Clarkson University Bestows Top Young Alumni Award on Six Graduates

Potsdam, NY (07/18/2022) — Eric G. Eckhardt of Framingham, Mass., Tim R. Monaco of Baldwinsville, N.Y., Gabriel A. Perez of Sonoma, Calif., Aaron D. Tandy of Depew, N.Y., Joshua J. Fogarty of Frenchtown, N.J., and Kara E. Tompkins of Redfield, N.Y., have all received the Woodstock Award from their alma mater, Clarkson University.

Given each year during Reunion Weekend, the Woodstock Award honors young alumni who have demonstrated outstanding loyalty and service to Clarkson and the Alumni Association and who have used their Clarkson experience to make a notable contribution to their careers.

Eric Eckhardt
Eric G. Eckhardt received his BS in Computer Engineering, with Distinction, from Clarkson in 2002. Eric is an Honors Program graduate and was involved with the Physics Team Design program and The Clarkson Integrator.

Currently, Eric is an Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Technologies, focusing on advanced technology development. He has extensive experience covering power, RF, software and firmware design for the military and commercial sectors.

Eric has volunteered for the FIRST Robotics program for nearly 15 years at over 100 events in New York state and the Northeast, including many events put on by Clarkson University to support local teams.

He resides in Framingham, Massachusetts, with his wife, Kimberly Eckhardt '02 (Electrical Engineering), and two daughters.

Timothy Monaco
Timothy R. Monaco received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson in 2007. He was active in the SPEED Baja Team, the Outing Club and the co-op program and participated in the exchange program at the University of Technology Sydney.

His career has focused on equipment and system design and manufacturing, supporting the aerospace, marine and energy industries. He worked for the Department of Defense at Norfolk Naval Shipyard before joining Ramboll. Currently, Tim serves as Engineering Program Lead and Project Manager for Ramboll's advanced manufacturing division.

Tim is a Legion and Loyal donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild and serves as the co-president, along with his wife, Beth (Greene) Monaco '07, of the Central New York alumni chapter.

He resides in Baldwinsville, New York, with Beth and their three children, Annie, Joey and Steven.

Gabriel Perez
Gabriel A. Perez received an AA in Liberal Arts from the College of Marin in 2004 and his BS in Marketing Management from Siena College in 2006. He got his MBA from Clarkson in 2007.

Gabe is currently the Vice President of Strategy at Coupa. He is a co-patent holder on Coupa Supplier Actionable Notifications and has worn various hats in multiple roles. In a company of less than 50, Gabe was instrumental as part of the team that enabled Coupa to become a unicorn company and one of the best-performing SaaS companies in the market.

Gabe served on Clarkson's School of Business Rising Leaders Council.

He resides in Sonoma, California, with his wife, Danielle, and four children - Channing (11), Kingston (9), Beckham (5) and Sloane (1).

Aaron Tandy
Aaron D. Tandy received his BS in Chemistry in 2007 and his MS in Chemistry in 2010 from Clarkson. He stays actively involved with Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity, serving on its Alumni Board since graduation.

Aaron heads operations for a contractor/developer in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area. He is involved with local chemical and energy production facilities and oversees development in the education and private sectors.

He is active with his local fire department, works with the Freemasons and volunteers in Niagara Falls with the aquarium and tourism board.

Aaron is a Loyal donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild and a former Clarkson Alumni Council and Greek Alumni Council member.

Aaron resides in Depew, New York.

Joshua Fogarty
Joshua J. Fogarty received his BS in Information Systems and Business Processes at Clarkson in 2012 and his MS in Engineering Management from Clarkson in 2015. He was involved in Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Sigma Chi Fraternity and the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship. Josh received the Clarkson Alumni Association Ambassador of the Year Award in 2011 and joined Phalanx in 2012.

Currently, Josh is the IT Senior Manager at Johnson & Johnson and is responsible for worldwide digitization and automation of MedTech regulatory processes.

Josh was instrumental in making Cold Out Gold Out (COGO) an annual tradition. He served on the Alumni Council and the School of Business Rising Leaders Council.

He resides in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

Kara Tompkins
Kara E. (St. John) Tompkins '12 received her BS in Interdisciplinary Social Science at Clarkson in 2012 and her Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from SUNY at Stony Brook in 2016. Currently, she is working toward her Master of Public Administration at Syracuse University.

She was a member of the Clarkson University Student Association, Clarkson Union Board and Delta Zeta sorority and was featured in Delta Zeta National's 35 Under 35 in 2021.

Kara is currently the Director of Digital Fundraising and Analysis at Syracuse University and is actively involved in organizing the Northeast Annual Giving Conference and in other professional networks.

Kara is a Loyal donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild and a former Alumni Council member. She is a past Collegiate Chapter Director for the Xi Rho Chapter of Delta Zeta at Clarkson University.She resides in Redfield, New York, with her husband, Matthew Tompkins '12, and daughters, Mackenzie and Madison. Matthew and Kara are both deeply involved in the local community. Kara serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the Redfield Volunteer Fire Company Inc. and is secretary for the organization. Kara was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2017 and Firefighter of the Year for 2021.

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