[2] Hay began his academic career at the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1960.
From 1968 to 1974 he was jointly professor of geology at the University of Illinois and professor of marine geology and geophysics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS) of the University of Miami[2] before serving as chairman of the Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics at RSMAS for 2 years, and Dean from 1976-1980.
From 1990 to 1998, was visiting professor at GEOMAR, a marine geological research institute attached to Christian-Albrecht’s-Universität, Kiel, Germany.
Donders Professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
"[4] Honors and awards received by Hay include the Leopold-von-Buch-Plakette of the Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft (1976),[5] Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Scientist Award (1991),[6] the Francis P. Shepard Medal for Marine Geology (1981)[7] and the Twenhofel Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Sedimentary Geology (2006), both from the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM).