Clay started working in the VRG in 2017 as an undergraduate research assistant. He graduated from Occidental in 2020 with a B.A. in Biology with an emphasis in Marine Biology and a minor in Spanish. Clay then worked as a Fisheries Observer off the coast of Oregon and Washington for a year and returned to the VRG to continue his work in the marine biodiversity collection as an NSF-funded REPS (Research Experience for Post-Baccalaureate Students) Participant in 2022. Now as the Collections Manager for the Marine Biodiversity Collection, Clay will be finalizing the curation and digitization of the collection and working to integrate specimens into college-level course curriculum. He will also develop guided tours for K-12 visitors and the general public.