Aaron Allen

Aaron S. Allen is an Associate Professor of Musicology in the School of Music and Director of the Environment & Sustainability Program within the Department of Geography, Environment and Sustainability at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). He holds a Ph.D. in Music from Harvard University and dual B.A./B.S. degrees in Music and Ecological Studies from Tulane University. His academic leadership includes roles as UNCG’s first Academic Sustainability Coordinator and co-founder of the Ecocriticism Study Group (ESG) and Ecomusicology Special Interest Group (ESIG).

Dr. Allen’s research focuses on ecomusicology, exploring intersections between music, culture, and the environment. His publications include Current Directions in Ecomusicology (Routledge 2016) and co-authored Sound, Ecologies, Musics (Oxford 2023). He has received prestigious awards such as the Ellen Koskoff Edited Volume Prize and the Paul Mellon Rome Prize.

His teaching includes courses like Introduction to Sustainability and Sustainable Campus Operations, and he co-leads a travel class combining music and sustainability in Italy. He actively contributes to institutional sustainability initiatives, including the creation of UNCG’s M.S. in Sustainability & Environment program and the Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program.

Dr. Allen’s work bridges musicology, environmental studies, and interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing practical and theoretical contributions to environmental advocacy through music.