An honours graduate from the Chemical Engineering Technology Program with an overall grade point average of 95%, Earl Clarke received the Mohawk College Gold Medal for academic excellence at the 2005 Winter Convocation. Earl is recognized not only for his outstanding scholastic accomplishments, but for his leadership and citizenship in the College’s Peer Mentoring Program. The most sought-after Peer Mentor in the department, Earl contributed 15-20 hours per week for the last three years, mentoring over 30 students in a variety of courses including General Chemistry, Physics, Electricity and Electronics, Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Mathematics. His involvement in this program was pivotal to the academic success and retention of these students. Mature students and those with learning disabilities were particularly fond of Earl and appreciated his compassionate nature when overcoming learning challenges.

As a co-op student, Earl’s on-the-job performance was of such high calibre that it set a new standard for student achievement. During his first term as a Technologist/Lab Assistant in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Earl contributed significantly to the smooth operation of the teaching labs. His tasks included maintaining and troubleshooting equipment and ensuring the highest safety standards for faculty and students.

At world-renowned Zenon Environmental, Earl was hired for two consecutive terms as a Research & Development Student, working at the company's Membrane Plant in Burlington, Ontario. Membranes produced at this plant are of such superior quality that they are used worldwide to clean water of bacteria, pathogenic microorganisms, metals, and solids. Zenon is currently involved with the largest water company in India and World Vision to deal with the Tsunami crisis in India. At the membrane plant, one of Earl's responsibilities was to make membrane fibres and to perform a series of critical quality tests on the fibres to determine suitability for large-scale production. According to Earl's Supervisor, the quality of his work was exceptional, as evidenced by the fact that Zenon is currently using many of the procedures and techniques that Earl developed.

Earl presented a synopsis of his work at Zenon at two conferences, the Monsaroff Student Paper Night sponsored by the Chemical Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology (CSCT) Conference. Earl was awarded first prize for his presentation at the CSCT Conference.