Dan Hunter is the Executive Director of the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) at Tarleton State University.  Hunter previously served two years as Assistant Director for TIAER before being named the Executive Director in 2008.

When TIAER was established by the Texas Legislature in 1991 one of its charges was to “provide national leadership on emerging environmental policy”.  Hunter’s background in working with national constituencies, including federal agencies, Congress, and producer and consumer organizations is vital in providing the national leadership the Legislature envisioned.  With a highly qualified staff that includes, scientists, economists, engineers, modelers, as well as technical and field personnel, TIAER is a leader in the field of environmental research.

While Hunter joined TIAER as Assistant Director in 2006, he was already a part of the Tarleton State University family, serving as an adjunct professor for the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences for several years.  Prior to joining the Institute he was the Executive Officer/Manager of the Southwestern Peanut Growers’ Association, where he managed a multi-million dollar producer cooperative.  As the chief executive, Hunter provided the primary guidance on all legislative, research, marketing, regulatory and media related issues.  Earlier in his professional career he served as the Government Relations Representative for the National Cotton Council, a multifaceted trade association in Washington, DC.   He also worked as a primary legislative staff member for former Congressmen Larry Combest and Fred Grandy.  Hunter received degrees from Texas Tech University and Tarleton State University. He has written numerous articles for several publications, and provided testimony for legislative and regulatory committees.

As Executive Director, Hunter provides leadership and vision that reflects the mission of TIAER to address pressing environmental issues facing the state and nation.  He believes that the work the Institute is doing on local, state, national, and international levels creates a product of good science, done by the great people at TIAER.

As assistant director of environmental sciences for TIAER, Dr. Hauck manages research efforts of the environmental sciences program. He supervises a staff of professionals including chemists, biologists, engineers, hydrologists, software engineers, and soil scientists. He also provides technical oversight and direction for many of TIAER's applied research projects involving both economists and environmental scientists.

Dr. Hauck's research interests include landscape loading of nutrients in agricultural watersheds, biological and chemical response of receiving waters to nutrient enrichment, technical and programmatic issues of the evolving TMDL process, connection of land management of agricultural practices to receiving water quality, and development and application of watershed loading models and hydrologic and water quality models. He received his doctorate in engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.