Administration | Clarkson University

Anthony G. Collins, Ph.D., President

Currently serving as Clarkson's 16th 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.

In May 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Collins to serve on the Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Dr. Collins in July 2011 to serve as co-chair for the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. He served in that role until February 2019. Dr. Collins served on a 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 currently is a member of the panel Governor Cuomo has tasked to advise him and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on the redesigns of New York’s airports and the supporting infrastructure to attract additional commercial activity. 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.

Robyn Hannigan, Provost

Dr. Robyn Hannigan became the Provost of Clarkson University in August 2019. Hannigan is recognized globally as an innovative leader, and her passion for higher education and research, coupled with her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion has transformed the institutions where she has served, including at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she was the Founding Dean of the School for the Environment.

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

Dr. Kelly O. Chezum leads Clarkson’s comprehensive integrated marketing, communications, government 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 Committee.

Brian T. Grant '93, Vice President for Enrollment & Student Advancement

Brian T. Grant has served as Vice President for Enrollment & Student Advancement since July 2016. He is charged with engaging the entire Clarkson community -- especially the academic, student affairs, and admissions areas -- to optimize the synergies between the three areas and continue to move student engagement toward best in class. He has a great breadth of experience in admissions, student engagement, financial management and service excellence.

Amy McGaheran, Chief Human Resources Officer/Deputy Inclusion Officer

Clarkson University Chief Human Resources & Deputy Chief Inclusion Officer Amy McGaheran

Amy McGaheran, Chief Human Resources Officer/Deputy Inclusion Officer, began her career at Clarkson University in December 2010. In May of 2018, McGaheran became Interim Chief Human Resources & Employee Inclusion Officer, with a focus on cultivating the University's recruitment, employee engagement and inclusion efforts. In February 2019, she moved into the role on a permanent basis.

William McGarry, Chief Financial Officer

Sourced through the Registry, which specializes in interim senior higher education appointments, William McGarry became Clarkson's Chief Financial Officer in January 2021 while a national search is underway for a permanent CFO. In this position, McGarry also takes on the responsibilities as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees. McGarry is very well versed in the intricacies of the higher education financial environment. He has been consulting through the Registry for more than a decade and held prior executive positions in higher education at Franklin Pierce College, Rider University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and Southern New Hampshire University.

Matthew E. Draper, Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations

Matthew Draper is Clarkson's Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Matthew E. Draper, Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations, returned to Clarkson in October 2010 to launch the Shipley Center for Innovation after spending 8 years at W.W. Grainger, the world's largest industrial distributor. In August 2016, Draper became Director of Corporate Engagement at Clarkson University with a focus on cultivating relationships with key industry partners for recruitment, research, and philanthropy. Draper became Interim Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations in March 2018 and moved into the role full time in July 2019.

Susan E. Powers, Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment

Dr. Susan Powers, director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment

Susan E. Powers, PhD, PE is the Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment and is the Spence Professor in Sustainable Environmental Systems. She was appointed as the Director in 2017 (and interim director in 2015). She previously filled the role of Associate Director of ISE for Sustainability and continues to lead the campuses sustainability initiatives. As the hub for all sustainability and environmental activities in academic and campus operations, ISE and Dr. Powers work with leaders from facilities, finance, marketing, research, inclusion and other campus offices to assure that we truly integrate sustainability in everything we do on our campuses. She also continues to teach classes related to Industrial Ecology, Climate Change and design of sustainable systems. Her research work takes a systems perspective to assess the impact of energy systems on the environment.

Scott Smalling, Director of Athletics

Clarkson University Director of Athletics Scott Smalling

A long-time member of the Clarkson University Athletic Department, Scott Smalling was promoted to the role of Athletic Director on July 1, 2019. He will oversee the Golden Knights' 22 sports offerings. Smalling started as interim Director of Walker Arena for the 1982-83 hockey season. He came back in 1987 and was the Director at both Walker Arena and Cheel Arena until 1996. Smalling left Clarkson for a period of time but returned in 2002 as Director of Cheel, was named Assistant Athletic Director in 2005 and then Associate Athletic Director in 2008. He has served the University overseeing Clarkson's Division I men's and women's hockey programs.

Joshua A. Fiske '03, MS '04

Clarkson Chief Information Officer Josh Fiske leads the Office of Information Technology

Joshua Fiske has served as the Chief Information Officer at Clarkson University since 2013. In this role, he oversees the Office of Information Technology as well as sets IT direction and coordinates infrastructure and service delivery across the University. Josh excels at solving challenging problems using appropriate technology.

Jennifer L. Ball, Ph.D.

Dr. Ball is the University’s Chief Inclusion Officer. She holds a joint appointment as an associate professor of history and social documentation in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. She has been involved in diversity, equity and inclusion work for the past twenty five years and holds board positions with the Association for Title IX Coordinators and the Difficult Dialog National Resource Center. Dr. Ball is a Co-PI on Clarkson’s NSF ADVANCE STEM-LEAF grant, as well as the program director for Value U., a peer-led bystander social intervention group and the advisor for the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. She has a BA from Saint Vincent College and a MA & PhD from Purdue University.

Kevin Fite, Chair of the Faculty Senate

Kevin Fite is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and currently serves as the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Dr. Fite holds a BE, MS, and PhD in mechanical engineering, all from Vanderbilt University, and joined Clarkson University as an Assistant Professor in 2007. In addition to his duties on the senate, he also serves as the Executive Officer for the MAE department. Dr. Fite's research interests are in the design and control of electromechanical and fluid power systems with a focus on the development of upper- and lower-extremity prosthetic limb systems.

Shannon Robinson, Associate Vice President for Research & Technology Transfer

Dr. Shannon Robinson received her doctoral degree in Education from Northeastern University. Her research focus is in leadership development in higher education. She has over 20 years of professional experience in higher education with a progressive background in aligning business strategies with technology solutions, process improvement, strategic planning, research administration, and innovation. Shannon has held key positions at Clarkson since 2008, with six of those years overseeing research administration activities at Clarkson. In the last year she has expanded her duties for supporting the strategic growth of the university’s sponsored research enterprise. In addition to her duties in research, she is the University's Accreditation Liaison Officer and is a member in a number of national and regional professional organizations, including the Association of University Export Controls Officers (AUECO), Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).