John Mitchell Clay, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Geology
Office: NSB, Room 321
Email: jclay@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-3873
Professional Profile
Dr. Mitchell Clay joined the Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences in August 2025. He received a B.S. in Geology from Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, a M.S. in Geoscience from Montclair State University, and a Ph.D. in Geological Science from University of Kentucky in 2025. He most recently worked as a laboratory manager and physical geology lab course coordinator at Austin Peay State University (2022 – 2025).
Teaching and Related Service
Dr. Clay teaches earth science and historical geology. He serves as an advisor for students pursuing degrees in environmental science. Dr. Clay is a member of the Geological Society of America and has served as a chair at conference meetings, as well as participated in heavy mineral analysis workshops. He and his students regularly present research at conferences. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Clay is an advocate for science education in the community by participating in K-12 events on and off campus.
Research and Creative Activity
Dr. Clay conducts research on Precambrian tectonics and sediment recycling throughout North America, specifically tying the rocks and geological provinces of the Appalachians to west Texas. He mainly carries out his research through detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, with the use of laser ablation, scanning electron microscopy, and rock thin section petrography. His current research project is an endeavor to relate deep drill core from central Kentucky to exposed sedimentary rocks in El Paso and Van Horn, TX. Dr. Clay also studies active volcanism in the Cascade Range of central Oregon. He utilizes mass spectrometry to identify differences in lava chemistry from basalts erupted at Newberry Volcano, OR.