CADC Alumni Recognized for Service to Others

Compiled by the Young Alumni Council, the list recognizes young alumni for their extraordinary accomplishments, professional achievement and distinguished service to others, making an impact in their respective industries, fields and communities while upholding the Auburn Creed.

The 2025 20 Under 40 List recognizes Rob Clifton, a 2011 graduate of the McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI), and Michael O’Key, a 2019 graduate of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture’s (APLA) Environmental Design program.

Rob Clifton ‘11

Clifton currently serves as the state representative for the 131^st District in the Georgia House of Representatives and sits on Georgia’s committees for Transportation, Economic Development and Tourism and Interstate Cooperation.

Using the skills he gained in BSCI, Clifton has been a member of Clifton Construction in Augusta, Ga., for the past nine years. He has served as CEO since 2021, doubling the size of the company, tripling its project capacity, achieving 500% growth in revenue and facilitating the opening of a new office in Columbia, South Carolina.

“As a third-generation Auburn alumnus and the son of a Building Science graduate, Auburn was always destined to be my home for higher learning,” Clifton said. “The building science program at Auburn is truly unmatched, providing me with the knowledge and skills to succeed quickly after graduation.”

“I am deeply grateful for my Auburn education and strongly encourage anyone pursuing a career in construction to consider Auburn as the best preparation for the real-world challenges of our industry,” he continued.

Michael O’Key ‘19

O’Key is a two-time graduate of Auburn University, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design in CADC and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration in the College of Liberal Arts. He is currently a dual doctoral candidate at Stanford University and a juris doctorate candidate at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.

O’Key’s interdisciplinary research focuses on education policy, juvenile justice reform and equitable systems, working to develop education access for incarcerated youth, reentry pathways and civil rights protections through policy reform.

“CADC and the Environmental Design program taught me to not to shy away from ambiguity, but to see it as an exciting space for creativity and possibility—a perspective I still carry with me today,” O’Key said, noting that the support of the faculty allowed him to pursue a unique double major, think across disciplines and prepare for a master’s degree in urban planning. “Just as meaningful, I made lifelong friends there who, despite finding success in a range of fields and places, remain closely connected and grounded in our shared time at Auburn.”