Clemson University faculty have named Joseph Ryan one of the very best at the University by awarding him the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence.
The award, endowed by the Class of 1939 to commemorate its 50th anniversary in 1989, is presented annually to one distinguished faculty member whose outstanding contributions for a five-year period have been judged by peers to represent the highest service achievement to the student body, University and the larger community.
Ryan is the Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professor in Clemson University’s College of Education. He is the founder and executive director of the ClemsonLIFE™ (Learning is for Everyone) program, one of the nation’s premier post-secondary education programs for young adults with intellectual disabilities. The program’s success has led to ClemsonLIFE mentoring over 100 colleges and universities across the globe to help open or expand a similar program on their campuses.
“Dr. Ryan exemplifies Clemson University’s mission to serve students and our state. His visionary leadership in creating ClemsonLIFE has transformed opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and his scholarship and advocacy have influenced policy at the highest levels. The Class of ’39 Award for Excellence is a fitting recognition of his extraordinary impact on our campus and beyond and we are proud to celebrate this honor.”
College of Education Dean Kristin Gehsmann
Ryan was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Ireland in 2024 and has over 100 scholarly publications. He has served as editor of the journal Beyond Behavior for the past 12 years and his research on crisis interventions (e.g. restraint, seclusion, school resource officers) has led to the development of numerous state policies and guidelines in states such as Louisiana, South Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as proposed federal legislation. He has drafted multiple expert opinions for federal court rulings which directly impacted the safety of students from minority groups and those with disabilities and given three U.S. Congressional briefings on behavioral crisis interventions for schools.
Ryan is also the founder and director of several adaptive sports programs (baseball, soccer), the Clemson Letterbox Club (an educational program for children in foster care), and volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. He is a retired Captain in the United States Navy Reserve and proudly serves as faculty advisor and instructor for the Clemson University Flying Club, which is the oldest in the nation.
Antonis Katsiyannis, who nominated Ryan, noted his exceptional record of interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of special education, his rigorous teaching and student mentorship efforts and his wide range of activities in the community and University on behalf of Clemson.
“His sustained superior performance and esteemed accomplishments have brought great credit upon himself and Clemson University,” Katsiyannis wrote. “Dr. Ryan embodies the spirit of excellence and altruism displayed by the great Class of ’39.”
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Class of ’39 Award, especially given that the members of this class exemplify the principle of serving others for the greater good,” said Ryan. “I can only hope that my contributions to Clemson University and the larger community through my teaching, scholarship and service over the last 20 years could be considered worthy to be a part of this distinguished community of honorees.”
The Class of ’39 reception honoring Ryan will be held December 16.
