Cabinet & Deans

University Administration

Anthony G. Collins, Ph.D., President
Marilyn Ardito, Ph.D.,Executive Director of Human Resources
Kelly O. Chezum,'04 L.P.D., Vice President for External Relations
James D. Fish '79, CFO
Brian T. Grant '93, Dean of Admissions
Ian Hazen '96, '99, Director of Facilities and Services
Richard W. Johnson II, Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Relations
Barbara Parker, Assistant to the President
Charles E. "Chuck" Thorpe, Senior Vice President and Provost
Steve Yianoukos '72, Director of Athletics

Browse the interactive organization chart, or download a summary for print purposes. 

Anthony G. Collins, Ph.D., President

Clarkson University President Anthony Collins is a regional and national advocate for higher education - industrial partnerships that couple research discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise for commercialization and economic development with a focus on advancing sustainable energy solutions and environmental technology innovation. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Dr. Collins in July 2011 to serve as co-chair for the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. Dr. Collins also serves on the Moreland Commission, established by Governor Cuomo in November 2012 to investigate and study utility companies’ storm preparation and management; and to recommend reforms to overhaul regulation of the entire system to better deal with emergencies. He is the also the president of the Seaway Private Equity Corporation that invests in new technology companies based in St. Lawrence County, New York, and serves on the board for (TSEC) The Solar Energy Consortium, which mobilizes related resources in New York State; and is a member of NYSERDA’s Technology & Market Development Advisory Committee which provides technical and policy guidance to NYSERDA on energy and environmental research and market development initiatives.

In service to the higher education sector, President Collins is the chair of the National Association of Independent Technological Universities and a chair emeritus of New York’s Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities. In addition, he serves on the boards of the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, the NYS Business Council, and on the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environment and Energy Systems.

Dr. Collins was among the primary architects of the Vision of a Clarkson Education that has guided evolution of the curriculum since 1995. As president, he now leads Clarkson’s Evolution to Excellence, a comprehensive strategic plan elevating the University’s academic reputation, strengthening its financial resources, and increasing the lifetime engagement of alumni and greater Clarkson community.

Growing up outside Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Collins earned an undergraduate civil engineering degree from Monash University, and then master’s and doctoral degrees from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Prior to his doctoral studies, he worked for both Australian Consolidated Industries and Utah Development Company. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1982, Dr. Collins launched his career at Clarkson, in Potsdam, N.Y., as an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. Subsequently rising to the rank of professor, he also assumed increasing levels of administrative responsibility, including department chair, dean, vice president for academic affairs, and provost. He was elected the 16th president of Clarkson University in 2003. He has received awards for outstanding teaching, research and advising, lectured globally and is the author of more than 90 professional publications.

In addition to connecting with Clarkson alumni across the globe, Dr. Collins; his wife, Karen; are active in the Potsdam community and have provided volunteer service to numerous organizations and youth programs. 

Marilyn Ardito, Ph.D.,Executive Director of Human Resources

Marilyn Ardito has been Executive Director of Human Resources at Clarkson University since November 2009. Dr. Ardito brings to the University an extensive resume of over 25 years of human resources and organizational development expertise gained in three Fortune 500 organizations. In her current role, her focus is on building an engaged community, creating powerful partnerships that cross institutional boundaries and conducting a comprehensive review of employee benefits.

Prior to her appointment at Clarkson, Ardito was Vice President for Organizational Development and Training at ESPN where she focused on the expansion of executive and managerial development programs. She was with Gap Inc. from 1996 to 2005 and held the positions of North East Logistics Regional Director of Human Resources, International Logistics Director of Human Resources, and Organizational Development Consultant for Logistics. Before that, Ardito was at Georgia Pacific LLC from 1988 to 1996, where she served in a variety of human resource and process improvement roles.
Dr. Ardito also held adjunct faculty positions with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Maine.

Dr. Ardito earned her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems and an M.A. in Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate Institute. She also has an M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Maine and a B.S. from the University of Maryland.

Kelly O. Chezum, M.B.A. '04, Vice President for External Relations

Kelly Chezum leads Clarkson’s comprehensive integrated marketing, communications  and external partnership initiatives and has stewarded  the university’s long-range planning activities since 2003. She is also Assistant Secretary of the Board of Trustees, serving as the professional staff liaison to the corporate officers, and members of the Board’s Executive, Trusteeship and Marketing Committees. 
 
With more than 23 years of experience as a creative marketing professional and administrator in the public, private, nonprofit and government sectors, Dr. Chezum has oversight of Web and publication development, board relations and governance issues, media and public relations, special projects and events, crisis communications, and strategic planning. On behalf of the University, she also commits her energy to economic development initiatives advancing the quality of life in New York’s Adirondack North Country as well as several national committees and regular speaking engagements for the Association of Governing Boards, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the Association of Independent Technological Universities.

Dr. Chezum was the director of Corporate & Foundation Relations during the last Campaign for Clarkson where she made numerous alumni and partner connections and collaborated with faculty and staff to raise more than $77 million in private support. Prior to coming to Clarkson, she was on the marketing  and client relations team for Aramark’s Campus Services division with primary responsibilities in New York and New Jersey for maximizing sales growth.  Her background includes bank marketing, book and magazine publishing with key roles in direct mail campaigns, and public relations and Grantwriting for one of the largest public housing agencies in the country. She did her undergraduate studies in marketing and communications at Carroll University (WI) and is a graduate of Clarkson’s M.B.A. program. Dr. Chezum earned her doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University (MA).

James D. Fish '79, CFO

James D. Fish has been Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer at Clarkson University since November 2010.  He oversees the areas of Budgets and Planning, Comptroller, Risk Management, Student Administrative Services, and Student Financial Aid.  Prior to this appointment Mr. Fish served as Comptroller for Clarkson for over 20 years. 

Mr. Fish received a B.S. in accounting from Clarkson University in 1979.  Shortly after graduation he accepted the position of Business Manager at Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, NY where he served until joining Clarkson in 1990.  In his more than 30 years of higher education business and finance administration, Mr. Fish has directed numerous successful audits, implemented new financial software solutions, developed effective internal controls, maintained institutional compliance,  and managed dozens of professionals and support staff.  He has been an active member of the National Association of College & University Business Officers and its affiliated regional association.


Ian Hazen '96, '99, Director of Facilities and Services

Ian Hazen became the Director of Facilities and Services in June of 2012, after serving as the University Engineer since 2008. Hazen leads in Clarkson University’s implementation of the Master Plan goals set by Clarkson’s Board of Trustees and administration. He directs a department whose focus is on developing institutional leaders who utilize the Clarkson values as the basis of operation. The result of this type of management is a department committed to providing service at the level of a world-class research institution.

Hazen oversees the Service Center, the Grounds Department, the Maintenance Department, the Custodial Department, Business Services, the Project Management Office, and construction. He also serves as a member of the President’s cabinet, the emergency response team, and the signage committee.

Hazen came to Clarkson University after working for the St. Lawrence County Highway Department as a Senior Civil Engineer for nearly 10 years. He received both his bachelor of science and master of science degrees in civil engineering from Clarkson University.

Brian T. Grant '93, Dean of Admissions

Brian T. Grant has been the Dean of Admission at Clarkson since July 2009.  A 17-year veteran of undergraduate recruiting, Grant has had the unique opportunity to play a leadership role in building a successful admission program that has increased applications 90% in the freshman, transfer and international student admission programs in the past 6 years.

Dean Grant joined the university in 1994 and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Assistant Director of Admission and Alumni Admission Coordinator, Director of Enrollment Operations, Director of Admission, and ultimately Dean of Admission.  At each step in his career Grant has demonstrated the ability to think analytically while being flexible considering admission market demands. Grant graduated from Clarkson in 1993 with a degree in interdisciplinary engineering & management .  He received his master’s degree in instructional technology from the State University of New York at Potsdam in 2003.

At Clarkson, Grant currently leads a team of 22 professional and support personnel dedicated to enhancing Clarkson’s admission program.


Richard W. Johnson II, Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Relations

Richard W. “Dick” Johnson II has been Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Relations at Clarkson since October 2010.  A 35-year veteran of institutional fund raising, Johnson has returned to Clarkson for a second tour, having served the University previously from 1983 until 1995.
Johnson returned to Clarkson from the United States Naval Academy Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland, where he served as Executive Vice President for a ten-year period.  At the Naval Academy, Johnson directed the highly successful, $254 million Leaders To Serve the Nation Campaign.

Following graduation from Colgate University in 1969, service in the Navy as a commissioned officer until 1972 and a stint as a general assignment newspaper reporter, Johnson in 1976 returned to his Alma Mater, where he served in the Alumni Programs and Annual Fund areas.  In 1980 he became Director of Development and Campaign Director at Swarthmore College.  In 1983 he began at Clarkson, serving until 1995 in positions of increasing responsibility, including Director of Development and Vice President for Development and Communications.  During the 12-year period, he directed the successful completion of two comprehensive fundraising campaigns.  In 1995 he was named Vice President for University Relations at Bucknell University, where he again led a successful $188 million fundraising campaign.

At Clarkson, Johnson currently leads a team of 26 professional and support personnel dedicated to enhancing Clarkson’s alumni relations and development programs.


Barbara Parker, Assistant to the President

Charles E. “Chuck” Thorpe, Senior Vice President and Provost

Charles E. “Chuck” Thorpe joined Clarkson University as Senior Vice President and Provost in July 2012. A gifted and energetic leader who brings to Clarkson incredible experience across the entire spectrum of university life, he has a passion for teaching, a distinguished record of groundbreaking research in robotics and personal experience opening a campus abroad.

Immediately before coming to Clarkson, he served as a White House Fellow and assistant director for advanced manufacturing and robotics in the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President.

 From 2004 to 2010, Thorpe was the founding dean and CEO of Carnegie Mellon University’s branch campus in Doha, Qatar, offering Carnegie Mellon undergraduate degrees in computer science, business administration and information systems and responsible for setting up the new campus.

 Before heading overseas, from 2000 to 2004 Thorpe served as director of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon, overseeing approximately 40 faculty, 100 Ph.D. students, and $40-million-dollar-a-year sponsored research budget, and was the founding head of its robotics master's program. For the 20 years prior, Thorpe served on the faculty of the Robotics Institute.

 Thorpe received his Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon, and is one of the university's first alumni to pursue a career in robotics. He received his bachelor of arts degree in natural science from North Park College in Chicago.

 Thorpe's research focuses on the development of outdoor robotic vehicles. During his tenure at the Robotics Institute, Thorpe and his Navlab research group built a series of robotic cars, trucks and buses for military and civilian research.

 Thorpe is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the IEEE Robotics Society, and has published five books, five book chapters, and many peer-reviewed publications.

Steve Yianoukos '72, Director of Athletics

Steve Yianoukos was named Clarkson University’s Director of Athletics in August 2005. The Potsdam, NY native, who became the University’s eighth athletic director, has been actively involved with Clarkson’s Department of Physical Education, Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation since his undergraduate days at the University in the early 1970s.

Yianoukos served as the Associate Director of Athletics since 1997 and before that was the executive officer of Physical Education/Recreation from 1984 to 1997. Yianoukos currently oversees Clarkson’s Division I and Division III athletics programs, where six programs have received NCAA bids in the past four years,  as well as Intramurals and Recreation for the University.   He monitors NCAA/Liberty League/ECACHL institutional policies and sports guidelines, and leads fund-raising initiatives for the department, including golf outings, Athletic Hall of Fame and Alumni Events throughout the year
Yianoukos graduated from Clarkson in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management. He served as the facility manager for the Town of Potsdam’s Pine Street Arena from 1972-1977 and was named the town’s recreation director/facility manager in 1977. 

He is involved in numerous local and national professional and civic organizations. Steve and his wife Joyce are long- time residents in the Potsdam Community.