Clarkson employee getting Ph.D. from Japan in the mail

POTSDAM — Dana M. Barry won't be walking up to the podium on Friday to receive her doctoral degree in engineering.

Instead, she'll be receiving it by air mail from Japan.

A week before the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, Mrs. Barry received word that her Ph.D. thesis had been approved by the chemistry department at Osaka University in Osaka, Japan.

She had hoped to travel there this week to attend her graduation ceremony, but decided against making flight plans after the magnitude 9 earthquake struck Japan.

"They're in a disaster situation right now and I would be putting myself at risk," Mrs. Barry said. "They also feel responsible for U.S. visitors and they have enough to worry about right now."

Although Osaka is in southern Japan and avoided damage, she said that flying into Tokyo is risky because the city has experienced rolling energy blackouts since the earthquake.

Over the past decade, Mrs. Barry has traveled to Japan five times as a visiting professor and distinguished speaker.

She is employed by Clarkson University as a senior technical writer and editor for the university's Center for Advanced Materials Processing.

Her connection with Japan dates back to 2002, when a Japanese science educator named Hideyuki Kanematsu wanted to learn more about the creative methods she had developed to teach science lessons to young children as well as college students. They met during an on-line chemistry conference.

Since then the two have co-authored two problem-solving science books designed to teach science in a fun, creative way for students. The two paperback books are written in both Japanese and English.

To win approval, her doctoral thesis had to be approved by all 50 engineering professors at Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering, she said.

"They vote by paper ballot. You have to have 100 percent approval. If one person did not approve my paper, I would not be awarded the Ph.D.," Mrs. Barry said.

She also holds master's degrees in education and chemistry, as well as a doctorate in education and an honorary doctorate in science education.