SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – During Evangel University’s homecoming celebration, Oct. 9-11, Dr. John Clements will be recognized as the Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2014. He was a pre-med major at Evangel and graduated in 2002.
The award presentation will be made during a noon luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the University Plaza Convention Center.
Clements recently returned to the U.S. after serving for 18 months in Angola, Africa, as a medical missions ophthalmologist. While there he established an ocular surgery training program for Angolan nationals, treated complex corneal disease, cataracts and ocular surface tumors, and performed over 9,000 ocular surgeries.
Upon returning to the U.S., he moved his family to Oregon, where he now serves as an assistant professor for Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Clements is board certified and specializes in cornea and refractive surgery.
John and his wife, Lori Dollar, were both members of Evangel’s class of 2002. They have three sons.
A focus on medical missions
Clements felt led to enroll at Evangel University as a biology major after traveling overseas for a service trip to Calcutta, India, when he was 18. This service trip changed his life, and he knew Evangel University was the institution to attend in order to pursue his calling.
As an undergraduate student at EU, Clements had the opportunity to go to Bolivia on a service trip.
“I learned while at Evangel that no matter what our professions, we all are called to be a part of the larger redemptive purposes that God has for this world,” Clements said.
After graduating from Evangel in 2002, Clements attended medical school at the University of Nebraska. Following graduation from there in 2006, he did his residency in ophthalmology at Loyola University in Chicago.
Next he completed a fellowship in cornea transplantation and refractive surgery at The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at the Harvard School of Medicine in 2011.
When he finished his studies, Clements reflected on his service trip to Bolivia. He made the decision to move with his wife, Lori (Dollar) and children to Angola to serve as a medical missions ophthalmologist. Lori is a 2002 graduate of Evangel’s journalism program.
“I learned quickly that a man alone will quickly be overcome, but a cord of three is not easily broken. Partnerships are vital,” he said of his time in Angola. “Through building long-lasting relationships with international partners, I will continue fighting against preventable blindness on a global scale.”
Three additional alumni awards are being given during this year’s homecoming celebration, and the recipients are chosen by the Evangel University Alumni Association board:
- Evangel Distinguished Alumnus — Dr. Candance Wicke
- CBC Distinguished Alumnus — Rev. Jimmy Jack
- CBC Outstanding Young Alumnus — Rev. Bobby Hawk