Institute for a Sustainable Environment Newsletter: January 2024
Institute for a Sustainable Environment Newsletter: January 2024
Message From the Director
At the top of this month's Institute for a Sustainable Environment Newsletter is news of our new undergraduate degree program in environmental science and sustainability. It's a revision of our environmental science & policy degree, with concentrations to allow students to focus within the broad field of environmental science and sustainability. We also have lots of news about research by our ISE faculty and affiliated faculty, as well as students. I hope that you enjoy reading about their accomplishments below.
— Susan Powers, Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment / Associate Director of Sustainability / Jean ’79 and Robert ’79 Spence Professorship in Sustainable Environmental Systems
New Degree
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The most pressing environmental issues -- such as greenhouse gas emissions and the overuse of disposable plastics -- can be traced back to human decisions. In addressing these issues it is vital to understand both the scientific and policy aspects that impact the planet. A new Bachelor of Science degree program in Environmental Science and Sustainability will prepare students to tackle both of these challenges.
Read About This New Degree
Going for Gold
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Eight students have been deeply involved in the recertification of New York State’s Olympic Region as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) community. The students are helping the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Village of Lake Placid, the Town of North Elba and the Lake Placid Central School District go for sustainability gold as they look to recertify using the latest LEED rating system.
Read About This Project
DoD Supports PFAS Treatment
A Clarkson team has been awarded a $1.2 million Department of Defense grant to scale up an integrated treatment system to destroy PFAS in sediments. The system includes mechanochemical ball milling, which destroys PFAS in soils and sediments, followed by soil washing and plasma treatment.
Read More About This Grant
Phosphate Removal Tech
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Two Clarkson professors have been awarded $749,000 by the Department of Agriculture to develop a filtration system to capture and recover phosphate from tile drainage and reduce the phosphate burden on watersheds. This sorbent and field-ready system will decrease environmental impact and provide a renewable phosphate supply, improving the sustainability of agricultural practices.
Read More About This Award
Coulter School of Engineering Newsletter: January 2024
Coulter School of Engineering Newsletter: January 2024
Message From the Dean
Major government support for our research on cleansing the environment of contaminants – like PFAS in soil, phosphate in our watersheds and organohalogens in our waste streams – tops our Coulter School of Engineering Newsletter this month. You'll also find an interesting article on respiratory emissions by children, as well as accomplishments by our students and our celebration of 50 years of the Society of Women Engineers here at Clarkson. Please enjoy reading about the achievements of our students and faculty.
— Bill Jemison, Dean of the Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering / Tony Collins Professor of Innovative Engineering Culture
DoD Supports PFAS Treatment
A Clarkson team has been awarded a $1.2 million Department of Defense grant to scale up an integrated treatment system to destroy PFAS in sediments. The system includes mechanochemical ball milling, which destroys PFAS in soils and sediments, followed by soil washing and plasma treatment.
Read More About This Grant
Phosphate Removal Tech
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Two Clarkson professors have been awarded $749,000 by the Department of Agriculture to develop a filtration system to capture and recover phosphate from tile drainage and reduce the phosphate burden on watersheds. This sorbent and field-ready system will decrease environmental impact and provide a renewable phosphate supply, improving the sustainability of agricultural practices.
Read More About This Award
Dehalogenating Waste Streams
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Prof. Selma Mededovic Thagard has been awarded a $422,000 National Science Foundation grant for her research on the dehalogenation of waste streams using electrical discharge plasma. Dehalogenation of waste streams is at the forefront of the major engineering challenges facing society, with more than 10,000 organohalogens impacting the environment.
Read More About This NSF Grant
Children's Respiratory Particle Emissions
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An article by a Clarkson research team, recently published in the journal Aerosol Science and Technology, explains their findings that age influences the size and quantity of respiratory particle emissions in humans during activities, with children releasing fewer and smaller particles than adults. Thus, incorporating age demographics into disease transmission models may improve their accuracy.
Read About This Article
Provost's Newsletter: January 2024
Provost's Newsletter: January 2024
Message From the Provost
As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, we are in the middle of winter here in New York state's North Country, where temperatures outside are not as cold as usual and minds are definitely warming up the inside of our laboratories and classrooms. In any weather, research and discoveries advance, with our professors and young scholars exploring side by side. This month's Provost's Newsletter highlights two new degree programs, research funding by major organizations like the NIH and DoD, and more. I hope you enjoy reading about our community of scholars as much as I enjoy interacting with them on campus daily.
— Christopher C. Robinson, Provost
New Environmental Science and Sustainability Degree
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The most pressing environmental issues -- including greenhouse gas emissions and the overuse of disposable plastics -- can be traced back to human decisions. In addressing these issues, it is vital to understand both the scientific and policy aspects that impact the planet. A new bachelor of science degree program in Environmental Science and Sustainability will prepare students to tackle both of these challenges.
Read About This New Degree
New Business Analytics MBA
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A new Reh School of Business program aims to meet the growing demand for professionals capable of exploring, analyzing and interpreting large volumes of data to drive informed decision-making. The new MBA in Business Analytics combines the latest methods of statistical analysis, data management and decision analysis with a solid foundation in business administration.
Read About This New MBA
NIH Research Award
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Assistant Professor of Biology Ginger Hunter has been awarded a nearly $1.8 million Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award for Early Stage Investigators from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. Her research will study how defects in cell-to-cell communication during development can lead to human disorders and disease.
Read About This Award
DoD Supports PFAS Treatment
A Clarkson team has been awarded a $1.2 million Department of Defense grant to scale up an integrated treatment system to destroy PFAS in sediments. The system includes mechanochemical ball milling, which destroys PFAS in soils and sediments, followed by soil washing and plasma treatment.
Read About This Grant
David D. Reh School of Business Newsletter: Winter 2024
David D. Reh School of Business Newsletter: Winter 2024
Message From the Dean
Snow has come to the North Country (of course!) as we highlight some major media attention, a winning student team and more in this month's issue of the Reh School of Business Newsletter. All of our faculty and students do incredible work every day, but I'm always proud to see our faculty research featured in media clips from major news organizations. At the same time, back on campus, our creative engineering & management students have taken top place in a campuswide competition. We're excited about the accomplishments of all of our students and faculty, and I hope that you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy working with them daily. Stay warm!
— Bebonchu Atems, Interim Dean of the Reh School of Business
Milne in Media Spotlight
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When United Airlines announced a new boarding process, Associate Professor John Milne's expertise was featured on CNN and in The New York Times, the Financial Times and other major news media. The Neil '64 and Karen Bonke Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in Engineering & Management called the plan to board economy passengers with window seats before others in economy "a step forward."
Read The NY Times Story
E&M Team Wins Challenge
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A team of five engineering & management seniors was the winner of this year's President's Challenge, in which President Marc P. Christensen, Ph.D., P.E., challenged students to use their skills to develop a unique solution to a real-world problem. The team created Clarkson-themed Jenga blocks featuring fun facts to get prospective students excited about Clarkson's hands-on, interdisciplinary education.
Read About the President's Challenge
Fulbright Visiting Scholar
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Imane Magrez is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Reh School, where she is expanding her research expertise and international networks, while working on impactful research with Professor Christian Felzensztein, the Reh Family Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership. Magrez attends Mohamed First University in Oujda, Morocco.
Read About The Fulbright Scholar
Milne Elected Fellow
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John Milne, the Neil '64 and Karen Bonke Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in Engineering & Management, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. This is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Milne is an expert in supply chain optimization planning and scheduling methods and is the inventor or co-inventor of more than 40 U.S. patents.
Read More About Milne's Fellowship
Commuter Student Resources
Resources for Commuter Students
Build Your Future Among Our Engaged, Driven Community
No matter where you are, Clarkson University welcomes your innovative spirit and intense drive to pursue new discoveries. Each year, we have students who live in our local community and commute to campus with the same career goals and aspirations as our students who live, work and study on campus full-time. Perhaps you’re local and seeking an applied education that paves the way to an impactful career or advances your path. Or, you’ve traveled here from overseas with a family to carve out a niche in your field and collaborate with our world-renowned faculty on transformative research.
In all cases, start your journey and acclimate to life at Clarkson with the following resources for commuter students.
(Read more about our SPEED teams and our students' human powered vehicle, shown above)
For Undergraduate Commuter Students
You’re close by — in fact, you might live less than an hour from our Potsdam location. Understand how we help you adjust and the services available to you as a commuter student.
Orientation and Springboard Programming
Begin your journey at Clarkson by attending Springboard and pre-orientation events. Take the opportunity to get acquainted with both on- and off-campus resources, take placement tests, explore clubs and organizations and begin connecting with your peers.
Drop-in and Small Group Tutoring
We support the success of all students. For academic assistance, Potsdam commuter students have access to tutoring sessions free of charge through the Student Success Center.
Study Spaces
You study wherever you go. At our Potsdam location, hit the books at the Student Success Center’s dedicated study space for commuter students, whether before or after class or during a weekend on campus.
Commuter Advisory Committee
The Student Success Center’s academic support services and transition programming amplify your voice on campus.
Residence Life
The Office of Residence Life assigns all first-year commuter students a Living-Learning Community and a Resident Advisor. Discover an engaged, driven group of students ready to face a new challenge together and make the most of your experience here. Commuter students also have access to lounges and other common areas with their Clarkson ID.
Dining
Eat between classes on the Potsdam campus. We recommend that undergraduate students select the 50/500 dining plan or add a Declining Balance (DB) to their Knight Card to dine à la carte.
For Graduate Commuter Students
The majority of graduate students commute to Clarkson, either the Potsdam location for one of our research-centric programs or the Capital Region Campus for an applied, career-advancing education geared toward area professionals. Whether you’re searching for housing or have questions about parking or your student ID, we’ve compiled resources for master’s and PhD candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Office of Residence Life allows first-year commuter students access to first-year residential halls by assigning them to a lounge space in our system. There is no charge associated with this placement. This allows your student ID card to work, so you can meet more of your peers and become engaged in the Clarkson community even though you do not live on campus. Additionally, this arrangement provides access to certain residential areas for studying and for using showers/bathrooms.
Through your housing questionnaire, we assign you to a Living-Learning Community (which is a floor of other first-year students with similar interests as you), where you can go hang out in the lounge, attend programs, receive emails, participate in First-Year Cup, receive guidance from a student peer known as a Resident Advisor (RA) and maximize your experience. You do not pay a cost for this, and you are not required to participate. However, it provides you with more opportunities to meet people and immerse yourself in the Clarkson campus.
Commuter students assigned to residential spaces typically communicate with the Resident Advisor (RA) or House Advisor (HA), who keeps them in the know about events, programs and other information relevant to their Clarkson experience.
Students sign up for their preferred housing theme preferences when they complete their housing questionnaire. Learn more about first-Year Housing floor themes.
All undergraduate commuter students must complete an Address Verification Form and submit accompanying documents to the Office of Residence Life for first-time approval of commuter status. Undergraduate students must annually confirm their intended commuter status for the upcoming year with the Office of Residence Life during Housing Lottery Season.
To qualify for commuter status related to housing, undergraduates must meet the following criteria: “The student is commuting from their parent’s or legal guardian's primary residence, which must be within 50 miles of the Clarkson University Potsdam campus.”
As a commuter student, you can still get a campus dining plan. Clarkson recommends the 50/500 plan for those who want to eat some meals on campus in between classes. To add the dining plan, please contact the Office of Residence Life.
If you don’t want a meal plan but want to buy food “à la carte,” you can add a Declining Balance (DB) to your Knight Card. These are dining dollars that you can spend at any of our campus dining locations. You can add to your DB at any time through the Student Finance Office.
Your Knight Card is your official Clarkson ID. You can pick this up at Campus Safety and Security (CSS). Your Knight Card gives you access to the Clarkson Fitness Center, the CUSA Shuttle and various swipe-accessible academic and other resources and lets you dine on campus if you have a meal plan or added a DB to your card.
Through our active contract with St. Lawrence County, a shuttle travels through Potsdam and stops on campus on an hourly basis. Students can ride any shuttle in St. Lawrence County for free using their student ID. Review the current shuttle schedule.
Parking on campus is free for students. Students need to register their vehicles with campus safety. Learn more about parking on campus.
Clarkson provides lockers to commuter students on the first floor of the ERC next to the archives and in the Student Center near the International and Graduate Student Lounges.
For academic support, Clarkson advises commuter students to take advantage of the services and programs available through the Student Success Center, including group tutoring, the Writing Center, the First-Year Seminar Course and general study and time management information.
Campus Safety and Security are here for more than just issuing parking permits. They can help you jump your car, change a flat tire and respond if you utilize the Blue Light Safety system on campus.
Contact Us
Have questions about resources for commuter students? Reach out for additional information:
Residential Housing Manager: Emma Blaiklock
Phone: 315-268-6642
Email: reslife@clarkson.edu