Historical instructor

CLAY KELLY

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.45/5 from 44 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
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 ↗
GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
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 ↗
GEOSCI 551
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
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 ↗
GEOSCI 551
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
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 ↗
GEOSCI 551
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
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 ↗
GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
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

GEOSCI 110

Evolution and Extinction

4 credits

Covers the origin and diversification of life, evolutionary processes, and crises such as mass extinctions and Earth-life co-evolution.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Clay Kelly

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2021–Spring 2026
GEOSCI 990

Research

1–12 credits

GEOSCI 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised independent study projects.

No offering record · Spring 2026

Shanan PetersClay Kelly+16 more

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2026GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2025GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2025GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2025GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2025GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2025GEOSCI 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2025GEOSCI 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2025GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Spring 2025GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2024GEOSCI 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2024GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2024GEOSCI/ZOOLOGY 542Invertebrate Paleontology
Spring 2024GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2024GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Spring 2024GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2023GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2023GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2023GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2023ATMOCN/GEOSCI 105Survey of Oceanography
Spring 2023GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2023GEOSCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2023GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2022GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2022GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2022GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2022GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2022GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2021GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2021GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2020GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2020GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2020GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2020GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2020GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Fall 2019GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Spring 2019GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2019GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2019GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2018GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2018GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2018GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2018GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2018GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2018GEOSCI 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2018GEOSCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2018GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2017GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2017GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2017GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2017GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2017GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2017GEOSCI 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2017GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2016GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2016GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2016GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2016GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2016GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Spring 2016GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2016GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Spring 2016GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2015GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2015GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2015GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2015GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2015GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2015GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Spring 2015GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2014GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2014GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2014GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2014ATMOCN/GEOSCI 105Survey of Oceanography
Spring 2014GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2014GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Spring 2014GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2013GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2013GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Fall 2013GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2013GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2013GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2013GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2012GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Fall 2012GEOSCI 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2012GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2012GEOSCI 999Advanced Independent Reading
Spring 2012GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2012GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2011ATMOCN/GEOSCI 105Survey of Oceanography
Fall 2011GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Spring 2011GEOSCI 204Geologic Evolution of the Earth
Spring 2011GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Spring 2011GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2010ATMOCN/GEOSCI 105Survey of Oceanography
Fall 2010GEOSCI 990Research
Spring 2010GEOSCI 304Geobiology
Spring 2010GEOSCI 551Paleoceanography
Spring 2010GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2009ATMOCN/GEOSCI 105Survey of Oceanography

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_8d5bdc8cb52f6d1fdd0788f0",
  "source": "madgrades",
  "source_instructor_id": "3374561",
  "identity_basis": "source_id",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "CLAY KELLY",
  "email": null,
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 44,
    "quality": 4.45,
    "difficulty": 2.23,
    "quality_count": 44,
    "difficulty_count": 44,
    "profile_id": "rmp:514631",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/514631",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:47:56.437574+00:00",
    "courses": {
      "course_47cd4afb8c73a5e831a6eaa7": {
        "review_count": 3,
        "quality": 4.67,
        "difficulty": 2.67,
        "quality_count": 3,
        "difficulty_count": 3
      },
      "course_c4afdc34fab0a207868d407e": {
        "review_count": 12,
        "quality": 4.42,
        "difficulty": 2.42,
        "quality_count": 12,
        "difficulty_count": 12
      },
      "course_fbffe267a6c9622d068bbc84": {
        "review_count": 2,
        "quality": 5,
        "difficulty": 2.5,
        "quality_count": 2,
        "difficulty_count": 2
      },
      "course_c38b179ce965016746d5572c": {
        "review_count": 1,
        "quality": 5,
        "difficulty": 2,
        "quality_count": 1,
        "difficulty_count": 1
      }
    },
    "bayesian_quality": 4.203026807358311,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "grade_statistics": {
    "gpa": 3.125,
    "graded": 3105,
    "counts": [
      795,
      637,
      834,
      425,
      346,
      37,
      31
    ],
    "sections": 119
  },
  "current": false,
  "courses": [],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/CLAY_KELLY--instructor_8d5bdc8cb52f6d1fdd0788f0"
}