Claire Pless

Claire Pless is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Geology and Geoscience Technician at Mount Holyoke College's Department of Geology and Geography. She holds a Ph.D. and B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an M.S. from the Colorado School of Mines. Her research focuses on structural geology, metamorphic petrology, and monazite geochronology, with fieldwork in the Adirondack Mountains and national parks like Canyonlands and Arches. As a technician, she manages sample preparation, thin section creation, mineral display maintenance, and SEM analysis while training students in laboratory techniques. She teaches Rocks and Minerals and Petrology courses.

Her research integrates kinematic analysis of shear zones with geochronological methods, exploring melt dynamics and tectonic processes. She also emphasizes pedagogical practices in geoscience education through hands-on laboratory instruction. Claire actively maintains the department's equipment and supports field-based research initiatives.