Charles Carrigan

Dr. Carrigan joined the Olivet faculty in 2004 after completing his doctoral degree in Geological Science at the University of Michigan. He teaches courses in introductory Earth science, water resources, mineral science, petrology, natural resources and environmental issues, Earth & environmental chemistry, and structural geology & tectonics. His courses often include exciting field trips to geologically interesting sites in the Southern Appalachian Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, Missouri, and Ontario, Canada. He also leads 2 summer trips to the National Parks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau in Utah and Arizona, and to the volcanic Islands of Hawai’i.

He enjoys working with students and helping them succeed in the classroom, the laboratory, and in life. He regularly works with students as part of the Olivet River Keepers, a volunteer water quality monitoring group that emphasizes scientific data collection and community outreach. He also assists students who work in the National History Collections Program in the Earth & Space Sciences.

Dr. Carrigan’s research applies the principles of chemistry to the study of Earth processes, especially to that of tectonic activity in Earth’s past. His master’s thesis at Vanderbilt University was on basement rocks of the southern Appalachians. For his dissertation research at the University of Michigan, he traveled to the eastern Alps of Bulgaria. Additionally, he studies best practices in the teaching of mineral science and geochemistry to undergraduate students. He is also interested in the use of photography in the communication and education of science to students and the public.

He has published numerous abstracts and given talks at conferences, served as a conference session co-chair at the Geological Society of America, and has published and reviewed articles for professional Earth science journals. He is a member of the Geological Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of America, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and the Affiliation of Christian Geologists.

Dana, his wife, works at home, and together they enjoy raising their four daughters, Carly, Brianna, Auriella and Corinne. They attend College Church of the Nazarene, where he serves as the Secretary of the Board.