Robert Clifford has been a member of the Oregon State University staff since October of 2001, serving as the director of student affairs for the football and men’s basketball programs. He also directs the student-athlete wellness and welfare programs and is a special advisor to Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis.
Clifford began his professional career in 1976 as a consultant for the Boston Public Schools integration program. He later would work with the Michigan Student Outreach Association and as a volunteer writing teacher in the Federal Correctional Facility in Milan, Mich. During this time frame he also was employed by the Community Corrections Resource Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., as a research coordinator under a Federal grant. He was the Director of Research on a project for CCRP which developed an implemented a Federal alternative correctional facility for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of Eagle Butte, South Dakota.
In 1977 Clifford worked for The Center for Educational Services (Upward Bound) at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. He then returned to the University of Michigan to graduate and then be employed through 1997. He served as the associate director and coordinator of academic programs, and supervised 30 support staff. He designed and implemented an academic program for over 600 student-athletes and monitored compliance of Big Ten and NCAA regulations. He had direct responsibility for football, ice hockey and the men’s basketball programs. During his Michigan tenure he also served as an administrative assistant in the department of housing and served as admissions officer for residential college minority recruitment.
Clifford was the director of university relations and team sports for Olsher Sports International in 1997. He moved to Continental Sports Management LLC and from 1998-2000, serving as the Director of Operations.
In 2000 Clifford moved to Florida Atlantic University where he was coordinator of academic programs and university relations, as well as, assistant to the director of football operations. He also served as administrative liaison to the director of athletics, the office of the Provost, undergraduate programs, admissions, the office of the Vice President, the faculty representative and office of student affairs.
Clifford is a 1979 graduate of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing with a concentration in literature and social science. In 1974 he was the first recipient of the A. Corrella Haglund Culture and Fine Arts award from Framingham State College. In 1977 he received the Avery Hopwood Award for poetry from The University of Michigan and the Charles C. Ely Academic Scholarship from the First Boston Corporation. In 1980 he was named the Poet in Residence Award for the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor and a guest poet at the International Poetry Workshop at the University of Michigan. In 1980 the Monthly Detroit Magazine named him one of the “80 Outstanding People to Watch in the 80s.”
Clifford is a published writer and poet. His works include The Odd Ones Sat in Front (Express Press), Pardon Me Your Honor (Crowfoot Press), Edited Trains 1 & 2 (Residential College Magazine), Robert E. Clifford and William Milroy Poems (Canterbury House Press) and Socialization of A Young Man. In addition Clifford has a forthcoming book of poems titled Going Home Hollow Dreams Being Home.
Clifford’s family resides in Florida.
