DFC President 1994-1996
Proceedings Editor 1999-2019
Another of W.L. Minckley’s students, Dean has been a DFC member since the late 1970’s and a life member since the late 1980s. While finishing his doctorate at Arizona State University, he directed nongame fish programs for Arizona Game and Fish Department for several years before assuming a curator/faculty position in 1990 at University of Texas (Austin). At UT he oversees Texas Natural History Collections and teaches ichthyology and Natural History Museum Studies. He has a deep interest in all Southwestern fishes, and has focused research on Mexican blindcats, genus Prietella, Cuatro Ciénegas fishes, and more recently the family Ictaluridae. Fluent in Spanish, Dean serves as a liaison with Mexico and Mexican scientists. A long time researcher in Cuatro ciénegas and other areas of Mexico, Dean works actively with citizens of the town of Cuatro ciénegas on conservation issues, and hosted two of the Council’s meetings (2005 and 2008) there. He was responsible for incorporating computer technology into publication of Council proceedings, and served as proceedings editor from 1990 to present. He, Peter Unmack and Mike Baltzly created the DFC web pages in 1994 and he served as webmaster from then until 2008.