Ron Clifton is the retired associate vice president of Stetson University and retired counselor in the Senior Foreign Service of the United States. During twenty-five years in the diplomatic service, he served in Calcutta, New Delhi, Tunis, Dublin, Brussels, London, and Washington D.C. in public affairs and educational and cultural positions. From 1997 until 2005, he was an associate vice president at Stetson University and the founding director of the Stetson University Campus and Center in Celebration, Florida. As such, he was responsible for promoting professional development of educators and the use of best practices and technology in the classroom. He has been an adjunct professor in the American Studies Department of Stetson University since 1996, where he has taught courses related to American culture, foreign policy, and the impact of America abroad. In 2018, Ron received Stetson University's Distinguished Service Award at Stetson's Homecoming Awards Celebration, in recognition of his academic and professional contributions. He was the founder and former director of the American Studies Center of Salzburg Global Seminar, between 1994 and 1996. Prior to entering the Foreign Service, he received a bachelor's degree in history, economics, and political science, and a master's degree in American studies from Stetson University; and a master's degree, and Ph.D. in American civilization and comparative cultural studies from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. In recognition of Ron Clifton's decades of extraordinary support for American Studies programs at the Salzburg Global Seminar, the Seminar established in 2018 the Ron Clifton Lecture in American Studies. Going forward, one lecture at each American Studies program will be designated the Ron Clifton Lecture. The Inaugural Lecturer in 2018 was Christopher Bigsby. In 2019 the Ron Clifton Lecturer, Reinhard Heinisch, will be speaking on Questions of Lost Trust, Alternative Facts, Verification and Validity in America. Ron is a member of the SSASA Advisory Board and has served on the faculty of numerous sessions.