Clifford Blizard, PhD

Dr. Clifford Blizard is the Honors Program Chair as well as the Scientific Reasoning Competency Chair in the Academic Engagement Center in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arizona Global Campus. He is also Co-Chair of the Honors Program Advisory Board and member of the UAGC Institutional Review Board. He holds a doctorate in Environmental Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, a Master’s degree in Geology from Colorado State University, a Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Technology from Purdue Global, a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Carleton College, and an Elementary I Montessori teaching certification from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. Dr. Blizard has been an educator for over two decades, working with students from age 3 through PhD. His experience in the environmental field includes serving on the board of Community Science Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization supporting volunteer water monitoring projects in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, as well as serving as board member and chair of the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board, an advisory group on environmental issues to the Town of Ithaca Board. He currently serves on the Parks Commission for the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, and volunteers for the Citizens Climate Lobby. He has taught all the UAGC Honors Program courses, as well as classes in earth science, environmental science, and sustainability at a number of online universities. His research interests include exploring ways to promote transformative learning experiences in the online classroom and Honors Program curriculum design. Dr. Blizard joined the University of Arizona Global Campus as an adjunct faculty member in 2013 and was appointed to a full-time position in 2016. He continues to appreciate the University of Arizona Global Campus commitment to innovation in online education and emphasis on providing students with a firm foundation in general education as a component of their degree program. He is an enthusiastic lifelong learner who shares the love of discovering new things with his students. Dr. Blizard lives just outside the Atlanta metro region of Georgia with his wife Valerie and an assortment of animals, including frogs, turtles, and axolotls. His other interests include iPhone nature photography and reading the works of obscure nature writers from America and Great Britain active between 1850 and 1945. He shares his reflections on these writings at www.commonplacenature.org