Wood ’64. As always … thank you, Jim!

KNIGHT TO KNIGHT
The Clarkson University Career Center and the Office of Alumni Relations are excited to announce the launch of KNIGHT TO KNIGHT. KNIGHT TO KNIGHT is the alumni to alumni job search program now being offered through the Career Center. It is designed to allow alumni seeking jobs to connect with alumni employers who are seeking skilled and experienced Clarkson alumni. The process is simple to access. The alumni who are seeking jobs and the alumni employers who wish to post open positions, please go to www.clarkson.edu/knightlink and once there in the right hand column you will see respective login links. For alumni seeking jobs, you need to click on the Alumni Registration link and follow the directions for completing the registration process. You will create your own user name and password for the system. Once you have completed the registration page you will receive, within 24-48 hours, a confirmation from the Career Center that your registration has been accepted. Additional instructions about the system will be part of that confirmation e-mail. For alumni employers, you will click on Employer Registration link. Alumni Employers need to be aware that your company may already be registered so if you encounter problems please contact Linda Hastings in the Career Center at 315-268-6477. If you are a new employer to Clarkson, you will need to fill out the registration page. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from the Career Center that you have been accepted as a new employer and then you will be able to post your current positions directly in the system. When postings positions, we ask that you clearly identify the position as for alumni only and click the appropriate link to post the job just for alumni. For both alumni job seekers and alumni employers, we ask that you contact the Career Center if you have problems. For job seekers, please contact Marty Ford, Career Center Director. For employers, please contact Linda Hastings, Recruiting Coordinator. They can be reached at 315-268-6477.

KNIGHTS OF NOTE
Air Innovations President Michael Wetzel ’88, P.E., was invited to give an oral presentation about the company’s IsolationAir®, a portable contamination control system, at the inaugural Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Industry Day last month in Washington, DC. The event was a forum for representatives from high tech, medical device and pharmaceutical industries to demonstrate the operation and effectiveness of relevant technologies in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to state and local public health organizations, academe, the R&D community, and stakeholder federal agencies. IsolationAir was chosen for its potential as a non-pharmaceutical medical countermeasure to manmade and naturally occurring threats such as pandemic influenza. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to showcase our newest infection control product,” said Mr. Wetzel. “The fact that IsolationAir is portable and can be deployed quickly and easily makes it an extremely valuable asset to the nation’s public health strategy.” Air Innovations was one of only a handful of device manufacturers from around the country chosen to present at Industry Day, which several hundred people attended. “Our leadership position in the area of non-pharmaceutical countermeasures is now well recognized,” added Mr. Wetzel. To read more click here www.team-psa.com/PHEMCE2007/home.asp.

Innovative Engineering recently opened its doors as a mechanical engineering firm with its corporate headquarters in Goshen, N.Y. The founders are two Clarkson graduates, Lyle Shute ’89 and Timothy McGoey ’89 bringing together over 35 years of experience. The firm focuses on providing design and construction administration services for construction projects throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Dr. James Vacek'74 and Gregory Lotko '88 have been selected to be new members of the School of Arts and Science's Dean's Advisory Council. Congratulations!