[1][2] Clemens studied astrophysics at the University of Oklahoma and was the 1995 recipient of the Carl Albert Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.
"[15] He and other faculty were asked by UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp to co-sponsor UNC-Chapel Hill's chapter of Youth for Western Civilization, a now defunct far-right white nationalist organization that was known for its opposition to "radical multiculturalism, socialism, and mass immigration.
[20] The program is held in high regard by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a Project 2025 advisory board member organization.
[21] Clemens was appointed to the position of Provost in December of 2021 in a move described as "shrouded in secrecy" by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio.
[26] Clemens, along with interim chancellor Lee Roberts, approved the violent arrest of Pro-Palestinian student protests despite push-back from faculty and community.