Rate My Professor David Moss

David Moss is an Associate Professor of Geology (Paleontology and Sclerochronology) in the Department of Environmental & Geosciences at Sam Houston State University, where he also directs the Natural History Collections since March 2025. He earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University under Dr. Linda Ivany, researching controls on extreme longevity in modern and fossil bivalves. His M.S. from the University of Oklahoma focused on trilobite phylogenetics and carbonate depositional environments, and his B.S. from Centenary College of Louisiana involved study of serrations on megatoothed and great white sharks.

Prior to his current role, Moss held a postdoctoral position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of Geological Sciences (2017-2018) and joined SHSU as Assistant Professor in 2018, promoting to Associate Professor. His paleobiological research employs sclerochronology to explore longevity, growth rates, body size evolution, and latitudinal gradients in bivalves such as Mercenaria, Glycymeris, and Arctica islandica across paleoclimates. Notable publications include "Lifespan, growth rate, and body size across latitude in marine Bivalvia, with implications for Phanerozoic evolution" (2016), "High-latitude settings promote extreme longevity in fossil marine bivalves" (2017), "Environmental Controls on Extreme Longevity in Modern and Fossil Bivalves" (2017), "Life history patterns of modern and fossil Mercenaria spp. from warm vs. cold climates" (2021), and "Fossil bivalves and the sclerochronological reawakening" (2021). In 2024, Moss was awarded the NSF CAREER grant to investigate heritable lifespan traits in bivalves and develop a paleobiological learning ecosystem, funding undergraduate research, fieldwork in Florida, teacher workshops, and equipment like the ESLR Micromill2. He co-leads educational initiatives like GEOPAths to boost geoscience engagement in southeast Texas.