Dr Daniel (Dan) Hikuroa is an Earth System Scientist with interests in the integration of mātauranga (Māori knowledge) and science to realise indigenous development. Dan has been the Research Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga since July 2011. He is currently a national committee member of the Sustainability Society of NZ (IPENZ) was also Auckland representative of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand.

Dan was previously the Community Earth Systems Science Programmes Manager at the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering, The University of Auckland and has an extensive background in Earth Systems Science. After leading a deep field geology mapping expedition for the British Antarctic Survey for his PhD he then completed a Post-Doc Fellowship investigating how the worlds oceans and biota have responded to naturally driven climate change in the ancient past. During that time Dan increasingly found himself drawn to his Māori roots and to exploring the interface between matauranga and science. Dan has established himself a world expert on integrating indigenous knowledge and science and has undertaken many projects including geothermal developments, hazard and vulnerability assessment and industrial waste site rehabilitation.

He leads the following NPM projects:
- Restoring the Mauri to Rotoitipaku (Industrial Waste Site): Implementing Matauranga in a Scientific Paradigm
- Harvesting the Fruits of Papatuanuku - A Kaitiaki Approach to Geothermal Development.