Clive R. Neal is a Professor of Planetary Geology at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in lunar science and the study of the Moon. After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in 1986, Neal moved to the United States and began his lunar research through the study of Apollo mission lunar samples.

Neal is a strong advocate for NASA and for the sustainable and economically beneficial return of humans to the Moon and beyond. In 2015, he received NASA’s Wargo Award for his contributions to integrating planetary science and exploration throughout his career.

He has served on numerous mission and research review panels, including multiple terms as Chair of NASA’s Lunar Exploration Analysis Group from 2006–2010 and again from 2015–2018. Neal has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and has published three books. He is currently working on the next volume in the New Views of the Moonseries.

His current focus is helping ensure that the legacy of Apollo is advanced through humanity’s sustained return to the lunar surface and the establishment of a permanent human presence on Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor.