Dane Mataic, NDSU assistant professor of sociology and community development, has been named as the director of the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute. Mataic has served as an NDWRRI faculty fellow in 2024.
Mataic will report to NDSU vice president for research and creative activity Colleen Fitzgerald, who said the role of director is important to continue to further water research while also continuing to build collaborations with various stakeholders across the state of North Dakota.
“The director will continue to further water research and outreach in North Dakota and will work to strengthen collaborative efforts between NDSU and UND and other stakeholders across the state in doing so,” Fitzgerald said. “Dane’s experience as a fellow provides a perfect backdrop for him stepping into the director role.”
Mataic has been at NDSU since 2019 and has worked with researchers in agriculture, engineering and the arts and sciences at NDSU.
“I wanted to use my background and interest in water to further understand how North Dakota communities are strengthened by and with water,” Mataic said. “The NDWRRI director role provides the opportunity to lead and encourage interdisciplinary research – something that I routinely work towards in my own research. I am excited by the opportunity to work across NDSU and the state with different researchers, stakeholders and community leaders to best address water problems in North Dakota.”
The USGS Water Resources Research Institutes (WRRIs) were founded in 1965 by authority of Congress. They are supported by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, which is a federal-state partnership that manages water resources research, education and information transfer through a matching grant program.
NDWWRI is one of 54 institutes known collectedly as the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR). Located in the nation’s land-grant universities and four U.S. territories, the NIWR plays a major role in addressing water-related concerns by providing a platform for research, training and collaboration at the state level. Xinhua Jia served as NDWRRI director from 2022 until her term ended in February 2025.
Mataic holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Penn State University. He has received funding for his research from the United States Department of Agriculture, NSF and the Russell Sage Foundation and has had several peer-reviewed articles published as well. Mataic won the 2022 Innovation in Teaching Award at NDSU.
“I hope to use the existing base of affiliate researchers to work towards clear interdisciplinary connections,” Mataic said. “Not only will the intentional collaborative nature help reinforce networks and interdisciplinary work on campus, but it will also provide the opportunity for stronger and comprehensive water research projects, initiatives and outcomes. Eventually, my hope is to guide a roadmap for the NDWRRI, given its crucial role as the central institute in the state for water research with support from affiliated faculty.”
“North Dakota’s water resources are a fundamental cornerstone on our prosperity as a state, and Dane’s leadership comes at a perfect inflection point,” Fitzgerald said. “I see the potential to coalesce researchers and stakeholders for multidisciplinary solutions to our water challenges, whether it is flooding, drought or beyond, as an impactful return on investment from the strategic research support that our RCA Office has provided for the NDWRRI.”
Mataic’s term as NDWRRI director will be for three years. Learn more about NDWRRI at NDWRRI website.
