Colin R. Robins

Colin R. Robins is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at the W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna College. He holds a PhD in Geoscience from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, an M.S. in Soil Science from Oregon State University, and a B.A. in Geology & Spanish from Macalester College.

His research spans pedology, geomorphology, and environmental science, focusing on soil formation, mineral geochemistry, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction in arid systems. He explores how desert soils and landforms record climate and ecosystem histories, with applications to species conservation and land management.

Recent publications analyze:

• 2019: Invasive plant impacts on soil carbon/nitrogen storage in California shrublands
• 2018: Weathering of landslide debris in mountainous regions
• 2016: Critical zone dynamics and soil-vegetation interactions
• 2014: Pedogenic barite formation and mineral genesis models

He teaches courses like Science and the Environment, Physical Geography & Geomorphology, and Soils & Society, emphasizing fieldwork and laboratory analysis. His expertise includes micromorphology (SEM-EDS), stable isotopes, XRD mineralogy, and GIS mapping, with applications to climate change mitigation, desertification studies, and conservation geoscience.