Scott Tinker works to bring industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. Dr. Tinker is Director of the 250-person Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas, and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker coproduced and is featured in the award-winning energy documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries and used on thousands of campuses worldwide. Dr. Tinker formed, and serves as Chairman of, the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose materials appear from schools to board rooms globally. Tinker is the voice of EarthDate, which is featured weekly on over 425 public radio stations in all 50 United States. In his visits to some 60 countries, Scott has given nearly 1000 keynote and invited lectures. In 2022, Dr. Tinker presented a TEDx talk on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment.
Scott is an angel investor and has helped bring companies from startup to acquisition. His writing has appeared in publications ranging from Forbes to Scientific American.
Dr. Tinker has served as president of the American Geosciences Institute(AGI), the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). He is an AGI Campbell Medalist, AAPG Halbouty Medalist, GCAGS Boyd Medalist, American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) Parker Medalist, and a Geological Society of America (GSA) Fellow.