Clarkson celebrated Women's Awareness Month in March by co-sponsoring a Culture
Night with the International Students Organization. At that celebration, each ethnic group on
campus was asked to highlight something from their culture that represented the women's
position in that culture. This was followed by hosting an evening of informal discussions with
women from other cultures dealing with such issues as child care, professional development,
and status of women in their countries. China, Bangladesh, India, and several European
countries were represented.
Space Shuttle Experiments.
NASA announced that Clarkson professors had two of the 23
scientific experiments selected for work in the space shuttle's "microgravity" science missions.
Frederick Carlson, MIE, developed a project for space growth of single crystals of
cadmium telluride, an electronic material used to make semiconductors; it was scheduled for
the March 1992 flight.
Shankar Subramanian, chair of chemical engineering, developed a project to measure
the movement of bubbles and drops of liquid from cold to hot regions in the reduced gravity
environment; it could lead to new ways of processing materials in space and on earth. It was
scheduled for October 1992.
MIE to MAE?
Approval was sought from the New York Board of Regents to allow the
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department to offer a major in Aeronautical
Engineering. (See p. 604)
Mini-Baja Car.
Clarkson's Mini-Baja (all-terrain vehicle) was awarded third place in the
eastern region competition. Designed and built by a group of undergraduate students under the
supervision of Francis Badlam, mechanic in the MAE department, this was the third time
Clarkson had entered this competition. (See 1980 and 1993)
Minority Participation.
Increasing minority participation at Clarkson was one of Dr. Richard
Gallagher's critical issues outlined in his inaugural address in fall 1988. During the ensuing
year, the University established a Minority Student Development Office and a Minority
Advisory Committee, both created to assist the University in its efforts to achieve ethnic and
cultural diversity on campus.
In addition to these two efforts, a group of students worked to improve sensitivity to
minority issues through an organization called SPECTRUMM, sponsoring such activities as
Black History Week. These activities added to efforts already in progress in the Minority
Scholars Program, a corporation-funded scholarship program, and the work done with the
Native American community.
Project Areté.
Responding to a plea by industry for future business leaders who bring
humanistic values and insights into the business areas, Clarkson began Project Areté with 13
freshmen in August 1989. This unique double-major option combines a major in management
with one in liberal studies, and adds co-curricular activities intended to produce well-rounded
professionals. The title came from the ancient Greek word
Areté
which captured the essence of
the individual able to met challenges of the future.
Developed by Owen Brady, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Studies, and Michael
Bommer, professor of management, as a means to increase the diversity of the University, this
