EVERYDAY HERO: Retired NSU prof stays busy with volunteer work
Jul. 19—Even after his retirement as a Northeastern State University biology professor, Dr. Craig Clifford, has stayed busy with volunteer work in Tahlequah.
The New Orleans, Louisiana, native came to Tahlequah in 1985 to accept a position at NSU.
"It was my first round of looking for jobs, and I had never been to Oklahoma before, except maybe traveling through it. But then I found Tahlequah. ... It became home pretty quickly," said Clifford.
Clifford said he had not been at NSU long when he found the Oklahoma Academy of Science, which became a vital part of the biologist's professional development.
Since Clifford had a speciality in physiology, he often helped his students find their way to medical school and into other careers that revolved around the body.
Clifford was the type of person who gave advice and mentored students, so this became an important part of his career.
While at NSU, Clifford held several positions, including the OAS president, faculty counsel president, and dean of the College of Science and Health Professions for four years.
Clifford said he know he has made an impact on his students' lives, as he sees some of them from time to time when he goes to the doctor or dentist.
"I've been on the operating room table, looking at former students, so I know I've had an impact," said Clifford. "I've been very healthy. I haven't had a lot of things done, but when you actually are talking to your former students while they're prepping you for a procedure, it's pretty motivating."
Clifford retired from NSU in 2019, but he got his start in teaching during his graduate work at Louisiana State University, where the first class he taught had 337 students. After seeing students get excited about different aspects Clifford was teaching, he decided to enter the education field.
"When I was a child, I was on the shy, retiring side, and I think teaching was a way into that," said Clifford. "You get to stand up and talk in front of people about something you know about, and share that, and you don't have to be shy about it."
Over the years, Clifford has gotten progressively more involved with the community through various organizations, including the Tahlequah Community Playhouse, Tahlequah Area Habitat for Humanity, the Tahlequah Kiwanis Club, and Feed My Sheep.
With his various roles in these organizations, including being season manager of TCP, Clifford has helped many local residents — from being part of the building team for the first 24 houses with Habitat for Humanity, to sponsoring the Little Olympics with the Kiwanis Club.
One of the most recent major projects on which Clifford has been working is being president of the Tahlequah Mission Park Project. Here and elsewhere, he tries to set an example.
"You can't do things and begrudge other people for not doing things. You have to do it for your own personal reasons," said Clifford. "Just like if I see a piece of trash, and it doesn't look too gross, I'll pick it up. If I see a weed that I'm pretty sure is going to be easy to pull out of a flower bed — either somebody's old flower bed, personal flower bed, or a city flower bed — I'll pull it. I think we all have our own goalposts and needs, and to fulfill those needs, I think you have to take your own personal responsibility and make things happen."
Clifford said there is always a need for volunteers at every organization, and he hopes others get involved in an organization that fits them.
The retired NSU professor said he also hopes all his former students are happy in their current careers.
