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Former Cushing Academy Teacher Grant Geske to Receive Clarkson University Inspirational Educator Award

Potsdam, NY (04/28/2017) — As a STEM innovator and science instructor at Cushing Academy, Grant Geske of St. Johnsbury, Vt., taught students how to think rather than what to think.

Geske is one of three recipients of this year's Clarkson University Inspirational Educator Awards.

Now the director of SEO and digital analytics at Carnegie Communications, Geske was nominated by former student Nate Hurwitz of New Salem, Mass., a senior global supply chain management major at Clarkson. The award will be presented during Clarkson's commencement weekend activities.

Each year, Clarkson asks its seniors to nominate the educators who have significantly affected their lives and helped guide their higher education and career decisions. The award recognizes these educators for their lasting impact on their students and in their fields of education.

Early in the spring term, graduating seniors submit their reasons for choosing their nominees, how they influenced them and actual situations in which they showed themselves to be outstanding educators.

Hurwitz said as a student at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., Geske taught him and his classmates how to be innovative and allowed them the freedom to learn through exploration.

"He was a teacher that taught us how to 'think,' rather than just memorize," Hurwitz said. "He gave us the opportunity to ask 'why' in his chemistry class and encouraged us to not be satisfied with an answer that was, 'Just because that's the way it is.'

"This encouragement to question the norm was what led me to becoming a business, and, furthermore, a supply chain major at college. He taught me how to look at processes, look for discrepancies or areas that could use improvement, and then the process in which to follow to break down redundancies and create an overall more streamlined experience. That's the way that I see supply chain now. Rather than just accepting what other people tell us is the right way to do things, Dr. G supported those that questioned and then showed us steps to improve any process, both inside and outside of chemistry."

Hurwitz said Geske deserves this award for encouraging him to develop his leadership skills through starting a mountain biking club at Cushing Academy and inspiring a passion for innovation and technology. Geske created a touchscreen table for his class in 2011, which allowed him to display content in new and interactive ways.

"How I think on a daily basis inside the classroom and also how I am able to lead in various clubs and organizations across campus can be attributed to your encouragement to constantly innovate and by supporting me to be inquisitive and not be satisfied with a simple answer," Hurwitz said. "Thanks for making it cool to be a geek. I know that you shrug off building the touchscreen tables back in high school, but they have encouraged me to think of innovations on a daily basis."

Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through more than 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, 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 innovation with enterprise.

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