Texas Bureau of Economic Geology Down to Earth at Tuff Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas

Photo by Grant Heiken

Dr. Dan Barker, currently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, retired in 1999 after 36 years with the Department. During his tenure at UT, Dan conducted research on igneous rocks and provinces throughout Texas, from the Big Bend area, to the Llano uplift, to the Balcones province. His research extended well beyond Texas, however, including projects in southern Africa and the Aeolian Islands of Italy. Dan's keen perspective on igneous rocks has given him widespread recognition in the geologic community, and he has participated in international congresses in Africa, Greenland, and Japan. Never one to remain idle for long, Dan continues to conduct research, publish, and attend meetings, oftentimes accompanied by his wife Rosemary.

Dan's teaching awards at UT equal his impressive research record. Always extremely popular among students, Dan received the Knebel Distinguished Teaching Award in 1976, 1980, and 1987. In 1983 he published an undergraduate textbook, Igneous Rocks, which was reprinted in 1990. Recognition of his teaching contributions at UT culminated at the University of Texas Club on April 25, 1999, when Dean Mary Ann Rankin presented him with the College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.