Dan Spencer is a Professor in the School of Travel Industry Management. Previously he held posts at Black Hills State University as an Associate Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management and at Michigan State University as a Senior Research Associate with the Travel, Tourism, and Recreation Resource Center.

He specializes in tourism policy, planning, management, and marketing, and has particular expertise in survey research and visitor industry informatics and data analytics. The results of his applied and methodological inquiries have appeared in the Journal of Travel Research, Tourism Management, the Journal of Leisure Research, and other serials.

His client list includes the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Hawaii Sea Grant; the South Dakota Office of Tourism; the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks; the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe; Black Hills Community Economic Development; Travel Michigan; the Michigan Department of Transportation; the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association; and other entities.

He has received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the School of Travel Industry Management and a State Award of Meritorious Service from Epsilon Sigma Phi, the national honorary fraternity of Extension professionals.