Clarkson University President Tony Collins Elected to Board of New York State Smart Grid Consortium

• by Clarkson University

POTSDAM, NY (03/19/2010)(readMedia)-- Clarkson University President Tony Collins has been elected to the board of directors of the New York State Smart Grid Consortium.

Clarkson is a member of the consortium, which is a not-for-profit, public service partnership founded to promote broad statewide implementation of a safe, secure and reliable smart electric power grid.

"Our university has a strong history of power engineering, as well as a longtime partnership with National Grid, whose former executive director, Robert Catell, is chairman of the consortium," said Collins. "It makes good sense for us to be involved in a consortium promoting an issue that is so critical to our state's citizens and its economy."

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, he serves as the president of the Seaway Private Equity Corporation that invests in new technology companies based in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., and on the board of the Solar Energy Consortium, which mobilizes related resources in New York state.

He is also the vice chair of New York's Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities and the chair of the national Association of Independent Technological Universities' public relations committee. Collins serves on the boards of the Business Council of New York State, the Central New York Metropolitan Development Authority, the Essential New York Initiative, the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center, the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environment and Energy Systems, and on the board of advisors of Sriya Innovations, Inc.

The New York State Smart Grid Consortium is the only organization of its scale in the United States that is committed to representing all major contributors across the smart grid chain -- from utilities, market operators, industry, to academia, government and end-users. It collectively harnesses the unique resources of New York State to help define and achieve its strategic smart grid vision. For more information, see http://nyssmartgrid.com .

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in six alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.

[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/tcollins.jpg .]