School of Arts & Sciences Newsletter: June 2021

Message From the Dean

I am wrapping up my first month as dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and what a month it has been. From the announcement of the Science Center renovation and expansion, to the research awards earned by our faculty and students, Arts & Sciences is demonstrating that it is still the heart and soul of Clarkson.  

Following the lead of President Collins and Provost Hannigan, we will pursue “entrepreneurial science” and the application of knowledge to solve problems, improve lives and build wealth.  We will also trumpet our programs in the arts, humanities and social sciences to showcase the analytical creativity that embodies the best of Clarkson’s interdisciplinary scholarship. This will mean reexamining our undergraduate and graduate curricula to see how we can provide more opportunities for students to engage in a team approach to experiential learning.

We are so excited to celebrate our graduates from last and this year in five, in-person Commencement ceremonies. Our students have worked so hard and been active in academics, extracurriculars and service. Our faculty have also been resilient and productive under the extraordinary circumstances of this past year. Additionally, our administrative professionals have been consistent, high-quality colleagues, ensuring that Arts & Sciences delivers a first-class educational experience without missing a beat.  

In this newsletter, you will gain further insight into some of the things I’ve mentioned above, including Professor Rebecca Pelky winning the Perugia Press Prize in Literature and junior physics major Brendan Barrow ’22 being named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar. Likewise, Professor Prashant Athavale exemplifies the kind of sponsored research our faculty are being funded to perform in both the public and private sectors.   

Lastly, we are still ecstatic over the Day of Giving campaign. The generosity of our faculty, staff, students and alumni showed a tremendous amount of pride and confidence in the School of  Arts & Sciences at Clarkson. We are grateful for your continued faith and investment. Your support enables us to keep attracting elite faculty and staff, building premier programs and training imaginative leaders who will impact the local, regional, national and global landscapes in profound ways.

— Darryl Scriven, Dean of Arts & Sciences, Fellow in The Shipley Center for Innovation

Heavy Metal?

For most people, crossing a metal bridge won’t bring to mind mathematical image-processing techniques or metal’s atomic orientations. But math professor Prashant Athavale knows that the former can be used to correct inaccurate data about the latter — inaccuracies that may affect structural safety. NIST knows it too, which is why they awarded Athavale a grant to investigate further. READ MORE

Science Center to Get TLC

After more than 50 years of faithful service, Clarkson’s Cora and Bayard Clarkson Science Center is getting some well-deserved love. A generous gift from Ken ’79 and Jeanne Lally, bolstered by $5 million from the New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program, will help transform the building into an innovative space that promotes creativity and entrepreneurial science. READ MORE

When Does He Sleep?

Plasmonics researcher, book chapter author, ambassador to the American Physical Society. Few would guess that this is the resume of an undergraduate student. But, at Clarkson, students like this particular undergraduate, Brendan Barrow ’22, are not uncommon and neither is winning a Goldwater Scholarship — which Barrow just did. It’s all in a day’s work for this Golden Knight. READ MORE

Pelky Wins Press Prize 

One Clarkson professor has been digging deep into her Native and non-Native heritage, and her exploration has garnered her the Perugia Press Prize. In Through a Red Place, Assistant Professor of Film Studies Rebecca Pelky offers a collection of poems, supplemented with documents and photos, that brings to light lost narratives and honors her ancestors who lived in what is now Wisconsin. READ MORE

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