In the most recent issue of Elements Magazine, the Clay Minerals Society President Jan Sroden used his column to look back at the last 100 years of using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) to study clay minerals. It was through XRD that scientists were able to confirm the crystalline structure of clays. He also reflects on how it was at the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, another AGI Organization, that had the first clay minerals group. After you read that article, explore their student research spotlight!