Clarkson University to award two honorary degrees

POTSDAM — Clarkson University will award honorary degrees to Ray C. Anderson and Sophie V. Vandebroek at the school's 115th commencement today.

Mr. Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface Inc., will receive an honorary doctor of science degree "for his exceptional career achievements and his pioneering role in advocating change in corporate culture, for incorporating sustainability into management and manufacturing practices, and for exemplifying the ideal of technology serving humanity."

Mr. Anderson has been called the "greenest chief executive in America." By combining a dedication to environmentalism and an instinct for corporate success, he has demonstrated that being green can be good for big business.

He transformed a startup carpeting business he founded in Georgia in 1973 into a billion-dollar-a-year global company. Today, Interface is the worldwide leader in the production and sales of modular and broadloom carpet, with manufacturing locations on four continents and offices in more than 100 countries.

Mr. Anderson turned his zeal for enterprise into a passion for sustainability in the 1990s, which has transformed Interface into a world leader in industrial ecology. Under his direction, Interface introduced waste reduction, waste water recycling, and energy efficiency measures that have significantly reduced the company's use of fossil fuels, cut water use by one-third and cut down on Interface's contribution to landfills worldwide by 80 percent.

In 2007, he was named one of Time Magazine's "Heroes of the Environment." He was named co-chairman of President Bill Clinton's Sustainable Development Council in 1997.

Ms. Vandebroek, Xerox chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree "for her successful, career-long effort to pioneer innovative research for a changing global marketplace, and her personal commitment to developing the next generation of technology leaders."

She has dedicated a significant part of her life to pioneering research resulting in innovative products and services for a global marketplace, while helping to shape the next generation of technological leaders and innovators.

She is responsible for overseeing Xerox's worldwide research centers and for maximizing the company's returns on investments in research and technology. Before her current position, she was chief engineer of Xerox Corp. and vice president of the Xerox Engineering Center.

As chief engineer, she was responsible for coordinating Xerox's engineering efficiency and effectiveness, a period during which Xerox refreshed more than 95 percent of its office product line and launched its flagship iGen3 Digital Production Press.

Ms. Vandebroek holds 12 U.S. patents and has received numerous awards for her professional contributions. She is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, a Fulbright Fellow, the 2004 winner of the Positive Difference Award from the Women's Alliance at Xerox and the 2005 winner of the Rochester Engineer of the Year Award.

A strong commitment to inspire children, and especially women and minorities, to aspire to careers in science and engineering is reflected in Ms. Vandebroek's involvement in and support of professional educational outreach programs, including FIRST robotics, the Xerox National Inventor Competition program and the "By Kids For Kids" Invention Competition.