Associate professor finds agricultural relevance in artificial intelligence — and a rare sense of place
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Associate professor finds agricultural relevance in artificial intelligence — and a rare sense of place
November 12, 2026
AAuburn Today
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Chris Clemons has spent his life asking questions.
Growing up on a grain and livestock farm in central Illinois, he was fascinated by agriculture and technology. He wanted to know how things worked, why they worked and what might happen if someone tried something different.
His parents even joked that they should’ve named him “Why.”
Decades later, that curiosity drives his work as an associate professor of agricultural education, leadership and communication in Auburn University’s College of Education. Clemons is developing artificial intelligence (AI) applications in agriculture, including two innovations with patent applications, while preparing the next generation to do the same.
Despite his future-focused research, Clemons has never strayed far from his roots.
“I’m an agriculturalist,” he said.
His parents once joked they should have named him “Why.” Decades later, Chris Clemons is still asking questions, and his curiosity is leading to some pretty big ideas in artificial intelligence.
After 14 years teaching high school agriculture, Clemons pursued a career in higher education, eventually arriving at Auburn in 2016.
He’d been interested in Auburn since childhood, partly because its orange and blue reminded him of the University of Illinois.
It wasn’t until a February 2016 interview that Clemons began to understand what made Auburn special.
He’d flown into Atlanta and was exhausted by the time he boarded the shuttle to Auburn. As the vehicle made its way down Thach Avenue, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them, Samford Hall came into view.
Something about the campus immediately felt familiar.
“It was this feeling that this was the right place,” Clemons said. “I couldn’t describe it.”
On the drive back to the airport, Clemons found himself on the shuttle surrounded by Auburn students. The scene stuck with him.
“I remember sitting there watching the kids get on, and I thought, man, I hope I get to come back,” he said.
He did.
A decade later, Auburn is where he’s raising his family and pursuing research he never imagined possible.
Long before developing AI technologies at Auburn, Clemons was a kid watching “Star Wars” at a drive-in with his parents.
The possibilities of science fiction fascinated him. So did computers and the idea that technology could accomplish things people once only imagined.
At Auburn, Clemons teaches and conducts research in agriscience education, leadership and communications. His work increasingly explores how emerging technologies can improve education and help researchers solve complex problems.
One of his innovations, Veri-CAM, began with a problem familiar to researchers everywhere: citations.
Clemons enjoyed doing research but often spent hours making sure his citations accurately corresponded to what he wrote.
Rather than continue doing it manually, he developed algorithms that compare written claims with cited research and flag potential discrepancies for human review.
The name is personal, too. Veri-CAM combines a reference to truth with the name of his 3-year-old son, Cameron.
He also developed Athena, a system that helps researchers organize projects and revisit past work. Its AI companion, Alexandria, identifies connections between old research and new ideas.
Two patent applications are pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, while other innovations are under review by Auburn’s Intellectual Property Exchange.
His career has taken unexpected turns, but Auburn has given him freedom to explore new fields while continuing what started it all: helping people learn.
Big ideas take a team. Auburn College of Education faculty members Chris Clemons (center), James Lindner (second from right) and Jason McKibben (far right) are among those exploring how artificial intelligence can shape the future of research and education.
Despite the complexity of his research, Clemons believes the most important part of AI is the people using it.
He credits his wife, Donna, with keeping him grounded.
“She keeps my head out of the clouds and my feet on the ground,” he said.
Colleagues James Lindner and Jason McKibben also push him to improve.
“Our program, research and teaching are all a team approach,” Clemons said. He describes the program’s research and teaching as a team effort.
In his AI in agricultural education course, students explore real-world applications, the technology’s limitations and why they should question its answers.
His research asks similar questions. In a 2026 study titled “Artificial intelligence in education: Perspectives of secondary teachers,” Clemons and fellow researchers examined what encourages Alabama agricultural educators to use AI and what holds them back.
His students offer fresh perspectives, too.
“They see things through a different lens,” he said.
Their ideas sometimes influence the technologies he’s developing.
Recently selected as an Auburn Research Communications Fellow, Clemons is also working to make his research accessible beyond his field.
No matter how advanced AI becomes, he believes people should remain in charge.
“The human component must remain at the very foundation of any decision, action and direction,” Clemons said.
Chris Clemons already had a doctorate. He didn’t need another diploma.
But two of his children had Auburn diplomas. He wanted one, too.
“I did it because I wanted the experience of being an Auburn student,” Clemons said. “I wanted that pride and that ownership and family.”
He jokes that he couldn’t tell you where some of his other diplomas are. His Auburn diploma? That one’s hanging in his house.
His connection to Auburn also runs through the Creed. Raised by parents who valued hard work and education, Clemons recognized those principles in George Petrie’s words.
“The Creed has always been important to me,” Clemons said. “I try to live up to that every day.”
Now, another Clemons is getting acquainted with the Plains.
His youngest son, 3-year-old Cameron, already recognizes the Auburn logo on his father’s shirts. He knows it’s where dad works.
On Saturdays, Clemons sometimes stops for coffee before taking Cameron by his office, usually to retrieve something Dad forgot during the week.
Auburn has become part of the family’s routine, and that’s exactly how Clemons wants it.
“Donna and I chose to raise our family here, and I chose to let Auburn become part of that family,” he said.
