Established in 1909, the Bureau of Economic Geology is the oldest organized research unit of The University of Texas. The Bureau functions as the State Geological Survey of Texas, and Scott W. Tinker as its director and state geologist. Bureau researchers spearhead basic and applied research projects globally in energy resources and economics, coastal and environmental studies, land resources and use, geologic and mineral mapping, hydrogeology, geochemistry, and subsurface nanotechnology. The Bureau provides advisory, educational, technical, and informational services related to the resources and geology of Texas, the nation, and the world.