President Marc P. Christensen, Ph.D., P.E.: 'Clarkson Knows Who It Is and Why It Matters'

By Kris Ross

MARC P. CHRISTENSEN knew early on in the presidential search process that “Clarkson knows who it is and why it matters.”

“It was abundantly clear that Clarkson is a community that cares deeply about our students and knows why the education, research, outreach and the innovations we create matter,” says Christensen, who took office on July 1.

These hallmarks, combined with the University’s achievements in advancing social mobility and the career trajectories for alumni, confirmed for Christensen that Clarkson is a bold leader among higher education institutions.

As he transitioned from Dean of the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University to his new post as Clarkson’s president, Christensen hosted a series of webinars and meetand-greets with faculty, staff and students leading up to his first major event: Reunion Weekend.

“Building connections and relationships is priority number one. Reunion Weekend was an exciting opportunity to meet many of our alumni. Listening to their stories helped me to develop an even deeper understanding of what makes Clarkson the remarkable community it is.”

Also essential to Clarkson’s success are strong relationships with industry partners.

Between June and October, Christensen met with leaders from dozens of organizations that provide insights that help to guide Clarkson’s curricula.

“These industry partnerships have been a longtime key to our graduates’ academic and professional success. We will continue to foster these relationships, which add value to a Clarkson education.”

BUILDING CLARKSON’S FUTURE

Just north of 100 days on the job, family and friends; faculty, staff and alumni; delegates from dozens of academic institutions; and colleagues and students from the past and present gathered to celebrate Christensen’s inauguration as the 17th president of Clarkson University on October 15.

In his inaugural address, Christensen made clear his theme: “Clarkson knows who it is and why it matters.”

The theme emphasizes the exceptional social and economic relevance the University and its graduates hold today: defining a path forward for innovative teaching, research and partnership; contributing to the resolution of issues and solutions to challenges that matter to a world seeking sustainable solutions; and rewarding career outcomes for our students.

“We matter to our community. We matter to our students, we matter to companies spanning the globe, we matter to our nation, and we matter to the world,” he said.

He spoke about the global impact that Clarkson’s alumni and faculty have made, giving nods to the recent NASA Artemis rocket launch led by Mike Sarafin ’94; techniques and mass commercialization processes pioneered by Clarkson faculty to remediate harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as PFAS) from groundwater; and the development of innovations the world relies on daily — specifically the iPhone, for which Clarkson alumni led the Apple product’s design and manufacturing teams.

Christensen also shared how Clarkson’s namesake and the sandstone of our first structures became the cornerstone of education, research, innovation and service that still matters today.

“The cornerstone is the first stone laid…A rock-steady frame of reference. It is enduring. It lasts through the centuries.”

Inspired by the University’s history, Christensen unveiled The Clarkson Cornerstone, an initiative that “demands that we focus our resources on doing things that matter. We will provide our students with the best technical education and with one they can afford to invest in. We will teach students not only the fundamentals but what industry wants them to know to excel. We will ensure each of our students benefits from a work experience relevant to their field of study, and we will ensure that every one of our students has a path to graduate in four years.”

Christensen closed his speech by revisiting his opening question. “How does one know a university is world-class? If Clarkson didn’t exist, would anyone notice? Well, if Clarkson didn’t exist: 46,000 alumni would not have had the transformative educational experience that has helped them get to where they are today. Approximately 10,000 companies wouldn’t have had a founder, CEO, CTO or CFO. So many of our nation’s strongest companies would have vacancies of critical contributors, leaders and visionaries. Important scientific advances and technological achievements would have been delayed if not altogether abandoned. Today, it is clear: Clarkson matters.

“And going forward, to all the hard-working families looking for a rock-solid site to build the foundation of their student’s future, Clarkson will matter. We’ve set our cornerstone.

Now let’s get to building Clarkson’s future.”

To learn more about President Christensen and The Clarkson Cornerstone, go to clarkson.edu/ cornerstone.

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About President Christensen

A widely published expert in photonics research that focuses on using light to transmit, process and sense information, Christensen has coauthored over 100 journal and conference papers and was identified by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a “rising star in microsystems research.” He began his professional career as a technical leader in BDM’s Sensors and Photonics Group, now part of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. In 1997, he cofounded Applied Photonics, a free-space optical interconnection module company that provided hardware demonstrations for multiple DARPA programs. He currently holds 10 U.S. patents.

Christensen received his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Cornell University in 1993, his master’s degree in electrical engineering from George Mason University in 1998 and his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from George Mason University in 2001. He also participated in the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education Management Development Program.

After earning his PhD, he joined the Southern Methodist University faculty in 2002, where he was recognized for innovative teaching and outstanding research. He rose through the faculty ranks at SMU, and, in 2010, he was selected as the inaugural Bobby B. Lyle Professor of Engineering Innovation. He went on to serve as the department chair of Electrical Engineering and has been the dean of SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering for the past nine years.

President Christensen with his wife, Seema, and children, Asha and Priya.

Christensen and his wife, Seema, are the proud parents of Asha Christensen, who is pursuing graduate work in economics at the University of Texas at Austin, and Priya Christensen, who is pursuing graduate studies in molecular and cell biology at the University of Texas at Dallas. With industry experience in engineering, Seema is now a ceramics artist looking forward to opening a new studio in the area.

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CLARKSON MATTERS: IN THEIR WORDS

Those who spoke at the 17th Inauguration Ceremony are ambassadors representing constituencies President Christensen will consult to further define and amplify his theme of “Clarkson knows who it is and why it matters,” which honors Clarkson’s past and will guide its future.

“CLARKSON IS A NEXUS FOR P-12, HIGHER EDUCATION AND BUSINESS PARTNERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD. AS AN EDUCATOR, CLARKSON IS THE PLACE YOU GO WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AND NEED ANSWERS.”

AMANDA J. ZULLO UGC’05, Principal, Tupper Lake Middle-High School, and 2015 Recipient, U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

“CLARKSON IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH CAREERS AND LIFELONG SUCCESS ARE BUILT… EACH CLARKSON GRADUATE HAS ACCESS TO THE TOOLS THEY MAY NEED TO KEEP BUILDING UPON THIS STRONG FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS.

MONICA J. YOUNG ’00 Executive Director, AEM Corporation, and Clarkson Alumni Association President

“CLARKSON MAKES ST. LAWRENCE BETTER AND MAKES HEALTHCARE BETTER IN OUR COMMUNITIES…THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR ORGANIZATIONS AFFORDS STUDENTS THE VERY BEST EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PREPARATION TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXCEPTIONAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN THE NORTH COUNTRY AND BEYOND.

DONNA M. MCGREGOR, President, St. Lawrence Health System and Canton-Potsdam Hospital

“CLARKSON IS A PLACE WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE…CLARKSON IS A SCHOOL WHERE, NO MATTER YOUR MAJOR, OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE ABOUND…WHERE NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, YOU CAN RELY ON FACULTY AND STAFF TO ENSURE YOUR FUTURE IS ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS BEYOND COLLEGE.”

JEFRY A. LOPEZ RINCON ’23 President, Clarkson University Student Association

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Marc and Seema sport their custom Clarkson necktie and scarf.

LOOK GOOD. DO GOOD.

Join Marc and Seema in wearing your Clarkson colors with the extra pride of knowing your purchase is made sustainably in the USA.

Learn more and order your Clarkson tie or scarf at: engage.clarkson.edu/knotty-tie.

True to the Clarkson Values, which together provide a unique educational experience directed toward developing the whole person, any profits from this pop-up sale will help additionally fund Clarkson’s student curricular and co-curricular activities and groups.