Spring 2014 - Clarkson University

Clarkson University’s
SPRING 2014
This Issue
Goldwater Scholars
Athletic Highlights
One Summer, Two World
Championships: Amy (Lane)
Rusiecki ’01 (CE)
HONORS NEWSLETTER
T
The big question that I asked in our last Newsletter — whether we should increase the size of the Honors
Program at Clarkson — has not been definitively answered, but we have received lots of valuable
feedback from students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni. The Strategic Planning Committee is considering
if we can indeed grow Honors without compromising the quality of our programs and our vital sense of
community. Whether or not we grow, our conversations with stakeholders
suggest we need to increase disciplinary diversity and improve visibility of
Honors. To help us with these goals, I have appointed an Advisory Council
made up of distinguished alumni, both from Honors and from Clarkson
Summer Research
University before the program began in Fall 1997. We met to brainstorm
Honors Classes
improving our “brand.” Already, we have introduced an “Honors Co-op” to
during Alumni Weekend in July and generated some great ideas about
Gary Kelly on Teaching
Honors Classes
attract more business and industry-oriented students and next year we will
Co-Ops, REU’s and
Internships
Symposium of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE), the bi-annual
2013 Graduate Updates
Alumni Updates
Honors Commencement
Speaker: Zach Swank ’08
Clarkson University
Honors Program
Box 5755, 8 Clarkson Avenue
Potsdam, NY 13699
315-268-2290/2320
[email protected]
clarkson.edu/honors
be running a special study abroad experience in the Dominican Republic.
We are increasing visibility on campus by taking over the organization of the
student conference at Clarkson.
Jon Goss
One way of increasing our national visibility is by sending more
students to national conferences. Generating financial support for such travel and other forms of
educational enhancement, such as study abroad and summer research, is the goal of our current
fundraising campaign led by the Advisory Council. Our goal is to provide each student support for one
opportunity, and at the current program size this means about $25,000 per year. I am very pleased to
say that so far this year we have raised $10,000, which means we are almost halfway there. Thank
you to all alumni and parents who have so generously contributed. If you would like to help us reach
our goal, please see the instructions on the back page.
The Honors Newsletter shows the myriad ways students respond to educational opportunities offered
by the Honors Program at Clarkson, and catches you up on the lives of some of our alumni. Please keep
sending us regular updates of your whereabouts and activities, and provide suggestions for stories. For
alumni and parents, there are many ways to be involved: You can mentor current students, give a talk on
campus, or attend or even judge presentations at SURE. Just let us know how you would like to participate!
Class of 2017
Goldwater Scholars
Athletic Highlights
by Jon Goss
A few highlights of
Yarong Lin ’14, a chemical engineering and applied
Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for
mathematics & statistics double major and Pinguang
Undergraduates (REU) on Modulation of Graphene
Yang ’14, a biomolecular science and applied
at Columbia University. She has also completed a
mathematics & statistics double major, were awarded
research & development internship at Procter & Gamble,
Goldwater Scholarships last spring. Kyle Z. Hancock ’14,
where she worked on the whitening of the dental
the 2012-2013 competition
season from Honors
Volleyball Tournament. The
electronic properties of large grain size nitrogen doped
Women’s Volleyball team won
monolayer graphene under the mentorship of Prof.
the NY Regional Finals in 2012,
Abhay Pasupathy at Columbia University. She plans to
with Chin as a key player. She
pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and to conduct
nanomaterial research in an industrial R&D department.
met while attending the Manhattan Comprehensive
[Lin] plans to pursue a PH.D. in
chemical engineering and
conduct NANOMATERIAL
in an industrial
this
gave me the
immigrated to New York City several years ago. They
NY Region All-Tournament
Team and the Liberty League
All-Academic team.
Eric Mallery ’16 was
on the Nordic relay team
Other Liberty League
both the Varsity Basketball
that placed third at USCSA
went to Conor Cullinane
and Varsity Baseball
Collegiate Nationals.
’13 (cross country), Kelly
All-Academic Honors
teams. He was a CoSIDA/
Nick Marshall ’14
Mulvehill ’15 (swimming),
Capital One Academic All-
earned a Liberty League All-
and Russ Seidel ’13 (cross
American, Liberty League
Academic Honors in Cross
country and Nordic Skiing).
Second Team All-Star,
Country and ranked 13th
and a Liberty League All-
overall at USCSA Collegiate
in Fall 2013, 16% of Honors
Academic in both sports.
Nationals for Nordic Skiing.
students are playing one
Kara DiNatale ’14
Eleanor Vane ’14
It is worth noting that
or more varsity sports. The
was named to the Liberty
earned a Liberty League
campus-wide average
League All-Academic
All-Academic Honors in
is 15%. Seven first-year
team for Women’s
Cross Country and ranked
students (22%) are playing
Lacrosse and was Liberty
26th overall at USCSA
a varsity sport this year.
League Defender of
Collegiate Nationals
the Week in March.
for Nordic Skiing.
One Summer, Two World Championships: Amy (Lane) Rusiecki ’01 (CE)
by Jenny Townsend
Amy Lane Rusiecki ’01 is
with Amy recently (not literally — I can’t keep
remember a talk Dr. Craig had with my first
I needed to apply
a competitive ultra-runner
up!) to chat about her recent season and
Honors class. We felt we weren’t given
sponsored by Inov8 running
memories of Clarkson.
enough direction and we tried talking with our
SCHOOL.”
R&D department.
Academic All-American and
John Coleman ’15
once again started on
CONFIDENCE
to MEDICAL
RESEARCH
was a Capital One/CoSIDA
was named to both the NCAA
PRESTIGIOUS
AWARD
Yang and Lin grew up in the same region in China and
Erika Chin ’14 had her third
in the NCAA Division III
dentifrice processing. Lin proposes to do research into
chemical engineering, was awarded honorable mention.
Program Varsity Athletes:
consecutive appearance
products, and an engineering co-op, also at P&G, in
“WINNING
by Jenny Townsend
Yang participated in “pre-frosh” summer research
shoes. In summer 2013,
she raced in the IAU World
Championships in North
Wales, completing the 45-mile
JT: Amy, congratulations on your most
professor, but didn’t get anywhere, so we went
successful and exciting season yet! What’s next?
to Dr. Craig. He explained the grieving process
AR: Well, actually I’m in the car right
now driving to Lynchburg, Va., to compete
to us. He told us that we were here — denial.
But that it would get better. And it did.
run in 7:24 for 15th place. She was the first
in the Mountain Masochist, a 50-mile trail
American woman and earned an invitation to
race. My last race of the season will be the
on the St. Lawrence River. This year’s HP 200
Hellgate 100 km in Virginia.
is looking into options for a breached weir in
JT: Your HP 200 class investigated a dam
Night & Day High School,
under the mentorship of Professor Artem Melman, and
in New York City, and they
the World Long Distance Mountain Running
has completed an NSF REU in developmental biology at
have been together since.
Championships in Poland a month later (on
Weill Cornell and an REU in Immunology at Sloan-Kettering
They started at Clarkson in
her 34th birthday). Amy finished 29th and was
Institute. Yang is now working with Biology Professor Craig
2010 and both are Ronald
the second U.S. woman. When Amy is not
AR: The best way to explain it is to
Woodworth and proposes to investigate the susceptibility of
design projects I did in college. Most of the
E. McNair Scholars.
running, she is Assistant Superintendent
say that running is my social life. Instead of
the cervical transformation zone to HPV-16. “Most cervical
projects were with other civil engineers, but
of Operations at Amherst Public Works
meeting friends for dinner or at a bar, we meet
cancer comes from this tiny region,” says Yang. “We’re
in HP 200, we were all different majors, with
research at Clarkson with
in Western Massachusetts. At Clarkson,
for a run. My husband is also an ultra-runner,
really interested in finding out why.” Yang plans to obtain
different backgrounds and priorities. We had
Chemical & Biomolecular
she was a civil engineering major with an
so he’s very understanding.
an M.D. in oncology and a Ph.D. in cancer research, and
to learn more than one thing and really listen
Engineering Professor
environmental engineering concentration and
pursue a career as a medical research scientist. “Winning
Sitaraman Krishnan on
was in the Honors Program’s inaugural class.
this prestigious award gave me the confidence I needed to
the calorimetric determination of degree of hydration
She ran cross country and was on the Nordic
AR: My favorite memories are little
apply to medical school,” says Yang. “The Goldwater will
of zwitterionic polymers. She completed a National
ski team all four years in college. I caught up
things that happened. For example, I distinctly
definitely help me to stand apart.”
Lin has conducted
2
Clarkson University
JT: Wow! You have a full-time job so how do
you fit in your training?
AR: HP 200 was different than the other
JT: What are some of your fond memories of
the Honors Program?
3
Massena. Do you have any advice for this class?
to each other. This class was more real-world
than anything else I did in college. And it’s like
Honors Program
what I’m doing now in my real job!
Summer Research
Honors Classes
by Jon Goss
K
Kimberly Oakes ’16 (EE, Ph) wrote a paper for her
very wet. I need something to keep my head dry.”
first-year Honors course about the ethics of using
When the student shows the umbrella Nao says,
robots to treat children with disabilities. When she
“Great work! An umbrella will keep me dry.”
mentioned this to her academic advisor, Professor
Other examples of Kim’s work include Emotion
T
by Gabrielle Pawlowski
This year, students in the Sophomore Project class
experience allows him to effectively coordinate student
are investigating a breached weir on the Grasse River
teams and five faculty consultants in ecology, economics,
and waterfront development in the town of Massena.
politics, water quality and GIS. It is a challenge for students
Scotlynne Rieder, a biology major, believes that “getting to
to work across these fields, of course, but for mechanical
work on a real-world project is different from what other
and aeronautical engineer Skyler Canute, “The lesson that
James Carroll, he asked if she would be interested
Recognition, in which Nao
in exploring the use of Clarkson’s recently acquired
physically demonstrates basic
Nao robot to treat autistic children. Many children
emotions such as happiness,
with autism seem impulsively attracted to robotic
sadness and anger, and Body
Professor Issen came to Clarkson in 2009. He is faculty advisor
technology which provides a
Parts, in which Nao brings
of the business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and lead instructor in the new
potential intermediary between the
attention to its head, hands,
child and the human social world.
fingers or arms. A new request
Engineering Management master’s program. Issen is also an avid scuba
Kim leapt at the chance and signed
from therapists is for Nao to
up for summer research with the
lead students through a yoga
goal of customizing Nao’s programs
routine and Kim is working on
to fit requirements of therapists
programing the appropriate movements and timing.
in Potsdam Central School.
During the summer, Kim
Z
Zhan Li ’16 (GSCM) found her summer research
worked on several projects in
which students match Nao’s verbal
statements and physical gestures to cue cards.
project by emailing and then meeting with faculty
in the School of Business. She was fascinated by
Professor Chen Xiang’s research on the distribution
In the Animal Recognition game, Nao plays an
of digital goods in the motion
animal sound and asks the student to show a
picture field. She found him to
card with a picture of the animal — including
diver and a volunteer for the crisis hotline Reachout of St. Lawrence County.
I have taken away from this class is that to be effective in
students do at Clarkson, especially as sophomores, and
the real world, you can’t pigeon hole yourself into just one
each of our classmates understands the importance of it.
particular role, you have to be able to branch out and learn
It is great to know that the mayor and village of Massena
about many different subjects.”
trust us with such a task.”
This is Issen’s first involvement with Honors and
The Honors Program is taking a different approach
Breached weir on
the Grasse River in
Massena, N.Y.
he is impressed. “I’m amazed. There’s a significant
this year. The lead teacher, Professor Issen, is not an
difference between Honors students and typical Clarkson
expert on the topic. As he admits, “I don’t know anything
students. They have a level of engagement and reliability
about building a dam!” However, his project management
that you don’t regularly find.”
be encouraging and easy to
a cat, dog, elephant and horse — giving praise
mining techniques with Python to
HOW DO WE KNOW
WHAT WE KNOW?
investigate the date gap between
This may be a question that you have never
communicate with. The project goal
for correct answers and encouragement for
is to use data scalping and data
wrong ones. In Kim’s Count to Three exercise,
students match a card with the number that Nao
counts off, and Nao claps its hands and plays
theatrical release and DVD release
an accompanying sound effect, or shakes its
head and tells the student that the answer is not
right. In Weather Recognition, Nao describes
to determine online auction and price
matching behavior of consumers
and businesses. Findings may be
a weather situation and asks the student to
applied in strategies for marketing
show the card with a picture matching its
description. Once the correct response is given,
Nao describes a need corresponding to the
and revenue management in the motion picture
industry. Zhan says she “really appreciates that
Honors summer research affords [her] such an
weather and the student must show the object
opportunity to conduct research and learn about
that will help Nao. For example, Nao might
research that other Honors students are conducting.”
say, “It is raining today. The sky is filled with
During the summer, she learned how to work under
dark clouds. Can you show me the rainy day?”
a faculty mentor, how to keep in touch with friends
When the student presents the card depicting
and family while doing research, and how to write a
the rainy scene, Nao brings its hands above its
head to illustrate its need and says, “The rain is
4
proposal. “More importantly,” she says, “I am more
aware now of what I am really capable of doing.”
Clarkson University
by Katelynn Hackett
When she accepted the opportunity to teach an Honors course, the Program had been
encountered before. In the Clarkson Honors
trying different strategies and Professor Buckle shaped the course structure into a discussion/
Program, third-year students know that this
seminar styled course in modernity called “Ways of Knowing.” Since the students are normally
concept is called epistemology. It requires
absorbed in their field of study, stepping back and asking “What is it these fields really do? And
the collaboration of different fields of study
how do they create sources of reliable, dependable knowledge?” is a worthwhile exercise.
to investigate theoretical applications.
This junior-level course is taught by
From teaching the Honors students, Professor Buckle comments that “they enable you to
take sophisticated readings and grapple
Professor Karen Buckle. Professor Buckle
with difficult ideas.” Throughout the
is a social historian of science, technology
semester, she hopes that students
and medicine. For the past three years, she
discover that, although sometimes
has been involved in Clarkson’s Humanities
you don’t agree, “debate and slight
Department, the Honors Program, and
antagonism is quite constructive.” The
the Engineering Department as its only
students become more familiar and
historian faculty member. Professor
are “quite willing to jump in and have
Buckle has also been the Clarkson Theatre
discussions in an arena where there are
Company advisor for two years.
fewer certainties and a lot of the time
5
Honors Program
continued on page 11
Gary Kelly on Teaching Honors Classes
I
I first came to Clarkson
in the fall of 1973 to become director of the first
counseling center. So, this is my 40th year here.
I’ve served in various roles for the University,
including Associate Dean of Students and VP
for Student Affairs. I helped found The Clarkson
School in 1978 and was Headmaster from
1982-2004. I chaired the committee that formed
the Honors Program in Fall 1997, and was chair
of the Honors Council for several years after that.
So, both of these programs are close to my heart.
In 2005 I retired from my administrative
responsibilities, but I wanted to spend time
doing more teaching and writing. I had been
Co-Ops, REU’s and Internships
Gary Kelly
experiences of my career. I’ve always
worked with bright, talented, engaged
students, but I had no idea how to get
these students thinking seriously and
year at GE Aviation in Lynn, Mass., as part of the Life Management
responsible, and DTU emphasizes practical group work rather than
engineering team. She worked on stress analysis of rotating engine
theoretical knowledge,” said Ervin. At the same time, he explored many
parts in military helicopters, finding ways to improve longevity while
different countries and since his residence was full of international
analytically about the ethical issues
and technology. A good deal has been
published on working with graduate
students in this respect, but with
undergraduates not so much. So, I pored
over scientific journals for ethical and
and reasoning about them that are more helpful
policy issues. I also had to get up to speed on
and reliable than others. The course also strives
moral reasoning and ethical thinking, areas
to hone the students’ skills in writing and oral
I had surely thought about a good deal, but
presentation. I make them write a lot, and I have
“
not from an academic perspective. As I tell
shore 30 minutes from Boston
This past summer, Nicole Traphagen ’14 (Biomolecular Science) performed
and she enjoyed kayaking in
research in biochemistry at a teaching hospital in Paris. She found that
the Charles River, hiking in
the education system and the lab structure are different from the U.S. and
New Hampshire, and white
while science was discussed in English, everything else was in French
water rafting in Maine. She
so the language barrier was
ended her summer with a
always an interesting challenge!
bang, riding the longest zip line
Although she loved the research,
in the continental United States and soaring down Gunstock Mountain for
the best part of the summer was
a mile and a half through the thick fog and forest canopy.
the traveling and sightseeing.
Nicole visited Geneva, Rome,
Between his junior and senior years, Devin Vargo ’14 (ME) took a
Nice, London, Monaco and
year off of school to participate in a co-op program at the Milton, Vt.,
Dublin, and she was awed by
facility of Husky Injection Molding Systems, a Canadian manufacturer
buildings and monuments that
specializing in medical, closure
were over five times the age of
and automotive applications.
the U.S. She climbed to the top of
He worked as a power lab
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,
technician performing electrical
ate gelato and pizza in Rome,
and thermal testing of products.
and swam in the Mediterranean
Most of Devin’s time at Husky
on the French Riviera.
was working on addressing
my students, during my own first semester of
undergraduate study, I dropped the philosophy
course I was taking because it seemed too
to admit that it’s a big job to read and comment
teaching the human sexuality course in the
ambiguous, unscientific, and noncommittal!
on it all. But it’s also very satisfying to see
Department of Psychology for several years,
Clearly, I needed to take another look if I was
their obvious growth as they learn to express
and this is a field in which I’ve written a
going to engage my students with this stuff.
themselves in mature and professional ways.
Our Honors students are simply wonderful
I feel that my skills in ethical and social
courses each semester — all of my favorite
reasoning have grown each year, along with the
— hard-working and motivated — and will
topics including psychopathology, sexuality,
students, I hope. I’ve tried to introduce writings
surely be outstanding in their chosen fields. I’d
psychoactive drugs, and counseling, as well
of some of the best known moral philosophers,
like to think that they will also be among the
as the first-year Honors course, which I have
as well as focusing on contemporary, real-
strategists who can help us meet our global future
been teaching since 2006. It was during the
world ethical and social dilemmas. I love the
with sound powers of reason and courageous
second year, I think, that the students decided
spirited discussions we have in class and the
decision making. I feel very confident handing
to start calling me “PK.” It seems to have stuck,
complicating questions we toss back and forth. I
over the future to this generation because
although I’ll answer to anything. Teaching
believe the students learn that while the answers
I know they’ll do a fine job. I only wish my
in the Honors Program has been one of the
to these important and complicated problems are
generation was leaving the world in better shape
most interesting and intellectually challenging
never simple, there are some ways of thinking
for them. There’s a lot of work to be done.
6
students, he now has friends all around the world.
and function. She lived on the
and social implications of science
answers, but the HONORS CLASS MAKES YOU
FIND YOUR OWN and the challenge is then defending
your reasoning against PK. ” — Adam Scott ’17 (SE)
college textbook. I now teach three psychology
world! “Universities in Europe require you to be more independent and
maintaining the safety, quality
Other college classes ask questions that have single correct
Gary Kelly
Amanda Borok ’15 (ME) spent the second semester of her sophomore
Clarkson University
the fundamental causes of
On his co-op at GE Transportation, Nathan North ’15 (ME) could be found
imbalance and inconsistencies in a hot runner. He was technical lead for
sitting in the cab of a multimillion dollar locomotive, with one hand on
a project to better integrate a thermocouple into an injection nozzle/tip
the throttle, and the other operating a laptop collecting vital stats on
assembly, for the purpose of improving accuracy and consistency of the
its operation. He had started out in the test lab reducing data for other
temperature readings. He oversaw scheduling and budgeting, as well as
engineers to use and then
designing and testing of prototypes. Devin presented his findings to the
began helping collect the
engineering department, which is working to integrate the results into a
data, but eventually he
new product line. He is the first student in several years to do an “Honors
was assigned as head
Co-op,” using this project as the basis for his Honors thesis.
engineer on several
different tests, collecting
Ervin Dervishi ’14 (CE) arrived in Denmark at the end of January, when
and processing data,
it was cold and dark, but by the time he left, he experienced 20 hours of
and presenting results
daylight which was quite amazing. Once the winter is over, Copenhagen
to requesting engineers.
comes alive and at the end of spring there are two of the best week-long
The pace was terrifically fast, but it made for an incredible experience
concerts in Europe — Distortion and Roskilde — where about 13,000
and coming back to school Nate feels that he has a huge advantage. He
college students participate. Studying and living in Denmark has many
has already seen real-world applications of much of the new material
benefits, after all, the Danish are said to be the happiest people in the
discussed in current classes and labs.
7
Honors Program
2013 Graduate Updates
Alumni Updates
After graduation in the spring, Joe Camilo ’13 (EE) was looking for
complex processes that combine their fields, it is always fun to see fellow
something different to bridge his undergraduate and graduate school
graduates. Conor believes that the effectiveness of the Honors Program
experiences. So, Joe went to a Catholic service camp in West Virginia,
can best be seen by looking at where its graduates have ended up.
called Nazareth Farm where he led high school students repairing houses
This summer, Sydney Laramie ’13 (ChE) did a second internship at GE Global
in the local area. For Joe, it was a
Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., where she worked on ethylene glycol fuel cells.
refreshing break from his studies
At the same time, she was also able to finish hiking the Adirondack high
and it provided some perspective
peaks with Kevin Fisher ’12 (ChE), who proposed to her on the 46 peak.
th
on his life choices. In August,
(She said “Yes.”) Sydney is now in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she is starting her
Joe started a Ph.D. program in
Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan. Her extensive
electrical engineering at Duke
research experience and summer internships put her ahead of the curve
University where he is working
compared to some of
on a variety of problems in advanced pattern recognition and machine
David Maragno ’03
After graduating with my master’s in
my husband and I were in Wales, we
My wife and I adopted this
physics from Clarkson, I took a year off to
climbed the highest
adorable little guy in May.
decompress and cook Italian food. Then
peak in England and
His name is Levi David
I moved to Colorado and got my Ph.D. in
the highest peak
Maragno born on May 22.
Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at
in Wales. I guess
the University of Colorado at Boulder. I
you could say that
did a year-long postdoc at NOAA’s earth
I had some grand
systems research lab working on data
adventures and got to travel a lot this
assimilation techniques. After a few years
year! I was just honored to represent my
at a startup venture Precision Wind, which
country, a dream come true for me.
stabilize my life a little. I am now working
students, and also played
only toward the end of his junior year, and he found that the Honors
and 2nd American in the race. While
did wind energy forecasting, I decided to
the other first- year
learning techniques. His decision to go to graduate school was made
Brad Beechler ’01
greatly enjoying our new role as parents.
wanted. She is working
My husband, Tim, and I welcomed our
Since graduating from Caltech in 2004
with Dr. Levi Thompson
first child,
with an M.S. in
in an exciting project
John Timothy,
Applied Physics
involving redox flow batteries. Classes are challenging. Of course, Sydney
in March. I’m
& Materials
feels well-prepared for them. The core classes are front loaded, and she
taking a year
Science, I have
Conor Cullinane ’13 (AE) is working towards a Ph.D. in medical
will be mostly done with them after this semester, so she will be able to get
sabbatical
been working
engineering and medical physics in a joint program at Harvard Medical
started with her research. Sydney has been enjoying Ann Arbor and the
from Rockwell
at Northrop
School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Harvard-MIT
surrounding area, and has found a new hockey team to cheer: Go Blue!
Collins in
Grumman’s
Binghamton as
Space Park in Redondo Beach, Calif.
a software engineer in aircraft simulation
There I get to lead technical teams
to spend time with him. We’re living in
to ensure various payloads will be
Owego, N.Y.
successfully accommodated on host
Amy (Lane) Rusiecki ’01
spacecraft. I never thought I would
Clarkson and the Honors Program quite as much as he does. Joe is glad
for what we have given him and is excited to see where it will take him.
Health Sciences and Technology (HST)
Before starting his Peace Corps assignment in Kenya, Chris McKinney ’13
Program provides special training in
(ChE, Ph) took the summer off to road-trip around the U.S., stopping along the
bioastronautics, a new field that involves
way to climb and hike (and for several side-of-the-road car repairs). Chris’
the study and support of life in space. Conor
assignment teaching secondary
prepared for this field with his majors in
school math and science was due
biology and aeronautical engineering and his
to start on October 1, but following
Honors thesis on prosthetic devices. Conor
the terrorist attack at the Westgate
feels that Honors Program staff “emphasizes
Mall in Nairobi, his departure
what life will be like after undergrad, and they
was indefinitely postponed. Not
tailor your experience to your ambitions.”
wanting his Swahili to go unused,
He is grateful for the support and guidance
Chris searched for other positions
as well as the friends he has made while
building upon his experience in sustainability and the developing world.
preparing for his future. He gets to see
He landed a job with Burn Manufacturing conducting field testing and
some of his Honors Program classmates
market research for clean-burning cookstoves, starting November 15 in
regularly since Devon Jedamski is studying
Kenya. Traditional cookstoves in Africa are a major cause of deforestation
for his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at
and produce smoke that kills an estimated half million people per year.
MIT and Martin LaFleur for his Ph.D. in
Burn plans to produce over three million alternative stoves in East Africa
immunology at Harvard Medical School. He
within a decade, so Chris will be helping to save trees and human lives.
says whether watching football or discussing
8
Clarkson University
Anodic Overpotential in Proton Exchange
Membrane Fuel Cells.” I graduated with
University of Cincinnati in December 2013.
Corrine (Ortmeyer) O’Leary ’01
and visiting all new places at Duke, but he never anticipated missing
Structure Control to Study Cathodic and
my Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the
her get the advisor she
the lab director at Duke. Joe is excited to be meeting cool new people
titled “Hierarchical Electrocatalyst
My husband, Greg, and I had our first
at Vaisala as a research scientist.
his applications. Through his mentor, for example, he made contact with
I successfully defended my dissertation
Beth (Lachut) Spiess ’01
a huge role in helping
Program and his thesis mentor were valuable resources as he prepared
Samuel St. John ’03
child in March (Mia June) and we’re
Ryan Turner ’04
I got a full-time tenure track position
teaching chemistry at El Camino
College in Torrance, Calif.
Danielle (Petko) Frisch ’06
On September 14, 2013, I married
Greg Frisch in Hellertown, Penn. We
honeymooned in Los Cabos, Mexico.
end up in this field when I began my
Marianna Worczak ’06
career — but I can’t say I would wish
In June, I completed my residency and
for anything different! Even as a project
chief residency at Family Practice at UVM/
manager I get daily opportunities
Fletcher Allen. I moved back home in
to grow my technical knowledge of
August to WNY to join the Olean Medical
mechanical, thermal and electrical
Group and practice Family Medicine with
subsystems, as well as spacecraft
Obstetrics. I continue to run and ski, and
and top American in this race. Based
mission ops — so it never gets boring!
I plan to run the Disney Marathon.
on that successful race, I was asked
Matt Braun ’03 and
Bryan Beckingham ’07
to represent the USA at the World
Kirsten (Griffiths) Braun ’03
After graduating, I moved to central
Long-Distance Mountain Running
We are happy to announce the birth
New Jersey for graduate school at
Championship — a ‘mountain marathon’
of our daughter, Margaret Eileen.
Princeton. While there I met and married
race in Poland. I finished 29 female,
She was born August 30, 2013.
Lauren Crandell in Lake Placid, N.Y.
I had the incredible honor this summer
of getting to represent the USA at two
World Championship events. First, my
husband and I were both selected as
part of the USA team for the World
Trail Championships — a 50-mile trail
race in Wales. I finished 15th female,
th
(continued)
9
Honors Program
Alumni Updates
Honors Commencement Speaker: Zach Swank
by Zachary Swank, Honors Class of ‘08
“It is important to
On October 5, I married Steve Caron ’08 (AE), who
also works at the shipyard.
remember that there are many
Kevin Fisher ’12
During my first year at Michigan, I completed
ways to interpret the events in your life.
my qualifying exams in Materials Science
Bryan’s wedding with some fellow Honors alumni: Dominick Werther ’05 third from left, Bryan
to the right of Lauren, and Andrew Carter ’07 next to Bryan.
This was shortly after Lauren completed
visited San Pedro La Laguna in Lago Atitlán,
her Ph.D. in the civil and environmental
which is ringed by volcanoes and described as
engineering department at Princeton in
one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
May 2012. I was (finally) able to finish my
Melissa Van Kleeck ’09
dissertation on “Mixing Thermodynamics
of Block-Random Copolymers” and
obtained my Ph.D. in May 2013. Now,
we Dr.’s Beckingham live in Berkeley,
Calif., where we are both postdoctoral
fellows at Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory and are enjoying the proximity
to the many national parks of the west.
dissertation
conferences last fall and also presented at
GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel
Guatemala, after traveling there with the
wedding after finally setting a date! It’s
Syracuse Professional Chapter of Engineers
going to be next August and Craig and I
Without Borders for an assessment trip in
are very excited! It has been a busy year,
October. We met with six schools in the rural
and next year promises to be even busier
Palajunoj
with my planning to graduate and get
Valley outside
married within two weeks of each other!
Quetzaltenango,
Angela Dapolite ’10
construct latrines and handwashing stations.
We will also be installing handwashing stations
at some of the other schools and helping
bring electricity to another. While we were in
Guatemala, we hiked the volcano Santa Maria
to watch a minor eruption at the adjacent
volcano Santiaguito. We also visited markets
in Chichicastenango, saw the Arco de Santa
Catalina and Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua, and
work on high temperature oxides. I am very
as proposed to her. While I miss Clarkson
I presented at two
I moved to New Hampshire in August to
start a new job as a chemistry teacher at
Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton,
N.H. I’m teaching College Prep Chemistry,
Honors Chemistry, and AP Chemistry. I also
married Stephen Lyons (Clarkson graduate
student in the Physical Therapy program)
on December 28. A lot of changes are
happening, but they’re all exciting ones!
Christina (Chapman) Caron ’11
I am currently working as a mechanical engineer
hockey, I have found a new home in Yost
Ice Arena cheering on the Wolverines.
Picture this: a remote West African
a world of drastically different circumstances
village, grass thatched mud huts, no
than the cold but comfortable campus I
electricity, no running water, the village
had just graduated from. I can describe the
chief is still an important figure. Folks
crushing and systemic poverty. I can also
live a subsistence lifestyle, dependent on
describe the ways their lifestyle is highly
the growing season with very little work
rewarding and how happy the people are.
rewarded with paper money. What does
this bring to mind? Poverty? Paradise?
I had the opportunity to live in such a
place, as a guest of said village chief. It was
By many different measures, my friends
in West Africa are worse off than my friends
their situation just as we adapt to ours. The
concern of whether or not last year’s crop will
last until the new growing season is obviously
more significant than whether or not the
store will run out of your favorite candy
bar. Yet, we still get upset about the candy
bar. In difficult situations, you create a new
baseline of emotions because you have to. In
easy situations, you create a new baseline
of emotions because you can. It is important
to remember that there are many ways to
interpret the events in your life. How you
choose to react to what happens around you
matters more than what actually happens.
I wish all of my fellow alumni the best in
2014, may you share my perpetual resolution
of cultivating and maintaining a healthy
perspective on life. It will serve you well.
in the States. Yet, the day to day emotions
and experience of living in West Africa does
How Do We Know What We Know?
continued from page 5
Katherine (Purdy) Vanier ’13
I was married June 2 at the Lodge on
Echo Lake in Warrensburg, N.Y.
Steven Wu ’12
I recently graduated from the Navy Nuclear
Power School in Charleston, S.C. I am starting
the second half of the training pipeline, getting
hands-on experience as a nuclear operator
in preparation to qualify as a staff member
and instruct Navy sailors and officers in safe
nuclear operation. It’s definitely challenging,
but it’s been very rewarding so far!
at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
10
more than what actually happens.
extensive TEM and Atom Probe Tomography
high peaks with her over the summer as well
preliminary exam.
City, Utah. I’ve also started planning my
Las Majadas, to
Penn., and now I am back at Michigan doing
at Michigan, and to have finished the 46-
and passed my
I just returned from Quetzaltenango,
with one school,
research at Bettis Laboratory, in Pittsburgh,
working on a Ph.D. in chemical engineering
Cycle Conference recently in Salt Lake
planning to work
year. I spent the summer doing practicum
Sydney Laramie ’13 (ChE), while she is
working on my
Lindsay Hoffman ’07
and we are
candidacy exam by the end of my second
excited to be living with my new fiancée
I spent this year
choose to react
to what happens
around you matters
How you
and Engineering, and hope to take the
not reflect that same disparity. They adapt to
Clarkson University
there are no straight forward answers,” she
bring in their own experiences. Therefore, she
herself and said “I am a historian of science”
explains. One goal of the course is to learn
must be flexible and creative depending on what
and one student “literally rolled his eyes!”
how to be a part of professional disagreements
type of project the students choose to pursue.
Although she remembers this experience with
and collectively work out where you stand.
“There is no point pushing in a direction that you
a laugh, at the time, she wondered what she
aren’t interested,” explains Professor Buckle.
had gotten herself into. Today, by spending
Another unanticipated outcome of the course
comes through talking with the alumni. Professor
Compared to the other courses Professor
time thinking about how to set the tone at the
Buckle remembers speaking to students who
Buckle teaches, such as Crime and Gender in
beginning of the term, those same students
believe that “My senior [or junior] year was my
early modern Europe and ES110 Engineering
have told her “That was the best. Only now am
best year of university ever!” and she observed
and Society, she noticed that “with Honors you
I really realizing how much we learned.”
an enormous transformation because she sees
end up spending a lot of time talking about what
people’s world views morph as they go through the
they’re going to do in their future careers.” It can
HP300 course. I have already noticed how
system. “It’s not about what I want people to get
be impossible to predict what they will go do
we, as students, have clarified and found
from [the course], it is about those very different,
next whether it be mulling through the [graduate
words to describe what suspicions we have
possibly new perspectives,” reflects Professor
school] application process or applying for study
about our research, internships, co-ops or
Buckle. “They come up with things that make me
abroad or full-time jobs.
curriculum. I believe this course will permit
think ‘How did you do that?’ and you never know
Early on when Professor Buckle first
I am currently taking Professor Buckle’s
us a fresh perspective to apply to our future
when that’s going to happen.” Every semester is
taught HP300 Ways of Knowing, she reflects
careers through problem solving, graduate
different because she encourages students to
back on the first lecture. She introduced
applications or job interviews.
11
Honors Program
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Please consider making a tax-deductible gift.
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By mail, make your check payable to “Clarkson University” and designated to Honors and send to the
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To donate shares, which might have tax advantages, please see transfer instructions at
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Thank you for your support!
The Honors Program at Clarkson University
Clarkson University
Honors Program
Box 5755, 8 Clarkson Avenue
Potsdam, NY 13699
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