University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Bio

Professor Allen's wide-ranging interests coincide with his passion for adventures in the "field." Because of that, travel plays a key role in his life, teaching and research. He enjoys a cold, frothy glass of root beer (not Barq's), desserts, exploring the world, the color orange, and theatre, and believes students are the center of the Academic Universe. He has previously held faculty positions at Arizona State University, St. George's University (Grenada, West Indies), and Weber State University. Although proficient in many areas, his current research focuses on:

• Rock art management. Using the rock art stability index (RASI) can help manage this precious cultural heritage resource. RASI utilizes three dozen weathering processes to quickly analyze petroglyphs and pictographs. The next step focuses on extending this useful tool to "worked" stone such as monuments, historic buildings, bridges and other stone edifices. Currently, I take several students each summer to conduct fieldwork at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
• Spatiality of biological soil crusts (BSCs). Monitoring BSCs in alpine regions, polar regions and hot deserts around the world can give us a solid indication of past, present and future environments. Found in nearly every locale, BSCs are superb indicators of long-term environmental change, and this spatial assessment begins with my research agenda: modeling BSC behavior on varying landforms and across climatic regions.
• Alternative pedagogy in science. The "traditional" way of teaching science (lecture and lab) has recently come under fire for a plethora of reasons. There are alternative ways to teach science that need to be explored, tested, and then brought into the classroom, allowing people to not only gain an appreciation of science but also understand its value for society. I focus on field studies as an alternative way to learn and teach, and my expertise rests in incorporating fieldwork into any course regardless of "level" and content.

A short biosketch can be found here: http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/me/biosketch.html and my CV is available here: http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/me/cv.html

Select Publications

• Allen, C.D. and K.M. Groom. (2013). Evaluation of Grenada's “Carib Stones” via the Rock Art Stability Index. Applied Geography: forthcoming.
• Allen, C.D., T.J. Thompson, and M.K. Hansen. (2013). Using Music to Learn Geomorphology: An Undergraduate Experience. Geographical Bulletin: forthcoming.
• Dorn, R.I, S.J. Gordon, C.D. Allen, N. Cerveny, J.C. Dixon, K.M. Groom*, K. Hall, E. Harrison, L. Mol, T.R. Paradise, P. Sumner, T.J. Thompson*, A.V. Turkington. (2013). The Role of Fieldwork in Rock-Decay Research: Case Studies from the Fringe. Geomorphology: in press. (Invited).
• Allen, C.D. (2011, published in 2012). Concept Mapping Validates Fieldwork's Capacity to Deepen Students' Cognitive Linkages of Complex Processes. Research in Geographic Education 13(2): 30-51. (First place in Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education's Early Career Scholar competition).
• Allen, C.D. (2012). Los Lavadores: Discovering Place in the Andes. Geographical Review 102(3): 364-371.
• Allen, C.D. (2011). On Actor-Network Theory and landscape. Area 43(3): 274-280.
• Allen, C.D. and C. Lukinbeal. (2011). Practicing Physical Geography: an Actor-Network View of Physical Geography Exemplified by the Rock Art Stability Index. Progress in Physical Geography 35(2): 227-248.
• Allen, C.D., A.K. Cutrell, N.V. Cerveny, J. Theurer. (2011). Advances in Rock Art Research. La Pintura 37(1): 4-6, 13.
• Allen, C.D. (2010). Biogeomorphology and Biological Soil Crusts: a Symbiotic Research Relationship. Geomorphologie: Relief, Processus, Environnement 2010(4): 347-358.
• Allen, C.D., J. Dorn*, and R.I. Dorn. (2009). Fire in the Desert: Initial Gullying Associated with the Cave Creek Complex Fire, Sonoran Desert, Arizona. Association of Pacific Coast Geographers Yearbook 71: 182-195.
• Allen, C.D. (2009). Monitoring Environmental Impact in the Upper Sonoran Lifestyle: a New Tool for Rapid Ecological Assessment. Environmental Management 43(2): 346-356.
• Allen, C.D.(2012).Los Lavadores: Discovering Place in the Andes. Geographical Review: forthcoming.
• Allen, C.D.(2012). Concept Mapping Validates Fieldwork's Capacity to Deepen Students' Cognitive Linkages of Complex Processes. Research in Geographic Education 13 (2): forthcoming.
• Dorn, R.I., J. Dorn, E. Harrison, E. Gutbrod, S. Gibson, P. Larson, N.V. Cerveny, N. Lopat, K.M. Groom*, and C.D. Allen (2012). Case Hardening Vignettes from the Western USA: Convergence of Form by a Divergence of Hardening Processes. Association of Pacific Coast Geographers Yearbook: forthcoming.
• Allen, C.D. (2011). On Actor-Network Theory and landscape. Area 43(3): 274-280.
• Allen, C.D. and Lukinbeal, C. (2011). Practicing Physical Geography: an Actor-Network View of Physical Geography Exemplified by the Rock Art Stability Index. Progress in Physical Geography 35(2): 227-248.
• Allen, C.D., Cutrell, A.K.*, Cerveny, N.V., Theurer, J. (2011). Advances in Rock Art Research. La Pintura 37(1): 4-6, 13.
• Allen, C.D. (2010). Biogeomorphology and Biological Soil Crusts: a Symbiotic Research Relationship. Geomorphologie: Relief, Processus, Environnement 2010(4): 347-358.
• Finn, J., A. Fernandez, D.D. Arreola, L.M. Sutton, C.D. Allen, and C. Smith. (2009). Puerto Peñasco: From Fishing Village to Tourist Mecca. Geographical Review 99(4): 575-597.
• Arreola, D.D., W.E. Doolittle, L.M. Sutton, A. Fernandez, J. Finn, C. Smith, and C.D. Allen. (2009). Huepác Revisited: Cultural Remapping of a Sonoran Townscape. Journal of the Southwest 51(2): 137-164.
• Allen, C.D., J. Dorn*, and R.I. Dorn. (2009). Fire in the Desert: Initial Gullying Associated with the Cave Creek Complex Fire, Sonoran Desert, Arizona. Association of Pacific Coast Geographers Yearbook 71: 182-195.
• Allen, C.D. (2009). Monitoring Environmental Impact in the Upper Sonoran Lifestyle: a New Tool for Rapid Ecological Assessment. Environmental Management 43(2): 346-356.
• Allen, C.D. and R.I. Dorn. (2008). Graduate Degrees in Geographic Education: Exploring an Online Model. The California Geographer 48: 85-103.
• Dorn, R.I., D.S. Whitley, N.V. Cerveny, S.J. Gordon, Allen, C.D., and E. Gutbrod*. (2008). The Rock Art Stability Index: A New Strategy for Maximizing the Sustainability of Rock Art. Cultural Heritage 1(1): 37-70.

Courses Taught

GEOG 4998/5998, Geography by Rail
ENVS/GEOG/GEOL 4995/5995, Sustainability in the Caribbean
ENVS 5010/GEOG/GEOL 4010, Landscape Geochemistry
GEOG 1202, Introduction to Physical Geography
GEOG/GEOL 4240, Principles of Geomorphology
GEOL 5004, Earth Science in Context: Weathering and Petroglpyhs​