Dr. Scott W. Tinker

Scott Tinker's passion is education. Toward this end, Scott is actively engaged in building bridges between academia, industry, and government. Scott weaves energy, the environment, and the economy into his talks, in which he envisions a very challenging, but positive, global future. In visiting more than 45 countries and numerous cities in the United States, Scott has given more than 400 invited and keynote lectures. His latest educational project is a major documentary film on global energy.

It is from these experiences and passions that Dr. Tinker has developed a vision for America's energy future. He concludes that energy security – available, affordable, reliable, and environmentally sustainable – must drive energy policy and that efficiency and diversity are key elements to long-term energy security. Ultimately, energy security requires a reasoned balance among energy, environment, and the economy.

Dr. Tinker worked in the oil and gas industry for 17 years in research, exploration, and development, prior to coming to The University of Texas at Austin in 2000. Scott has been a licensed professional geoscientist in Texas since 2003. He is very active in professional organizations and societies and is the past President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Association of American State Geologists. He will serve as President of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies in 2012. Dr. Tinker also holds appointments to the National Petroleum Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and he currently serves on several private, university, and professional boards.

Dr. Tinker is the Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) and the Director of the Advanced Energy Consortium. He is also the acting Associate Dean for Research and Professor, and he holds the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree and majors in Geology and Business Administration from Trinity University. He received his Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Colorado.

The Bureau of Economic Geology under Dr. Tinker's Leadership

Dr. Tinker joined the Bureau as its 8th Director in January 2000. Under his leadership, and with the remarkable dedication of an extremely talented staff, the Bureau has grown into a world-class research organization having major programs in energy and the environment. Strategic directions under Dr. Tinker's leadership include a strong emphasis on the three E's: Energy, Environment, and the Economy, all centered on a broad theme of education of students, industry, government, and the general public. The Bureau is expanding its focus on relevant issues related to the environment, including coastal use and shoreline change, and energy and water.

As Bureau Director, Scott conceived of and helped to form and grow the Advanced Energy Consortium, a major program in micro- and nano-sensing; the Gulf Coast Carbon Center, one of the largest and most integrated programs in the nation in carbon capture and sequestration; a major unconventional gas program combining Industrial Associates, sponsored research, and federal grants; the Center for Energy Economics; and the Bureau's Core Research Centers, comprising three major core repository facilities in Houston, Austin, and Midland; and several major sponsored research programs, including projects in Mexico, Brazil, China, and Saudi Arabia.

Since 2000, the Bureau has grown from a $10M to a $40M annual grant organization; from 100 staff to 200 staff; from $8M to $20M in annual expenditures. With a focus on diversification of revenue sources, people, and research, the Bureau is stronger than ever during these challenging economic times.