Biography
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 Montana and Utah, he appreciates the natural complexity of the interior west and the communities shaped by it.
Dr. Howlett鈥檚 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 Montana, 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 Montana is the primary classroom for his courses. He works with students to understand some of the complex processes preserved in Montana鈥檚 rocks through field observation, experimentation, and experiential learning.
For fun, he enjoys mountain running, old maps, rivers, bass music, wildlife, and literature.
Research Interests
- Regional structural evolution of cordilleran orogenic systems and sedimentary basins, with emphasis on the Andes and western interior US
- Fold and thrust belts
- Geologic history of western Montana
- Low temperature thermochronology; geochronology
Links
Educational Background
B.S. and M.S in Geology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 2018, 2020
Ph.D. in Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 2025
Postdoctoral Fellow, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 2025-26