Conrad Keene Allen (born 1968 in

Marion, Illinois Marion is a city in Williamson and Johnson Counties, Illinois, United States, and is the county seat of Williamson County. The population was 16,855 at the 2020 census. It is part of a dispersed urban area that developed out of the early 20th ...

) is an American inventor and Exploration Geologist. While exploring for oil in the Middle East, Allen discovered and mapped one of the largest helium reserves in the world. He is the inventor of th
Helium Junction
which utilizes

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

to separate isotopic helium from an aqueous fluid. A recognized expert in natural resource Exploration & Production, Allen served two terms on the National Petroleum Council in Washington D.C.; first appointed in 2000 by Secretary of Energy

Bill Richardson William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...

and reappointed in 2003 by Secretary

Spencer Abraham Edward Spencer Abraham (born June 12, 1952) is an American attorney, author, and politician who served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy from 2001 to 2005, under President George W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Abraham pre ...

. A favorite of political moderates, Allen formed
Congressional Exploratory Committee
(TX-02) to challenge incumbent

Ted Poe Lloyd Theodore Poe (born September 10, 1948) is an American politician who represented Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2019. Poe was the first Republican to represent the 2nd district. ...

in 2009. Allen's committee notably included Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Bell and US Senate Candidate Barbara Radnofsky. Allen garnered broad support in Texas and Washington D.C. before announcing that district

gerrymandering In representative democracies, gerrymandering (, originally ) is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The m ...

engineered by

Tom Delay Thomas Dale DeLay (; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He was Republic ...

rendered the district out of reach for a near term challenge. Poe returned to Congress unopposed. Allen name is often mentioned on the short list of potential candidates for US Congress and Texas Railroad Commissioner. Allen delivered a notable Commencement Address at

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...

in 2011 where he encouraged graduates to use their education as an intellectual compass to guide them towards practical discovery and innovation, recognizing fellow alum

Shantanu Narayen Shantanu Narayen (born May 27, 1963) is an Indian-American business executive. He has been the chairman, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Adobe Inc. since December 2007. Before this, he was the company's president and chief ope ...

, CEO of

Adobe Systems Adobe Inc. ( ), originally called Adobe Systems Incorporated, is an American multinational computer software company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in San Jose, California. It has historically specialized in software for the crea ...

, who was present to receive a
Honorary Doctorate
It was the last graduation ceremony held in

Anderson Arena Anderson Arena is an indoor arena located in Memorial Hall on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio and is currently home to the Bowling Green Falcons women's gymnastics team. The arena, which opened in 1960, served ...

and the last presided over by President

Cartwright Cartwright may refer to: * Wainwright (occupation), a tradesperson skilled in the making and repairing of carts or wagons * Cartwright (surname), including the list of people Places ; Australia * Cartwright, New South Wales ; Canada * Cartwr ...

. Allen is a Distinguished Graduate of the Department of Geology,

Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan Are ...

which awards th
Conrad & Deanna Allen Scholarship
annually. Allen delivered a historic speech in

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

before the

American Association of Petroleum Geologists The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries as of 2021. The AAPG works to "advance the science of geology, especially as ...

urging the alliance between

AAPG The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries as of 2021. The AAPG works to "advance the science of geology, especially as ...

, NABGG an
AWG
and noting what he called a Social Sequence Boundary in the Oil Industry.2004 AAPG marks a "Social Sequence Boundary" in oil industry history http://www.aapg.org/business/hod/minutes/2003_05_11nabgg.cfm Allen is a former U.S. Army Officer earning Airborne Wings, the

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

and the

Army Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to recei ...

. He was a
adjunct professor
of geology at the

University of Houston–Downtown The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System and has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite location, UHD-Northwest in Harris County. Fo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Conrad Keene 1968 births Living people American geologists People from Marion, Illinois