The Bridge
Volume 30/Number 2
The Clarkson School Newsletter
A newsletter for alumni, students, parents and friends of The Clarkson School, a special division of
Clarkson University for talented and accelerated high school students.
Spring 2015
A Letter from the HEAD OF SCHOOL Upcoming Dates
April 11
Field trip to
Ottawa, Canada
May 2
TCS Commencement
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Clarkson University
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315-268-4425
tcs@clarkson.edu
www.clarkson.edu/tcs
There is no doubt that we live in a networked age and that personal connections are an important
asset. Still, it comes as something of a surprise to many of our students when they discover that in
the real world, it is not (only) what you know, but (also) who you know that determines professional
success. So, while students in The Clarkson School (TCS) gain knowledge and technical skills in their
classes at Clarkson, we have developed programing that
develops “soft skills” and helps Schoolies get connected
with other Clarkson students, faculty/staff and alumni.
On campus, we have built mentorship programs between
upper class TCS alums and current Schoolies, and we
stress the importance of building relationships with faculty
(which according to the Gallup-Purdue Index 2014 is the
most important factor determining overall well-being of
college graduates). We would now like to build relationships
off-campus and I especially invite our alumni, parents and
friends of The Clarkson School to get involved.
In this edition of The Bridge, you can read about
Clarkson alumni who have been recruiting at Clarkson,
and have given presentations as Alumni Panelists to our
students in both our First-Year Seminar and our Personal
and Professional Development Program (PPDP); Clarkson
School alumni who we have met on one of our field
trips; the Clarkson Embedded Alumni Program; and our
commencement speakers. We’d love to see other members
of The Clarkson School family on campus, whether giving
Clarkson School Class of 2015
presentations to classes or the PPDP, or informally meeting
with students over coffee or lunch. And we’d love to invite you to
dinner in your city on one of our field trips (though unfortunately we probably won’t be able to make
it to Honolulu!). We will soon be announcing an Alumni Mentoring Program, which will put Schoolies
in touch with people who can help them to visualize and realize their career path, and provide alumni
the opportunity to nurture the potential of talented, young leaders. We hope that you will participate.
Talking of talented, young leaders, it is remarkable how recent cohorts of Schoolies have included
active entrepreneurs as well as academically successful students. Business School faculty love to
have Schoolies in their classes and several students have started businesses in collaboration with the
Shipley Center for Innovation and the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship at Clarkson. You can read about
a “Pet Pita” that helps administer medication to cats and dogs, and about a backpack that helps provide
an education in Haiti. Even while still in college, some Schoolies are changing the world!
Finally, I’d like to welcome new staff member Kathleen O’Leary who has been hired as Associate
Director of Student Life and Alumni Relations, a joint appointment in Honors and TCS. Kathleen
started in July and has made an excellent transition, though we are still working to convert her from
college football to hockey! And there is another new addition to the TCS family: Jenny Townsend,
Assistant Director of Advising, gave birth to a baby girl, Maya, on August 26, which means she will be
in the TCS Class of 2031.
Jon Goss, Head of TCS and Director, Honors Program
www.clarkson.edu/tcs
Alumni Getting Involved
TCS Alumni Who Stayed
As Panelists
Chris Snelling says, “I joined a group called Clarkson
Embedded Alumni a couple of years ago which was initiated by
Jeff Taylor (Clarkson Career Center Director) and Bob Lockwood
Clarkson ’86 and very much enjoyed being a part of the group.
The group consists of about 10 alumni, young and old, from both
the Business and Engineering schools. The Clarkson Embedded
Alumni group visits the Clarkson campus for two full days in the
early spring to interact with students who are interested in talking
to us about what we do, current trends, future visions, etc. in our
career fields. By joining this group, he now feels connected to
Clarkson once again and enjoyed participating in this alumni/
student dinner prior to the Clarkson/RIT hockey game.”
Based on the feedback from our alumni and current
students, we will continue this networking opportunity to reach
out to alumni in various areas where we will be visiting.
Each fall, Clarkson School students are required to take a PE100
First-Year Seminar course to aid them in the transition from high
school to college life. This past year, we invited alumni to one of
the classes held during the Fall Career Fair. Our Alumni panelists
answered questions about majors, careers and offered words of
advice to our current students. This year, the following alumni came
back to share their experiences:
Ann Marie Lubert ’89, General
Electric Healthcare, GE
Jared Lozo ’07, North
America Product Manager,
Transportation Vertical
Market, Crane
Ryan Sands ’08, ’09 (MBA),
Value Stream Manager,
Aerospace Group, Crane
Dustin Nuhfer ’11, Site
Chemical Operations and
Air Emissions Control
Engineer, IBM
Laura Zielewicz ’13, Procter
& Gamble R&D, Air Care
Product Design
As Commencement Speakers
Nateenond (Boom)
Supatpitak ’14, Project
Engineer, Keurig Division,
Green Mountain Roasters
As a result of students attending the Fall and Spring Career Fairs, four
of our current Clarkson School students interviewed and were offered
an internship for this summer. We hope to continue the tradition of
having alumni return as panelists and meet with our students.
On Field Trips
Whether skiing at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont or visiting museums
in Montreal, our field trips offer everyone shared experiences that
contribute to personal development, build community and create
long-lasting memories of The Clarkson School. This past year,
we contacted alumni living in Rochester, N.Y., to join us for dinner
during a fall trip. We felt this was a great opportunity for the current
and former Schoolies to network. Erika Brown TCS ’06, CU ’09,
Matt Nearpass TCS ’94, CU ’97 and Chris Snelling ’86 joined us
in Rochester to “break bread” with our students on the trip. Erika
says, “I still hold TCS very close to my heart. I not only accepted an
invitation to enroll at TCS, but also worked for The Clarkson School
office. I continue to promote and share my experiences of TCS
through social media and my own cover letter that goes to potential
employers. TCS and Clarkson are a huge part of who I was and
Chris Snelling ’86 is pictured sixth from the left in the yellow shirt.
who I continue to be as I grow into a professional adult. When
something like an invitation to join in on an event that you still feel
so connected to comes so close to home, you go.” Matt Nearpass
mentioned that he wanted to join students for dinner to “see how
the program has evolved, meet the current generation and share a
few stories — maybe even pass on a tip or two.”
2
In May 2014, Mathew Nearpass was also our Alumni Speaker
at The Clarkson School Commencement. Matt is the director
of International Product Management at Harris Corporation in
Rochester. Matt manages the International Product Management
organization and reports to the Vice President of Product
Management & Engineering. After The Clarkson School, Matt
went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering
from Clarkson and has completed the executive program at the
University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Matt comments, “I can’t
thank you enough for making me
a part of your commencement
ceremony. It was great speaking
with not only your students, but
parents and support staff as
well. The quality of the students
and their results are as high as
they have ever been; you should
be proud.”
In May 2015, Oleg Dulin TCS
’97, ’00 will be traveling back to
Clarkson to deliver this year’s
alumni speech at The Clarkson
School Commencement. After
The Clarkson School program, Oleg remained at Clarkson. During
his sophomore year, he founded Linux Users Group (Clarkson
Open Source Institute) as part of Clarkson’s ACM chapter to help
spread the knowledge of open-source software. He was offered
a co-op at IBM Global Services in Southbury, Ct. Following his
experience, he worked at startups, owned his own consulting
company, then joined a Wall Street company in Jersey City
working on high–frequency–trading software for seven years. Oleg
completed his Master of Computer
Science while working full-time at
New York University. Today, Oleg is
chief scientist at Liquid Analytics,
a mobile-first startup focusing
on Big Data analytics software.
He is married with two wonderful
kids who he hopes will grow up
to be scientists and make great
advancements and discoveries. We
look forward to welcoming him back
to campus this May!
The Clarkson School
Bryce Bandish TCS ’12
A desire to help pets and pet owners
has inspired Bryce Bandish, a current
student and former TCS student, to
turn a childhood invention into a new
company. Featured in a Clarkson news
release “Clarkson University Student
Entrepreneur Develops Product to Handle
Pets with Ease,” Bryce had worked with
Clarkson’s Shipley Center for Innovation
and Reh Center for Entrepreneurship for
two years to develop the Pet Pita, a safe
and inexpensive way to immobilize a cat
or dog. Made of canvas and fleece, the
Pet Pita allows pet owners to comfortably
medicate, treat and handle their pets at
home or on the go.
An entrepreneur from East Dummerston,
Vt., Bryce came up with the idea for the
product in fifth grade because his cat, Rudy,
would not cooperate when it came time to
administer his flea medicine. Bryce then cut
out a piece of fabric designed to comfortably
immobilize the pet for the procedure.
“The whole idea originally was to make
medication a less painful experience for your
cat, your dog and you,” he says.
The idea for the Pet Pita fell to the
wayside, Bandish said, until he came
to Clarkson. As a chemistry major with
a business minor, he said the Shipley
Center for Innovation and Reh Center for
Entrepreneurship have taught him how to
apply his creative thinking in both science
and business endeavors.
“I learned to think in a completely
scientific way, and then I brought in this
business element,” he says of Pet Pita. “I
was able to combine scientific and analytic
elements into a business application.” At the
2014 New York Business Plan Competition,
Bandish was named “Rookie of the Year” in
the products and services category.
Kenneth (Tyler) Cline TCS ’12
Kenneth (Tyler) Cline TCS ’12 was named
Clarkson’s First All American and CoMale Athlete of the Year in June 2014.
Tyler, who came from Tuxedo, N.Y., has
been a member
of the Clarkson
University Golf
team since Fall
2011. As a senior
seeking a major
in Innovation and
Entrepreneurship,
Tyler was
announced as
one of 50 studentathletes to be
named a Division III
PING All-American
last summer. He
was picked as a PING All-American
Honorable Mention, one of 26 named
outside of the eight-member first,
second and third teams.
Tyler has been ranked
among the top 125 golfers in the
country according to GolfStat,
and finished second in the Liberty
League this past year when he
shot a five-under par 139 at the
conference’s fall qualifier. Overall,
Cline averaged 74.05 shots per
round, and that number dropped
to 73.3 when just considering the
full fall season. Regardless, his
average dropped by more than
three strokes from 2012 when he
averaged 77.6 strokes, and was
nearly five shots better than his
78.9 average scoring round from
his freshman season in 2011.
Dan Ward TCS ’91, CU ’94
Dan Ward TCS ’91, CU ’94 recently
published a book with HarperBusiness
called FIRE: How Fast, Inexpensive,
Restrained, and Elegant Methods
Ignite Innovation.
Noted as a military technology
expert, Dan Ward’s manifesto is centered
on creating great products and projects
using the methods of rapid innovation.
He answers the questions: Why do some
programs deliver their product under cost,
while others bust their budget? Why do
some deliver ahead of schedule, while
others experience endless delays? Which
products work better — the quick and
thrifty or the slow and expensive? Which
situation leads to superior equipment?
3
The Bridge
With nearly two decades as an
engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force,
Dan explored these questions during tours
of duty at military research laboratories,
the Air Force Institute of Technology,
an intelligence agency,
the Pentagon and
Afghanistan. The pattern
he noticed revealed that
the most successful
project leaders in both
the public and private
sectors delivered top-shelf
products with a skeleton
crew, a shoestring
budget, and a cannonball
schedule. Excessive
investment of time, money
or complexity reduced
innovation. He concluded
the secret to innovation is to be fast,
inexpensive, simple and small.
FIRE presents an entertaining and
practical framework for pursuing rapid,
frugal innovation. A story-filled blend of
pop culture and engineering insight, FIRE
has something for everyone: strategic
concepts leaders can use as they cast a
vision, actionable principles for managers
as they make business decisions, and
practical tools for workers as they design,
build, assess and test new products.
Current Students
Amy Yang TCS ’15
How does a student from
Macungie, Pa., hear about The
Clarkson School? Yang learned
that there were opportunities for
high school seniors to advance
in their studies by attending
college early. She came across
The Clarkson School while
doing some research on early
college programs. Amy says,
“The Clarkson School seemed
like a great opportunity for me
to expand in the educational,
social and professional areas of my life. I thought that moving away
from my comfort zone of high school into college life early would be a
good experience for me.”
At Clarkson, she is involved in some of the same activities
that she was involved in during high school. She is a member of
the Tennis Club and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. She also got
involved in an activity she never thought she would enjoy: country
swing dancing. Now, she is a part of two different swing clubs and
occasionally shows up to the Ballroom Dancing Club. She just
learned how to do her very first flip, and dancing has become her
favorite activity on campus. Off campus, she is involved in a local
church called New Hope. She attends their services on Sundays and
occasionally is a volunteer at the nursery there.
Currently, Amy is pursuing courses towards a major in
engineering or biology. After The Clarkson School, she is going
to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. She
recently accepted her appointment and will be reporting on June
29 for cadet basic training. She is involved in the ROTC program,
where she learned more about the army and how it operates.
The ROTC experience at Clarkson has been great and really
strengthened her determination to become a future army officer.
Nicklas Kenyon TCS ’15
Nicklas Kenyon first heard about The Clarkson School when he
came to visit Clarkson from Queensbury, N.Y. One of his two tour
guides was a Clarkson School alumna who was able to provide him
with more information on the program. He was instantly intrigued
with the thought of starting college a year early. The entire three-hour
car ride home, he didn’t stop talking about TCS and how much he
wanted to be a part of it. As Nicklas states, “For me, The Clarkson
School was the perfect opportunity to get the education I desired and
a jump start on my career.”
On campus, Nicklas is a
member of the Clarkson Open
Source Institute (COSI). COSI is
a club that focuses on learning
and teaching others about
computers, networking and
computer programming. Last
semester, he took on a project
working on remaking the COSI
DNS servers, which was an
awesome learning experience.
He also plans to join IDEA Club,
which is a digital arts club that
puts on events and sponsors
trips to art and animation
studios as well as video game
4
development companies. Currently, he is working on a
game for the IDEA Club’s Game Jam.
Off campus, Nicklas is starting his own company that
provides Web design and development, graphic design
services and PC and mobile games development. The
company has three websites, two mobile games and two
PC games in development. In the future, he would like
to establish a connection with Clarkson so he can offer
internships and job opportunities with his company for
other students.
As a double major in Computer Science and
Digital Arts & Sciences with a minor in Business,
Nicklas wants to continue expanding his company. He
states, “If my company is not as successful as I would
like it to be by the time I graduate, I would like to work at another
video game studio while growing my company on the side.” In the
future, he would like to establish a connection with Clarkson so he
can offer internships and job opportunities with his company for
other students.
Krissy Govertsen TCS ’15
Krissy Govertsen felt her journey to The Clarkson School from
Valatie, N.Y., was far from ordinary. Given that neither of her parents
graduated from high school nor had the opportunity to acquire a
higher education, the entire college experience to her was unclear.
She didn’t know what to look for, where to go or what kind of degree
she wanted. While many of her friends had the desire to attend
their parents’ alma mater, Krissy noted that she did not have that
opportunity. She later learned that her uncle, who lives in Florida
as a successful
businessman,
went to Clarkson.
After this newfound
family connection
to Clarkson
University, she
started researching
information on the
Internet and found
other people she
knew who had also
gone to Clarkson.
Krissy knew she
wanted to go to a
college close to
home where she
could obtain a
degree towards her dream career of designing energy efficient and
sustainable homes. When researching the standardized test score
range suggested for admission into Clarkson, she stumbled upon
information on The Clarkson School. She applied, was accepted
and is now a member of our community where she quickly
established herself as a leader.
She was elected to represent her floor on The Clarkson
School Council, joined the Yearbook Committee as the Public
Representative and was accepted into the Fast Track Honors
Program this spring. Krissy serves on the Student Activities
Committee for the Clarkson University Senate Association
(CUSA). She also keeps busy as a member of the Society of
Women Engineers on the Girl Scout Committee.
Krissy aspires to pursue a position in N.Y. as an
environmental engineer. She envisions herself working for a
The Clarkson School
small engineering firm at first and then designing Green Energy
Home blueprints that she could sell to developers and home
builders. Krissy has come a long way this past year and is
very grateful to her parents for what they have done so far to
help her reach her dreams. She states, “The
Clarkson School is truly a very special program
that made my transition from home to college
so much easier. The students are respectful,
the faculty care about the students and there is
easy access to tutoring. The diversity within The
Clarkson School community is what I love the
most. While we are different in many ways, we
are still able to live together as a harmonious
family. I am truly honored to be a member of
The Clarkson School Class of 2015.”
Olivia Nolan ’15
Olivia Nolan first heard about The Clarkson School through a
letter she received in the mail. She originally didn’t think that TCS
was a real school until her grandfather encouraged her to read it.
Since he had heard about The Clarkson
School, he thought Olivia should apply
as it would be a great experience for
her. Though a bit hesitant, Olivia applied
and received a call from TCS informing
her of her acceptance. She remembers
sitting with a high school friend when she
got the call. She put the phone on mute
and started jumping up and down and
screaming in excitement. Since Olivia’s
arrival at TCS last August from Hudson
Falls, N.Y., she has become her dorm floor’s representative on
The Clarkson School Council, member of The Clarkson School
(continued on page 7)
Staff Updates
Kathleen O’Leary
Kathleen O’Leary joined the
staff of The Clarkson School and
Honors Program as Associate
Director of Student and Alumni
Relations in July 2014.
She has spent the past nine
years working in higher education
student affairs, including stints
in housing, student conduct and
academic advising. Most recently,
she worked at Arizona State
University, but was excited to leave the desert to head east and
begin to explore the North Country. A graduate of the University
of Notre Dame for both her undergraduate and law degrees,
Kathleen is an avid college football fan and is learning to love
college hockey. She is enjoying getting to know our students and
has been impressed from the start by their intellectual curiosity,
their drive to succeed and their social consciousness. Kathleen
is looking forward to connecting with alumni, hearing about their
experiences in The Clarkson School, and working together to
continue to provide transformative experiences for our students.
Kathleen welcomes any and all feedback and can be reached at
koleary@clarkson.edu.
Jennifer Townsend
Jennifer Townsend,
Assistant Director of
Advising, welcomed a
new addition to her family.
Jenny and husband Ethan
are pleased to announce
the addition of future
Golden Knight Maya Luna
Townsend. She was born
on August 26, 2014.
ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE
Alumni Family Award
Alumni Legacy Award
Students with a brother, sister, aunt, uncle or cousin who
attended The Clarkson School or Clarkson University can
qualify for a $500 award.
Students with a mother, father, grandfather or grandmother who
attended The Clarkson School or Clarkson University can qualify
for a $1,000 award.
Only one award will be granted regardless of the number of legacy connections.
The Clarkson School Alumni Referral Award
The award-winning student, referred by a Clarkson School alum, will be provided $1,000 per year.
A student can only receive one award, regardless of the number of referrals.
Give to The Clarkson School Scholarships
Your contribution to these scholarships helps students who meet the rigorous requirements of The Clarkson School, but lack
the financial means to attend. By sustaining these scholarships, you’re giving deserving students the opportunity to learn and
do more — and to start now, when they’re ready.
5
The Bridge
TCS ALUMNI
on her Educational Doctorate at
Boston University and is in her
11th year of teaching chemistry.
Daniel Briere TCS ’14
As a feature in our last year’s The Bridge newsletter, Dan Briere,
originally from St. Paul, Minn., came to The Clarkson School after
hearing of Clarkson from his father, who is an alumnus. After
completing The Clarkson School, Dan enrolled at Texas Christian
University where he is pursuing
his interests in entrepreneurial
management, finance, real
estate and marketing. He is also
a member of the John V. Roach
Honors College. While at The
Clarkson School, entrepreneurship
came naturally to him. He
created a successful backpack
company, along with a fellow
Clarkson University student, Evan
Jennings ’17 (both pictured), that
showcased their business sense,
marketing savvy and compassion.
Outland Manufacturing’s
canvas backpacks are attractive,
as well as rugged, so their early
sales were brisk. Customers also
embraced the company’s spirit
of social enterprise. For every
backpack that Outland sells,
school supplies are donated to help an impoverished child in Haiti.
“We’re working with the nonprofit organization Healing Haiti
in Cite Soleil,” says Dan. “This is one of the poorest cities in the
world. Most families live on less than $2 a day, so a donation
from one backpack goes a long way.”
Co-founder Evan has been to Haiti and has a passion for
helping there. “The children are trying hard to get an education,”
he says. “Whatever we can do to help is great.”
The 18-year-old entrepreneurs were among Marc
Compeau’s first-year students in Clarkson’s School of Business.
Jeffrey Fishman TCS ’83, CU
’86 recently joined US Band as
Specialty Finance Technology
Group Manager. He and his
partner live in Falls Church,
Va., and celebrated 20 years
together this past February.
Lesley (Frank) Waters Dobis
TCS ’83 happily reported that
seven Clarkson graduates and
current students attended her
wedding to Michael Dobis last
fall. Those present included
her daughter, Katherine
Waters (’18); her niece, Sarah
Bornstein (’18); her son, Garry
Waters (’14); Meg Vanasse
(TCS ’83, CU ’86); her son,
Tommy Waters (’17); her sister,
Marla (Frank) Bornstein (’84)
and Jolene (Preiss) Miller (’87).
Andrew White TCS ’90 is
headed to St. Louis, Mo. Over
the years, he started a Philly ISP
and then moved to Honduras
where, for 13 years, he worked
as a scuba instructor, started a
Honduran telephone company,
and ran an electric power utility
on the island of Utila.
Anna (Whalen) Seip TCS
’91 works as the editor in
the Office of Marketing and
Publication Relations at
Messiah College in Grantham,
Pa. She lives in Camp Hill,
Pa., with husband Jim, a
sportswriter, and her minime daughter, Lila (8). Her
son, Marshall, is a freshman
at Bloomsburg University,
studying geology. Anna shared
6
In two semesters, everyone in the class was required to identify
a need, develop a product or service, pitch the idea to investors
and then launch the business.
“We give them real-world experience in their first year to connect
the rest of their learning to,” Compeau says. “They can understand
the need for job descriptions and
business plans because they've
started a business.”
His students briefly pitch their
ideas to a group of alumni with
experience in banking and investing.
If their projects are declined funding,
the students can make changes and
pitch again or walk away.
“Those who retrench learn
the most,” Compeau says. “Some
decide being an entrepreneur is
not for them. That’s great because
this is the safest place to fail. It’s a
class. They don’t lose their house
or savings.”
In Outland Manufacturing’s
case, investors were so intrigued
they wanted to have a piece of
the business rather than simply
provide funding. So, the freshmen
negotiated a deal and kicked off their business in February 2014.
Dayle Smith, Dean of the School of Business, bought
backpacks for her children, and she’s a satisfied customer as well
as a pleased administrator.
“It is exciting to see this next generation deeply committed to
helping school children in the developing world while developing a
business with a triple bottom-line orientation of people, planet and
profit,” she says. “We are very proud of these students and others
who are using experiential learning to make a difference.”
that she looks back on her
Schoolie year fondly, and even
after 20+ years in publishing,
she keeps her Clarkson year
on her résumé just because
she knows employers will ask
about it, and because she
loves talking about it!
Rob Bramhall TCS ’92 reports
that he and his family have
“moved to the beach after
22 years in Atlanta, Ga.” His
three boys, Jake, Connor
and Nicholas, are busy with
school and activities, including
swimming and baseball, and
Jake is playing the clarinet in
band. Rob is still very busy
doing Microsoft technology
solutions and Chrissy finished
nursing school and has a job at
The Clarkson School
a hospital in Wilmington, N.C.
They didn’t get to take any trips
last year due to their big move,
but they are enjoying living at
the beach now, and plan to visit
Orlando for spring break.
David Huang TCS ’95 started
his seventh year working for
the CDC and was recently
promoted to Branch Chief,
overseeing a staff of 15
epidemiologists, biostatisticians
and programmers in Hyattsville,
Md. He also recently completed
his sixth marathon, and he and
his wife welcomed a beautiful
daughter, Fidela, last October.
Michelle (Perry) Thomas TCS
’98 graduated from Clarkson
University with an MBA in
December 2014. She earned
two certificates — Global
Supply Chain Management and
Six Sigma, and was inducted
into the honors society Beta
Gamma Sigma. She currently
works in Potsdam at Lavalle
Transportation.
Ali Boolani TCS ’99 has
come full circle. He is now an
Assistant Professor of Physical
Therapy at Clarkson University.
He does research in fatigue
and has received grants to
test anti-fatiguing products for
several companies.
Raymond Berglund TCS
’00 graduated from Clarkson
University in 2003 and joined
General Electric, moving
through the Operations
Management and Corporate
Audit Staff programs before
leading the Finance in the
Respiratory division of GE
Healthcare. In 2010, he moved
to Memphis, Tenn., to join Smith
& Nephew, a medical device
technology company, and after
four years and a number of
roles, he is currently the vice
president of Global Business
Services. He and wife Jennifer
continue to enjoy living in the
South, appreciate its lack of
winter, and are actively involved
in many local organizations in
the city of Memphis.
Current Students
Sean Curtin TCS ’01, CU ’03
is the vice president of Finance
& CFO for Alice Hyde Medical
Center in Malone, N.Y. He is
most proud of his family, which
includes wife Jessie and their
children Lillian (9), Lucille (8)
and Isabella (6). Sean will
be pursuing his MBA at Yale
University this summer and
shared that he is really excited
to go back to school exactly
15 years after he started The
Clarkson School program!
Colin S. McIntyre TCS ’02,
CU ’06 shares that the
connections he made at The
Clarkson School influenced his
decision to stay at Clarkson
University, which ultimately
put him on a successful
career path. Colin is grateful
for the alumni network that
benefited him at graduation
and continues to do so today.
He recently made the decision
to pursue a master’s degree,
and his first instinct was to look
at Clarkson.
Thomas Church TCS ’02 was
recently promoted to assistant
professor of Mathematics at
Stanford University.
Madeline Twiss TCS ’07,
CU ’12 is back on campus
and enrolled in Clarkson
University’s Physician Assistant
Studies program.
David Champoux TCS ’08
graduated from Clarkson with
a B.S. in Civil Engineering in
2011. After two internships,
he attended the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst for
a Master of Science degree
in Traffic/Transportation
Engineering. He decided
to pursue his career and
prepare for the Professional
Engineering Licensure Exam
by taking a job as a traffic
engineer for a consulting
firm in New Hampshire. He
currently works as a Traffic
Engineer in Atlanta, Ga.,
where his work includes
designing, operating and
maintaining traffic signal
control systems, performing
traffic impact studies and
engaging in real-time traffic
signal control management.
Robert LaCombe TCS ’10
graduated from Clarkson
University in 2013 with a
degree in Aeronautical
Engineering. He is currently
a Commissioning Engineer at
Atlas Copco Comptec LLC,
a custom turbo compressor
company in Voorheesville, N.Y.
In his job, Robert commissions
custom compressors all over
the world. In 2014, he visited
11 different countries and 23
states. He is thankful for the
opportunity to see the world
while building a concrete
foundation for his career.
Gabriel Clandorf TCS ’08
completed his undergraduate
degree at Cornell University,
earning an independent
major: Computer Science and
Human Computer Interaction,
in May 2014. He is now a
Web developer in Ithaca, and
manages a master’s student
project team with a professor
on campus.
John Lindsay TCS ’14
participated in The Fund for
American Studies program
in Washington, D.C., last
summer. He was set up with
an internship, provided with
housing and attended classes.
He was given the opportunity
to nominate students for the
program this summer. If he does
nominate a student, he/she will
have first access to scholarships
for the program. Their website
is www.dcinternships.org/.
After completing The Clarkson
School in May 2014, John
decided to attend George
Washington University to pursue
his bachelor’s degree. He loves
it there! In addition, he has
planned a TEDx event for GWU
that will have 21 speakers and
over 1,000 attendees.
James Cole TCS ’09
graduated in 2014 from
Buffalo State with a B.A.
in Music. He is currently
attending SUNY Buffalo as the
top candidate pursuing a Ph.D.
in Music Theory.
Amanda Calton TCS ’10
graduated in 2013 from
Clarkson University with a
bachelor’s degree in Political
Science and a minor in Law
Studies. She is currently in her
second year at the Maurice A.
Deane School of Law at Hofstra
University and also works parttime at a matrimonial law firm
on Long Island.
(continued from page 5)
Yearbook committee and has worked for Knightline at the Alumni
Association. She really enjoys talking with Clarkson alumni and
informing them of current activities on campus.
Olivia initially thought she wanted to pursue a major in
chemistry. Within the first two months in the fall semester, she
decided to change her focus to forensic psychology. This semester,
she is pursuing classes in the psychology major and will be
enrolled at the University of Tampa this fall semester pursuing
criminology with a minor in forensic psychology. While she has
loved her experience at Clarkson, Olivia is looking forward to a
warmer climate and more specialized classes. After Tampa, Olivia
is planning to go to Quantico, Virginia, where she hopes to be
accepted at the FBI Academy. She doesn’t know exactly which
department she would like to work in but she does know that she
has always wanted to work for the FBI. From there, she is planning
to attend law school to further her education.
Kristin (Wheeler) Cowell TCS
’98 married her husband, David,
in 2013 and welcomed their first
child in 2014. Kristin is working
7
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Give to The Clarkson School
Many students have the aptitude and motivation to enroll in TCS, but lack the financial means. By contributing to scholarships, grants
and other aid programs, you help these students begin college earlier and realize their futures faster.
Go to www.clarkson.edu/giveback to make a gift. When giving online, please choose “Other” for a gift designation, noting it is a
commitment to The Clarkson School.
Make a Referral to The Clarkson School
Do you know a bright high school age student (sophomore or junior) who would thrive at The Clarkson School? Your recommendation may
earn them a $1,000 Alumni Referral Scholarship additional to Alumni Family and Alumni Legacy scholarships! Please contact or have them
contact Matthew Rutherford, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, mrutherf@clarkson.edu.
Save the Date!
TCS Turns 40!
Connect — and Re-Connect — with Schoolies
on Facebook and LinkedIn
The Clarkson School turns 40 years old in 2018! We’re planning a big reunion on July 12-15, 2018, and we’d like you to join us! If
you’d like more information — or to let us know you’re coming — send us an email at tcs@clarkson.edu.
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 and benefits.
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