Dr. Daniel (Dan) Jones is an Associate Professor of Geobiology at New Mexico Tech, and Academic Director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI). He is a geomicrobiologist and astrobiologist that specializes in extremophiles and microbe-mineral interactions in cave systems and sulfur-rich environments. Much of his research has been on the microbiology and biogeochemistry of sulfuric acid caves, and he also has active projects on “other” limestone caves, volcanic caves, and modern and ancient gypsum depositional environments. In addition to his work on caves and karst, Dan has diverse research interests in the field of geomicrobiology, and he has studied microbiological processes in mine waste, marine sediments, and wetland ecosystems.
Dan holds a B.A. in Geology from Carleton College, a Ph.D. in Geosciences and Biogeochemistry from Penn State, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Prior to his position New Mexico Tech and NCKRI, Dan served as the program coordinator for MnDRIVE Environment, a bioremediation-focused initiative at the University of Minnesota, and was a research associate in the University of Minnesota BioTechnology Institute. Dan is an NSF CAREER Grant recipient and was recently elected as a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA). In addition to his role with NCKRI and KWI, Dan has been active with the GSA Karst Division since 2019 as Secretary and JTPC Representative. See more at https://www.nmt.edu/academics/ees/faculty/djones.php