Wonderful professor, class is so interesting and you learn so much. Prof Kelly is very caring, funny, knowledgable and passionate. Weekly discussions w/ interesting readings. Lectures very engaging and clear. Discussion was actually interesting and helpful to understanding of content. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this class!!!!Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Clay Kelly
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Dr. Kelly is a great guy and very approachable if you need help on anything. Tests can be hit or miss but he is funny during lecture and really cares about all his students.Rate My Professors ↗
Dr. Kelly was a great teacher in this class, his lectures were quite interesting but definitely content heavy. He graded quite fairly and gives good feedback on what was correct and where you go wrong on an assignment. i would highly suggest taking a classes with Dr. Kelly at least once as they lay a good ground work for what a class should be.Rate My Professors ↗
He is very knowledgable, and engaging during lectures, and often wants participation. He grades somewhat hard, however he is available and willing to help outside of class, and is very flexible to help with the difficult class material. Very good professor.Rate My Professors ↗
Dr. Kelly is a great lecturer who is both extremely passionate about paleoceanography and has a good sense of humor. Though the content material is dense and can be difficult, Clay is accessible to students and does his best to explain and provide good feedback on assignments.Rate My Professors ↗
Amazing lecturer-- super caring and explicit about the expectations for the class. Homework usually consisted of one or two readings along with a weekly quiz, which were extremely manageable. The course grade is primarily based on exams, but they are multiple choice and fairly easy if you attend lecture and pay attention.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Clay Kelly
Directed Study
1–3 creditsGEOSCI 199 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent research or study arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleSenior Honors Thesis
3 creditsGEOSCI 681 is a senior mentored study course for students completing theses for Honors in the Major.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
Senior Thesis
3–4 creditsGEOSCI 691 is a mentored individual research course for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
Senior Thesis
3–4 creditsGEOSCI 692 is a mentored individual research course for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleDirected Study
1–6 creditsGEOSCI 699 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent research or study arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleAdvanced Topics in Geology
1–3 creditsGEOSCI 875 covers advanced and special topics in geology and geoscience for graduate students.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2016: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Fall 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2024: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=9 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Research
1–12 creditsGEOSCI 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised independent study projects.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
Covers the evolutionary history, morphology, and ecology of fossil invertebrates with lab-based fossil identification.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.47 GPA, 78.9% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleRecorded teaching history
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 199 | Directed Study |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 681 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 691 | Senior Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 692 | Senior Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 699 | Directed Study |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 875 | Advanced Topics in Geology |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 990 | Research |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI/ZOOLOGY 542 | Invertebrate Paleontology |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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