POTSDAM – U.S. Army Major Dennis Sugrue will deliver the Van Sickle Endowed Lecture as Clarkson University celebrates the start of the 2010-2011 academic year with a convocation on Monday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. in Cheel Arena. This event is free and open to the public.

Sugrue will focus on his time in northeastern Afghanistan in 2006-2007 and discuss the challenges of development in developing nations, including those unique to combat zones.

Immediately after the convocation, Clarkson students will present displays and demonstrations of tea ceremonies from Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Japan.

Major Sugrue, an engineer, served with the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum from 2004-2007. Deployed to northeastern Afghanistan as part of “Operation Enduring Freedom,” he helped create a civil development program that addressed humanitarian concerns in Kunar and Nuristan Provinces.

Civil work projects he focused on developed water resources, improved road networks and delivered electricity to remote villages.

Sugrue is on a three-year assignment teaching environmental engineering at West Point.

For more information, contact Christina Lesyk, director of university events, at 268-6425.