New Director and Minnesota State Geologist

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Robert (Bob) Tipping as our new MGS Director and State Geologist of Minnesota.

Bob returns to the MGS from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), where he was a Hydrologist Supervisor in the Source Water Protection group for the past 5 years. In that capacity, he worked closely with state agencies with overlapping regional interests in drinking water quality, including: land use and land management (Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Board of Water and Soil Resources); groundwater contamination (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency); and the impact of high-capacity pumping and climate change on water quantity (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources). MDH work focused on the development of watershed-scale groundwater flow models, and the compilation of regional groundwater quality datasets, including unregulated contaminants of emerging concern and PFAS.

Prior to that, Bob was a hydrogeologist for nearly 30 years at MGS, where his work with IT, GIS, and geologic mapping and hydrogeologic research was instrumental in advancing databases and electronic mapping procedures that in the 1990s led to the transition from largely 2D paper maps to electronic 3D maps. Bob's hydrogeologic research targeted applied value with direct links to MGS maps and databases, leading to products suitable for the modeling necessary for groundwater and surface water management. These products are widely used by partner agencies (Federal, Tribal, State, County, and Local), consultants, and water planning organizations. In addition to his work at MGS, Bob served the broader University of Minnesota community as an adjunct faculty member within the Department of Water Resources Science and the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  He was also a visiting instructor at both Macalester and Carleton College.

Bob brings a clear understanding of both day-to-day and historical operations within the Survey, as well as how staff, skill sets, and equipment can best be maintained and augmented to serve natural resource management and protection. He was also a user of MGS maps, datasets and reports when he worked for the state government. This unique perspective will allow him to tailor MGS projects and products so they can be readily used by a wide audience, including students, professionals, legislators, and citizens.