SUNY Potsdam

Anthony B. Brennan '75, Ph.D.
Sunday, May 20, 2012

WOW! You have no idea what a privilege this is for me – an alumnus of Potsdam, standing here today as your commencement speaker. This is a very special honor that I and my family will always treasure. Thank you President Schwaller, the Trustees, distinguished Faculty and Staff, honored guests, you, the Class of 2012, and finally, my own wonderful students for making this possible.

Thank you, Jason Ladouceur, for seeking me out at the home of Tim Tebow, the University of Florida. To my wonderful family, thank you for your unending support over so many years. 

And finally, I wish to recognize the most special person in my life, my loving wife, my friend, my shepherd and life-long companion – Kathy.  Kathy has supported me through 38 years of marriage and educational

pursuits which began with our first year of marriage here at Potsdam.  I must admit I have trouble recalling speeches at my own commencements of which there have been many. I do, however, recall

what was on my mind during those speeches – where do I go now?

Usually, the commencement speaker was trying to tell us how to succeed. My message to you today is not the secret to success or how to get there. My message to you is – pay attention to the journey.

Robert Frost wrote:

“Somewhere ages and ages hence,
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
Took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Two roads diverged – and you know what? It doesn’t matter which road you take. What matters, is the impact the journey has on YOU and what YOU do with it along the way. Pay attention to the journey.

Many would say that I took the road less traveled. Well, that road has taken me all over the world. And while I am confident that no parent, teacher or advisor would intentionally guide you down the path I took, I can honestly tell you I would do it all over again if given the chance.

Come with me for a moment on a road less traveled.

My road began in Potsdam – right here.

After graduating from a community college, I learned at Potsdam that I can do anything. Here, I overcame my first real educational and economic challenges and something I hope none of you ever experience,

a serious car accident.

I could have given up and gone home. What kept me here was the people at Potsdam – they kept me moving forward. Their guidance and genuine care helped me immensely – this type of support is not usually found in a large academic setting, Potsdam is a special place.

I’m sure each of you graduating today had a point during your four or five or six years at Potsdam when you were unsure of your own path or wanted to quit. The fact that you’re sitting here today, in cap and gown, ready to receive your diploma, is proof positive that YOU DID NOT quit.

In 1974, Kathy and I married. She had just graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh and I was entering my senior year at Potsdam. We were living in an old farmhouse during the toughest and most challenging times. We were poor newlyweds, and I was still in school. That winter Potsdam was on record for being the coldest city in the United States, including Alaska – we’re talking 40 below cold.

Finances were really difficult for us. At the end of spring break, which back then, was an entire month long, we had $5 dollars between us. We didn’t tell anyone, because we wanted to be independent. We were so financially challenged that to this day, Kathy will not eat venison, because it was our main staple that winter. It was served with cheese, which was donated by a friend. It’s safe to say that our diet made ramen noodles look good! Thank goodness for the occasional treat of a Sergi’s pizza roll!

Despite these challenges, Kathy and I look back on this as the first and the very best year of our life together. That year at Potsdam helped us build a rock-solid foundation that has supported us for our 37 years together since.

I mentioned earlier that Potsdam had special people who cared about my success as a student. Take a moment to think of the individuals here who were influential in your own success.  My experience tells me that the impact they had on you during your time here will remain with you – it’s a part of who you have become.

For me, one of those key influences was Dr. Paul Merritt, my professor for Analytical Chemistry. Man, did that guy help me! Although if you asked me at the time, I would have told you the tasks he assigned drove me crazy and made little sense. Amazing what a little time and perspective will do!

Dr. Merritt made us weigh sand in the first two weeks of our labs.  Imagine that, two whole weeks weighing sand! And let me tell you, these were not simple three-hour labs. You had to work until your lab was done and done right by his definition. And be assured, weighing sand is no walk on the beach in Florida!  Sand, as it turns out, is a critical component to our everyday existence.

Raise your hand if you have a cell phone on you right now, better yet, raise your cell phones in the air.

Ok, now take a look at the display, would you believe that screen and the computer chip inside that makes it work are created from sand? In fact, your flat screen tv, windshield on your car, the windows in your home are all made from sand. So weighing sand and understanding its components is actually critical to life as we now know it.

In hindsight, Dr. Merritt taught me the importance of understanding the underlying principles of everything you do. He required us to be careful, meticulous, conscientious, accurate, precise and above all, reliable. The lesson, accuracy matters in life, especially in a lab.

One other professor had an indelible impact upon me while at Potsdam.  Dr. Scott McRobbie instilled in me that you must have a passion and follow it. I’m not sure how it’s done today, but back in my day, yes, I said back in my day, McRobbie held our astronomy labs on top of the Stowell Hall in the middle of the night with temperatures in the teens and single digits. No, this was not some type of hazing ritual, it was his way of sharing his passion for teaching and discovery. Those cold starry nights are among my most memorable from Potsdam.

When I graduated from Potsdam I had a choice to make, the same choice most of you had to make or are still in the process of making. What’s next? This was not an easy choice and I certainly didn’t know if the choice I made was the right one at the time. The decision I had to make was how to further my education – a Master’s degree in Chemistry; enter a PhD program; or pursue an MD. I ultimately elected to pursue my Master’s degree in Chemistry and chose to do so in Rochester. If I’m being 100% honest, Denver was chosen more so because of the great skiing it offered. It’s funny how we sometimes make decisions. 

So, remember what I said earlier? It doesn’t matter which road you take.  What matters, is the impact the journey has on YOU and what YOU do with it along the way. Pay attention to the journey.

Well, Denver offered a number of firsts for me. While developing orthodontic adhesives, it was the first time I truly understood the lessons I learned at Potsdam in Dr. Merritt’s analytical chemistry class. I began my first full-time job and I successfully developed my first product.

In Denver, I began working in bioceramics, searching for a new material to make transparent orthodontic brackets. The result was not one I could have predicted, I developed new dental restorative products and materials for growing bone. Eventually, I managed a company for the Adolf Coors Corporation. Never in a million years did I think I had the skills to manage a company. But you know what? My strong liberal arts education prepared me for a lot of things. And I’m sure being the 6th of 9 children had to have helped in some way.

The road less traveled truly earned its reputation for me when at age 37, when my passion for teaching was flamed by my jobs in research technology. Kathy and I had two children, a great job and a house. We
were happy, but I felt there was more I could be doing. In order to do it, however, I would need to further my education. I approached Kathy about me going back to earn my PhD. She actually said “yes,” but had one very significant stipulation: “You only get 3 years!” Ladies and gentleman, this is what we call REAL MOTIVATION! My friends, by the way, all said I was nuts!

I chose a path, but not my road. I could take the road to my PhD in chemistry or the road in engineering. My thought process at the time was engineering might help me explain so many of the problems I had encountered in materials, but it would be a whole new educational experience. Chemistry, on the other hand, would be quite reasonable because of my background that began here in Potsdam.  Ultimately, I chose the engineering path for the challenge of learning to think differently. This of course was the more difficult path, which also required me to take undergraduate courses. And yes, for those of you still with me, I was able to complete my dissertation in my allotted 3 years!

It doesn’t matter which road you take. What matters, is the impact the journey has on YOU and what YOU do with it along the way. Pay attention to the journey.

Since earning my PhD, I have continued my research at the University of Florida in bioadhesion. This has led me to ask questions about cells and why they select the various surfaces they attach to.

Allow me to share with you what I have developed and, quite honestly, why I was given the honor of addressing you today without getting too technical.

By studying how and why cells attach to various surfaces, I developed a product that is a bioinspired pattern that imitates the denticles or teethlike scales of shark skin.

So, who cares, right? What is this guy talking about, right? Well, the teeth-like scales found on shark skin that I have been able to imitate on various surfaces render this piece of plastic essentially germ-free without the use of chemicals – it’s all about the pattern. This product is called Sharklet.

So, what does this mean to all of you?

Well, this pattern inhibits the attachment and spread of bacteria on surfaces, including the bacteria that cause MRSA infections, which arecaused by the most prevalent antibiotic resistant bacteria Staphylococcusaureus. 

At present time, my company is studying Sharklet’s ability to reduce the transfer of bacteria between people and surfaces in hospitals. We hope to be testing our Foley urinary catheters in clinics by the end of this year in Europe. In fact, we are in discussions with Potsdam to make our product available for use in high-touch areas to reduce the spread of germs and bacteria.

Those of you using those sand based smartphones, can visit our website at www.sharklet.com to learn how we are patterning medical products and surfaces to make us all safer.

It doesn’t matter which road you take. What matters, is the impact the journey has on YOU and what YOU do with it along the way. Pay attention to the journey.

Who knew 37 years later, my road would take me all the way back to Potsdam, where it all began? Through the years, I have paid great attention to my journey, some of which I have shared with you today.  The impact of what I have experienced has shaped how I see the world, do my work, and love my family. My road has been filled with hard work, some disappointments, great challenges and wonderful successes.  The road I have taken and my journey to date, have formed me into who I am today.

In a few moments, each of you will be called upon to walk across this stage to receive your diploma. Your family and friends will applaud and cheer you on. Be confident in your abilities. Your degree represents far more than the completion of the required courses, it is symbolizes your potential and opportunity to succeed. Success, however, depends upon you and how you use the knowledge gained here.

And remember, it doesn’t matter which road you take. What matters, is the impact the journey has on YOU and what YOU do with it along the way. Pay attention to your journey.

Congratulations and God bless you all.