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Dr. Caden Howlett is an Assistant Professor of Geology. A first-generation college student raised by parents working in the rafting and skiing industries of Â鶹ƵµÀ and Utah, he appreciates the natural complexity of the interior west and the communities shaped by it.

Dr. Howlett’s research combines field and laboratory methods to understand the processes controlling uplift and erosion of major mountain belts. His work applies geologic mapping, geochronology, low-temperature thermochronology, and various modeling approaches to develop and test geodynamic models. Current research interests include new mapping projects in western Â鶹ƵµÀ, the structural evolution of the south central Andes, and earthquake geology in southeastern Turkey.

Caden believes Dillon is one of the premier locations on the planet for teaching and learning geology and tectonics. Teaching on the block, Western Â鶹ƵµÀ is the primary classroom for his courses. He works with students to understand some of the complex processes preserved in Â鶹ƵµÀ’s rocks through field observation, experimentation, and experiential learning.

For fun, he enjoys mountain running, old maps, rivers, bass music, wildlife, and literature.