DRI Spring 2007 News - Desert Research Institute

Spring 2007
Solving Problems—DRI Studies Agricultural
Water-Conservation Technique
Story by Sara Marcus
DRI Technician John Goreham collects
a sediment sample from the Rocky Ford
Highline Canal, Rocky Ford, Colo.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Photo by Dr. Duane Moser
Innovations
in ice cores
page 3
New research
center at Tahoe
page 10
Nevada Medal
winner
page 15
Water availability in the western United
States currently is a hot topic. With expansion and growth in the West, looking for ways
to make efficient use of available water is a
priority for municipalities and agriculturalists. Cities in the West are encouraging waterconservation measures such as water-efficient
appliances, xeriscaping yards and setting strict
watering schedules. However, the greatest
demand for water in the United States—and
the West is no exception—is for agriculture.
In the United States, over half of the fresh water
used every day is for irrigation purposes, and
once this water is put on fields, very little of it
ends back up in natural water systems, such
as rivers, lakes and groundwater. So, it is very
important to transport irrigation water effectively, with as little loss of that water in transport as possible.
Many farmers and municipalities in the western U.S. depend on water-delivery systems such
as canals and ditches to transport water for use
on crops and in other agricultural-related activities. Many of these waterways are not lined, so
water is often lost because of seepage through
the bottoms and sides. Since early 2005, a
multi-disciplinary team of scientists from DRI
and other institutions has been studying the
use of a chemical substance, polyacrylamide
(PAM), to reduce seepage from water-delivery canals and ditches. Drs. Rick Susfalk and
Michael Young, co-principal investigators
on the project, are leading a team of faculty,
staff and students from DRI’s Divisions of
Hydrologic Sciences and Earth and Ecosystem
Sciences, to better understand the water
conservation benefits and potential environmental risks associated with using PAM to
reduce water loss in unlined canals. Their
work is a collaborative effort, also involving
the University of Nevada, Reno, the University
of Nevada, Las Vegas, Colorado State University,
continued on page 2
Photo by Brian Epstein
Photo by Dr. Duane Moser
Above, left: DRI faculty member Dr. Rick Susfalk drills a hole in Kannah Creek Ditch #2 for installation of water monitoring equipment.
Above, right: DRI technician Brian Fitzgerald collects a macroinvertebrate sample from Smith Ditch, near Grand Junction, Colo.
Inset: Max Schmidt applies PAM to Smith Ditch, near Grand Junction, Colo.
Water Solutions of Colorado, Hydrologic Solutions, LLC, and the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation).
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic chemical that belongs to a class
of long-chain polymers. These polymers are used in applications
as diverse as food packaging, paper manufacturing, wastewater
treatment, drilling fluids for oil wells, and as a soil amendment to
reduce erosion. One form of PAM sometimes found in homes is used
to improve the water-retention properties of soil. Though this form
of PAM is not used in water-delivery canals, it illustrates the diversity of this molecule. The molecular structure of PAM used in canal
systems is slightly different, and it has properties that allow it to react
with silt- and clay-sized sediment suspended in the canal water. After
sufficient reaction time, the sediment-laden PAM molecule settles to
the bottom of the canal and partially seals it.
DRI faculty were asked by Reclamation, through the Water 2025
program, to examine under what conditions does PAM reduce seepage. Tests were conducted on several scales, from lab-scale experiments completed at DRI, to full-scale experiments conducted in
irrigation canals in Colorado and Montana. During 2006 alone, DRI
faculty and their collaborators conducted almost a dozen full-scale
canal experiments. The experimental design included a significant
collection of data to measure reduction in canal seepage and water
samples to detect the possible presence of PAM and other residual
compounds in the canal water. Preliminary results showed that PAM
does seal canals and ditches when the canal conditions are favorable, reducing seepage in some cases by over 90 percent. Depending
on field conditions, PAM could be a good choice for canal operators for treating their ditches, but there are other aspects of PAM
use that need to be investigated if Reclamation recommends it for
widespread use.
DRI was also asked by Reclamation to examine possible human
health and environmental impacts in the use of PAM. The primary
human health concern is that acrylamide, a suspected human
carcinogen, is present in low concentrations in PAM and released
into the canal water when PAM is used. Through the use of laboratory analyses of acrylamide from samples collected during canal
treatment, to the recent completion of a Risk Characterization report
2
on PAM use, DRI faculy showed that potential health risks from PAM
use were extremely low. Another factor being considered is whether
PAM use could have negative impacts to established aquatic life that
might be living in the canal, or in streams that might receive water
from the canal. These experiments are ongoing.
In some cases, PAM might not be a good choice to reduce seepage. For example, seepage-dependent wetlands that have been established through years of slow leakage through the canals and ditches
might lose their source of water if the canals are sealed. So, there are
many factors to consider, not just how well PAM might or might not
work to stop water loss.
With the extensive field experiments already conducted in 2006,
and additional experiments being conducted in 2007, DRI faculty are
using these data to simulate the transport of PAM in canal systems
to better predict the distance this chemical might travel from where
it is applied. In addition, possible environmental impacts are being
evaluated to see what effects, if any, applications of PAM would have
on aquatic life. In trying to make more efficient use of the water
delivered for agriculture in the West, DRI faculty are exploring all
aspects of use of the PAM polymer in irrigation waterways.
Brian Epstein holds water samples from the Rocky Ford Highline Canal
in Rocky Ford, Colo. The jar on the right contains untreated canal water,
and the jar on the left contains PAM-treated canal water that has
dropped the suspended sediment to the bottom of the canal.
Photo by Delbert Smith
Innovation—Layers in
Ice Cores Revealed by
New Method
Story by Sara Marcus
Photo by Dr. Ken Taylor
Graduate student Rhonda Zager
extracts a core from
Siple Dome Antarctica.
When researchers are examining cores made of layers of ice—
layers laid down thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years
ago that preserve records of ancient climate—how do they know
where one layer of ice ends and another begins? Ice is not an easy
substance on which to conduct research, and one of the issues that
ice-core researchers have is how to distinguish—repeatedly and reliably—annual layers of ancient ice in cores. Before samples are taken
these cores for analysis, the researchers must have an accurate way
of determining from what layer their samples are taken and how that
layer correlates to layers in other cores. At DRI, Drs. Ken McGwire and
Ken Taylor have developed a new method to aid in ice-core research
that helps to address this problem of figuring out where individual
layers are in ice cores.
Ice cores are taken from numerous locations for analysis of different records preserved in the layers of ice. Analysis of certain isotopes
in ice can help determine what ancient temperatures have been. Dust
and ash layers in ice cores show evidence of times when volcanoes
erupted, forest fires raged or deserts spread. All of these indicators
of ancient climate conditions are found in the ice layers and are used
to build a picture of the climate and history of Earth when conditions
were quite different from today. To determine when climate changes
occurred, researchers need an accurate count of the ice layers to
match climate indicators from one place to another.
When researchers have examined ice cores, layers in the ice
have been counted by hand, sketched and logged, or estimated from
photographs. The problem with all of these methods is that these
records are all somewhat subjective. McGwire and Taylor, together
with collaborators at the U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver
and Pennsylvania State University, have developed a method using an
optical-scanning technique that promises to improve upon how layers
in an ice core may be counted. This imaging technique creates an
archival image of the characteristics of the core, which is important
because the core is destructively sampled by many analysis methods
and it degrades over time even if it is kept cold and sealed from air,
since it is no longer under pressure.
The optical scanning setup is in a special cold room where the
ice cores are processed. In this room, ice cores are loaded into a
carriage, which then passes under a scanner, taking images at a
scale of less than 1/20th of a millimeter! The scanning process was
designed to eliminate many possible sources of image distortion and
has the added benefit of minimizing handling. After the images are
taken, they are saved for subsequent analysis in the warmth of an
office, rather than in the cold room.
This permanent, visual record of ice cores means that future
researchers can retrieve information about the cores more easily and
see where initial investigators made their choices to sample. Tools
for annotating the features in the ice allow scientists to collaborate
more effectively when interpreting the core. By making this new tool
available to ice-core researchers, McGwire and Taylor hope to make
ice-core imaging more accurate, repeatable and accessible for present and future work. Climate indicators preserved in ice are vitally
important for building a picture of past temperature changes, and
this new imaging system developed by DRI researchers will help in
building more accurate pictures of past global changes.
3
New Applications of XRD Technology for Atmospheric Sciences
Story and photo by Sara Marcus
Drs. Michal Skiba, left, and Johann Engelbrecht fine tune DRI’s new XRD.
One of the important things that helps keep DRI’s faculty at the
forefront of research is instrumentation for analyzing samples.
There are many analytical instruments available to DRI faculty, and
an important recent addition is an X-ray diffractometer, or XRD for
short. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, a new XRD
came on-line at DRI in March 2006 for DRI researchers to use.
Running the new XRD laboratory is DRI faculty member Dr. Johann
Engelbrecht, and funding has been provided internally by DRI for a
post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Michal Skiba, to work on several projects
using the XRD for analysis.
What makes this instrument potentially so valuable to many DRI
faculty? Part of the answer lies in what an XRD can do and how it
analyzes samples. X-ray diffraction can be used to identify crystalline solids based on their inherent atomic structure. An X-ray tube
produces X-rays that interact with the atomic structure of a mineral
or other material and produce a unique X-ray diffraction pattern,
which can be used as a “fingerprint” of the material being analyzed.
The diffraction pattern is then compared to known patterns, and
the identity of the solid is then determined. The advantage of X-ray
diffraction is that the sample is not destroyed and can be further
analyzed using other methods. DRI’s XRD facility was customized
to analyze a large number of different types of powder samples,
from soils and rocks to air pollution samples on filters. The system
includes a robot that can automatically select and analyze up to 90
samples, without operator assistance.
Engelbrecht is excited at the many potential projects and new
opportunities that can be explored using the XRD. He notes that the
XRD is an interdisciplinary facility that “can serve to bring the divisions closer together.” Currently the XRD is being used to analyze
samples for faculty from each of the divisions at DRI. In conjunction with a project on the clarity of Lake Tahoe water, Engelbrecht
4
and Skiba are working with Dr. Alan Heyvaert to help determine
the mineral content of sediments that are contributing to decreasing
the clarity of the lake water. In conjunction with other Division of
Atmospheric Sciences faculty, the XRD is being used to measure the
mineral content of airborne dust particles contributing to haze in the
air. Certain minerals, such as asbestos and sometimes quartz, are
known health hazards and, therefore, it is important to know what
minerals are present in the air and in what form they exist.
Another project the XRD instrument is being used for is the quantification of minerals in desert dust from the Sahara, Middle East and
China. This study is partly in collaboration with faculty in the Division
of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences. Funded by the U.S. Department of
Defense, dust samples have been collected from 15 sites in the Middle
East, including places such as Tikrit and Baghdad, Iraq. These,
together with other samples, are being analyzed at DRI for their
chemical, mineralogical and optical properties.
Skiba, who hails from Poland, is particularly interested in clay
minerals. He feels that the new XRD is essential for the analysis of
clay minerals in soils and dust. By analyzing the clay minerals in a
sample, Skiba hopes to trace their primary origin. By determining
where the clays in a sample originate, numerous factors, such as
transport distance and weathering rates, may be determined. In an
area such as Lake Tahoe, knowing where minerals are coming from
may help prevent dust from reaching the lake, which, in turn, could
contribute to improved water clarity.
It is evident that the XRD provides new advanced technology to
DRI faculty and that its applications are limited only by the creativity
of the researchers. Together with other DRI faculty, Engelbrecht and
Skiba are using the XRD for several ongoing and new projects from
all divisions. The X-ray diffractometer is adding a new dimension to
mineralogical and related research at DRI.
Eyes in the Sky: DRI-UNLV Collaborators Use Special Helicopter for Research
With nearly five acres of desert split into over 100 plots as large
as 75 feet in diameter, DRI scientist Dr. Lynn Fenstermaker needed a
new way to look at the big picture.
As part of an ongoing global climate change experiment,
Fenstermaker and Eric Knight (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) have
developed a new way to acquire the whole plot imagery that is necessary to their research.
To get the results needed, they mounted a 1.3 million pixel multispectral digital camera to a radio-controlled helicopter, or RCH, that
can be flown at a height of up to 300 feet above ground level.
“It was a unique application of commercially available products
for which we designed and constructed the mounting and triggering
system to meet our own needs,” Fenstermaker said.
According to Fenstermaker, before they developed the RCH, they
were limited to collecting only point or whole branch data, meaning
that to collect data they were literally limited to individual branches of
the plants in the plot. This limited view made it very difficult to understand how climate change can affect an entire plant community. She
says now that they have the RCH, they can acquire images of entire
plots at the right time and the right scale.
“It provides us information at the next scale,” said Fenstermaker,
“thereby enabling us to re-evaluate previous assessments and allowing us to extrapolate the branch data to the whole plot as a way to look
at whole ecosystem effects.”
For the past 10 years, Fenstermaker and Nevada System of Higher
Education researchers have been conducting global climate change
experiments on the Mojave Desert ecosystem at two locations in
Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site. The experimental sites are called the
Nevada Desert FACE Facility (Free-Air-Carbon dioxide-Enrichment)
and the Mojave Global Change Facility (MGCF). The FACE facility is
an elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide experiment and the MGCF
is a complementary experiment examining the impacts of increased
summer precipitation, nitrogen deposition and crust disturbance on
the Mojave Desert ecosystem.
Story by Jake Sunderland
Photos courtesy of Dr. Lynn Fenstermaker
This false color infrared image was acquired by the Tetracam ADC
multispectral digital camera attached to the helicopter.  Healthy vegetation
appears as a bright red/magenta color, while bare soil appears tan in color. 
UNLV’s Eric Knight operates the radio-controlled helicopter while DRI’s Dr. Lynn Fenstermaker monitors the
altitude of the helicopter.  At the appropriate height, a servo is triggered to initiate image acquisition.
5
Profiles
Steve Bacon
Steve Bacon, a staff geomorphologist,
is working on a project funded by the U.S.
Department of Defense with the catchy title
“Catalogue of Analogs”—one of several
projects of the Desert Terrain Analysis
Program at DRI. Collaborating with many
DRI faculty, including Dr. Eric McDonald,
Dr. Scott Bassett, Dr. Tom Bullard, Dr. Ken
Adams, Tim Minor and Todd Caldwell,
the study involves what Bacon calls desert
terrain forecasting. The project characterizes desert terrains from around the world
and compares them to areas within the
U.S. Army’s Desert/Hot Weather test site at
the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, as
well as at other military installations in the
southwestern U.S.
Bacon says, “The overall objectives are
to better understand the effects of desert
operations on the performance of military
equipment and to improve the fidelity of
desert testing of that equipment during
development, testing and evaluation prior
to deployment in the field.”
Sparked by childhood trips to the
Mojave Desert, Bacon has always been
interested in science—especially geology—and received his B.S. and M.S. from
Humboldt State University studying geology
and environmental systems. At DRI, Bacon
is enjoying his involvement in both pure
research and solving applied geologic and
geomorphic problems. One of the reasons
Bacon says he decided to work at DRI is
the opportunity to work with researchers across disciplines. The “Catalogue of
Analogs” project exemplifies this kind
of cross-disciplinary research and also
happens to benefit U.S. troops overseas.
6
Sophie Baker, a staff geologist, received
her geology undergraduate degree from
Trinity College, Dublin, and her M.S. in
fluvial geomorphology from Dalhousie
University in Canada. Needless to say, Baker
has found living in Nevada very different—
read “dry”—when compared to Ireland and
Nova Scotia!
About being in Reno, she says, “I really
enjoy being near the mountains and all the
wonderful opportunities for outdoor activities here.”
Working for DRI’s Dr. Eric McDonald,
Baker is assisting with writing and editing reports and papers, mainly on the
Desert Terrain Forecasting project. The
study’s goals include improving methods
of characterizing and forecasting desert
terrain based on predictable relationships between landscape position, soil,
vegetation and geology. The U.S. Army uses
results from this project to aid in appropriate troop and equipment deployments
in desert terrain and to work towards
achieving sustainability in military lands.
Sophie Baker
While at school, Baker was not sure
whether she would study art or science, but
says, “I have always been interested in the
landscape and the environment and wanted
to learn more about that,” and so she became
a scientist working on desert soils.
“I was attracted to the overall mission of
DRI, which promotes work that has a positive
impact on the environment,” Baker notes.
“I would like to continue to be involved in
research relating to arid geomorphology and
soils, and Quaternary geology in general.”
Dr. Markus Berli joined DRI as
an assistant research professor after
post-doctoral appointments at the
University of Connecticut and Utah
State University. In addition, he did
post-doctoral research at the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology Zurich,
Switzerland, from where he also
received his Diploma and Ph.D.
Dr. Markus Berli
Berli is interested in coupling
mechanics and hydraulics of soils and
rocks—namely, how earth material
works when it is deformed and how
fluids and gases move through it. His
current research involves both experiments and modeling of interactions of
fluids with solid soil structures. He also
is interested in how processes seen in
soils at very small scales are scalable to
larger areas.
“How do we connect soil processes
we observe at a sample scale to fieldscale behavior and how do we measure
these processes at various scales? This
is what we would like to better understand,” Berli says.
Berli works on several projects at DRI
involving modeling and testing of hydrologic and mechanical behavior of desert
soils and rocks. Understanding how
water and air move through soil helps to
predict how contaminants move through
soils as well. Also, knowing where water
is located in soils will lead to a better
understanding of where chemical and
microbial processes are active.
Berli is enjoying working at DRI
and says he feels “it is a privilege to do
what you love to do!” He also has been
enjoying the sunny days in Las Vegas,
although he says to “check back in the
summer” about enjoying the heat!
Profiles
Amber Broch
Amber Broch, a staff research scientist
in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences, is
working on a project that has great relevance in this day and age of high energy
and fuel costs. As an avid mountain biker
and snowboarder, and a person who
generally loves the outdoors, it is easy to
understand why Broch has a passion for
wanting to understand how to make the
environment cleaner.
The project that Broch is working
on with DRI faculty member Dr. Alan
Gertler is an example of blending science
and environmentalism. Broch’s research
involves determining how different
fuels affect emissions and performance in alternative-fuel vehicles. The
study involves analyzing what happens
when a vehicle is converted from using
compressed natural gas, or CNG, as a
fuel to using a hydrogen/CNG blend fuel.
With funding from the Nevada Southwest
Energy Program, Broch is investigating
the effects of this fuel conversion on
both the performance and emissions of
these vehicles.
With a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of
Nevada, Reno, Broch is excited to be
working at DRI, noting, “DRI offers a
great opportunity to grow into many
areas of research.”
Broch likes working in the area of
renewable energy and hopes to be able
to expand her research into other areas
of it, including studying possible applications for solar, wind and biomass. It is
clear she enjoys doing research, especially when, as she says, her research
“contributes to the benefit of others and
the environment.”
As incoming director of DRI’s Storm
Peak Laboratory in Steamboat Springs,
Colo., one goal Dr. Anna “Gannet” Hallar
has is to make sure that researchers
know not only that DRI has this worldclass lab facility, but also that they are
aware of all of the potential projects that
can be done on-site. It is clear Hallar is
enthusiastic about her new position and
wants to increase the amount of collaborative research at Storm Peak Laboratory
with colleagues from DRI as well as from
other institutions. In addition, Hallar is
building outreach programs to involve
students from grade school to graduate
school in science at the lab.
“I would really like to get undergrad-
Originally from the Midwest, staff scientist John Healey joined DRI from the Kansas
Geological Survey (KGS). Observing that Nevada
has “ample opportunities for exploring vastly
different geologic and geohydrologic environments,” Healey is excited to be exploring collaborations with several DRI scientists as well as
maintaining ties with colleagues at KGS.
John Healey
Dr. Gannet Hallar
uates involved at the lab with summer
projects to give them field experience,”
Hallar says.
Hallar joined DRI after working as a National Research Council
Postdoctoral Associate at NASA Ames
Research Center. With both her M.S.
and Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences
from the University of Colorado at
Boulder, Hallar’s main area of research
is studying effects that human-caused
inputs into the atmosphere can have
on climate by examining cloud chemistry and optical properties of aerosols.
Because Storm Peak often is engulfed
in clouds, this makes the Storm Peak
Laboratory location ideal for continuing and building Hallar’s research. She
lives in Colorado, and says “The Storm
Peak lab may be remote, but it is easy
to communicate and stay in touch with
other DRI scientists.”
Healey’s area of specialty is developing field
techniques to demonstrate variability in estimates of the hydraulic conductivity of aquifers.
Since joining DRI, Healey has been working
at the Project Shoal Area, Central Nevada Test
Area and the Nevada Test Site with several DRI
scientists, including Jenny Chapman, Brad
Lyles, Chuck Russell, Ron Hershey and David
Gillespie.
“I’m hoping that my knowledge of slug-testing methodology and vadose-zone investigations
will provide opportunities for new projects,”
Healey says.
Also an area where he can find many collaborators within DRI, Healey would like to continue
his work in the area of stream-aquifer interactions. In addition, he is learning programming
for many of the instruments used at DRI.
Healey has always been interested in geology and obtained his B.S. and M.S. at Iowa State
University in geology.
“Now, geology feels more like a hobby than
a career because I have been entrenched in
groundwater studies for so long,” he says.
However, he quickly notes, “You can’t separate
geohydrology from geology.”
Healey is looking forward to exploring the
Southwest with his wife. “I’m really enjoying the
mountains and the desert.”
Profiles by Sara Marcus
7
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Joseph McConnell – NSHE Researcher of the Year Award
Dr. Joseph McConnell was presented with the prestigious Nevada System of Higher Education
Regents’ Researcher of the Year Award for 2006 in recognition of his landmark work in ice-core
chemistry, snow hydrology, paleoclimatology and glaciology. The award is granted to faculty
members with a substantial record of national and international accomplishments including
a significant amount of research and scholarly work with recognition. The honoree receives a
$5,000 stipend and a medal.
Dr. Alison Murray – Peter B. Wagner Medal of Excellence
Dr. Alison Murray was honored with the 2006 Peter B. Wagner Medal of Excellence, an
award for outstanding scientific accomplishments by DRI faculty in the early stages of their
careers. Murray received a $1,500 prize and a minted medal for the award, named in honor
of DRI atmospheric scientist Peter Wagner who died in the crash of a research aircraft in
1980. Murray’s research involves the use of biotechnology and genomics to study microorganisms and how they interact with the environment. Peter B. Wagner’s widow, Sue Wagner,
a Nevada Gaming Commission member and former Nevada Lieutenant Governor, established
the award in 1998.
Pictured left to right back row: DRI President Dr. Stephen G. Wells, Dr. Alison Murray and Kirk Wagner;
front row: Gracie Wagner.
President Wells Receives High Honor from Indiana University
DRI President Stephen Wells was honored by his alma mater, Indiana University, with the
Richard Owen Alumni Award—the highest honor that the Department of Geological Sciences
bestows on an alumnus. The annual award is for outstanding achievement in the field of
geological sciences, be it excellence as a researcher, teacher, explorer or manager and be it in
the academic, industrial or government sectors or as an independent entrepreneur. The award
honors a graduate who has made the department proud at the highest level.
Wells’ distinguished educational and professional career began at Indiana University where
he received a B.S. in geology in 1971. He went on to receive an M.S. and Ph.D. in geology from
the University of Cincinnati. He was a professor in the University of New Mexico’s department
of geology from 1976 to 1991 and a professor of geomorphology at the University of CaliforniaRiverside until 1995, when he came to DRI as the executive director of the Quaternary Sciences
Center as well as a research professor and graduate faculty member at the University of Nevada,
Reno. Wells has served as president of DRI since 1999.
Adding to a lengthy list of his many professional awards and activities, Wells began serving
a one-year term as president of The Geological Society of America (GSA) in June 2006. GSA is
a broad unifying scientific society that fosters the human quest for understanding Earth, plants
and life. A member for almost 35 years, Wells’ service to GSA has included chairing several
committees, co-convening a GSA conference and serving on the editorial board of various GSA
publications. GSA has more than 16,000 members in more than 85 countries.
The Owen Award is named in honor of Richard Owen, who taught courses in geology,
natural history, botany and geography at Indiana University from 1864 to 1879. He was the
first IU professor to publish papers concerning geology. The Owen Award was established
in 1985 in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the founding of IU’s department of
geological sciences.
8
Awards and Recognition
Lewis’ Achievements an Example of Precious Commodity
Story by Heather Emmons
in Adjunct Research Professors
What the experts are saying about “Dynamic Data
Assimilation: A Least Squares Approach”
Professor Martin Ehrendorfer, University of Vienna:
“I find a lot of detail that the readers will appreciate,
and I like the way the book is structured—from
‘simple’ estimation methods to the Kalman Filter and
variational methods.”
Professor Tomi Vukicevic, University of Colorado:
“This book on data assimilation covers essentially all that
we know about state estimation for dynamically evolving
systems—a grand effort on a much-needed textbook.”
Dr. Andrew Lorenc, Head, Data Assimilation
Section, British Meteorological Office:
“I think the book will be very useful, giving derivations of
key results at a level that my staff will find appropriate.”
Dr. James Purser, National Meteorological Center/
Environmental Modeling Center:
“It was enjoyable to see so many ideas so nicely set
out—a treasure and wonderful resource for students.”
To quote a famous Frank Sinatra song, 2006 “was a very good year”
for Adjunct Research Professor Dr. John Lewis. In February, Lewis
was awarded Fellow of the American Meteorological Society for his
sustained contributions to numerical weather prediction and historical
studies of meteorology. This was an apt award, indeed, since Lewis’
40-year career in meteorology includes being an operational meteorologist for the U. S. Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), a university professor and a researcher in
private and government laboratories. Currently on long-term assignment to DRI, he serves as a research meteorologist at the NOAA National
Severe Storms Laboratory.
In August 2006, Cambridge University Press published his book (with
co-authors S. Lakshmivarahan and Sudarshan Dhall) on dynamic data
assimilation—a comprehensive treatise on the mathematical methods
used to prepare weather observations for use in forecasting. The book,
“Dynamic Data Assimilation: A Least Squares Approach,” has already
received acclaim from meteorologists at operational prediction centers
worldwide and from academicians.
Lewis has been a DRI adjunct professor since 1998. Adjuncts are
typically highly experienced scientists who have a record of collaboration with DRI faculty members, but are employed elsewhere. Bestowing
the title of “adjunct” is a visible way of recognizing this relationship
and encouraging even closer collaborations. Both sides benefit from
such an arrangement by direct scientific interactions with the individuals involved, as well as by granting exposure to a broader range of
colleagues and expertise at partnering institutions. If the adjunct professor comes from a traditional university setting, this often leads to subsequent student exchange opportunities.
Dr. Lewis’ adjunct experience has been somewhat unusual in that
he has been physically located at DRI since 1998. “This has worked
very well,” says Dr. S. Kent Hoekman, Executive Director of the Division
of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS). “Because John has been physically
embedded within DAS, he has frequently partnered with regular faculty
members in writing proposals, conducting research projects and publishing scientific papers. He has also taught classes within the Atmospheric
Sciences Graduate Program, has served on students’ thesis committees
and has mentored students and junior faculty members alike. In fact, he
is so fully incorporated into DAS activities that most people at DRI don’t
realize he is actually employed by NOAA.”
Lewis received his undergraduate education at Sacramento State
College and was then awarded a fellowship from the Ford Foundation
to complete his M.S. at the University of Chicago and a fellowship from
NASA to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma. He resides
with his wife and youngest daughter in Truckee, Calif., where he studies Sierra snowstorms firsthand. Copies of Lewis’ book can be obtained
from Amazon or Cambridge’s U.S. office in New York City.
9
Events
Collaboration on Common Ground:
TCES Provides Much-Needed Home Base for Research
When DRI scientists talk about staging a research activity at
Lake Tahoe, it may sound a bit like they’re getting ready for a
Shakespearean play at Sand Harbor, when in reality, they are
preparing to perform cutting-edge scientific research. No theatrics are involved, but scientists do use many props—such as
DRI’s research boat—and creative thinking to tackle the job of
keeping the beautiful backdrop of Lake Tahoe blue. Adding to
this backdrop, and to the excitement of DRI researchers, is the
new Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TCES)—a muchneeded on-site laboratory that will help to set the stage for more
top-notch, collaborative research.
The new $33 million building, located on the campus of Sierra
Nevada College in Incline Village, Nev., opened its doors on August
21, 2006, after nearly two years of construction. The center
provides DRI’s researchers—and collaborators from places
like University of California, Davis and the University of Nevada,
Reno—the opportunity to “meet in the middle” to discuss
research, work on data interpretations, and create models all at
one location. Sierra Nevada College, UC Davis, UNR, and DRI will
all operate out of the new building.
DRI’s scientists are looking forward to the two equipmentstorage and preparation rooms where field equipment will be put
together, calibrated and readied for field deployment. In addition to office space for DRI faculty, the new facility also includes
a small conference room where scientists can meet with agency
personnel in the basin, as well as other scientists, to develop
research proposals, present preliminary data and present
study findings. The center also offers state-of-the-art analytical
equipment for timely, on-site measurements, as well as visualization equipment, allowing scientists to create virtual images
and models of their research to better understand Lake Tahoe’s
changing environment and needs.
For a decade, DRI’s Lake Tahoe research has focused on a variety of areas, including atmospheric sciences, general air quality
within the basin, shoreline erosion, stormwater runoff, evaluation
of environmental restoration projects and hydrology.
“DRI has a long history of working in the Tahoe basin, and now
the TCES will provide a more accessible home base for DRI scientists who generally commute from Reno for their Tahoe research
activities,” Dr. Jim Thomas, Executive Director of DRI’s Center
for Watersheds and Environmental Sustainability says. “For the
last 10 years, DRI has been very active in the basin, working with
local governments and decision-makers, using scientific research
to preserve the Lake Tahoe environment. We do what is called
adaptive management to make sure policies and decisions are
based on sound science.”
10
The public is welcome at TCES
On the first floor of the TCES, the Thomas J. Long Foundation
Education Center includes interactive exhibits that give the public a
hands-on look at the important research conducted at Lake Tahoe.
Visitors will feel as if they are aboard a Lake Tahoe research boat, or
inside a research laboratory, and learn from a life-size video host.
Rock the boat: Guests test the waters of a replica of Dr. Charles Goldman’s
research boat, with a floor that gently rocks to simulate being on water.
The exhibit is part of the Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center
that includes interactive exhibits that give the public a hands-on look at
the important research conducted at Lake Tahoe.
Exhibits in the Long Center and docents will describe how design
and construction of the TCES incorporated numerous features that
use recycled materials and are energy efficient. In this way, the
building itself is intended to contribute to the environmental health
of the basin and to be a resource for visitors and members of the
Lake Tahoe community.
Turning over a “green” leaf
The TCES is a three-story building providing 45,000 square feet of
academic and research space. It is entirely “green” in operation and
design. In early 2005, the trustees of Sierra Nevada College decided to
work to achieve a Platinum certification for the building from the U.S.
Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org). The rating and certification
system established by the council is known as LEED, or Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design, and the “green” construction
standards are the first independent national standards of their kind.
Ratings range from Certified, to Silver, Gold and Platinum.
The TCES is expected to be the first Platinum LEED building in
Nevada, possibly the fourteenth Platinum-rated building in the United
States and the first “green” working science laboratory of its kind in
the world.
Story by Heather Emmons
Photos by Jean Dixon
Events
How green is it?
Building photo by Chris Talbot
Here’s how the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences incorporates green building into its structure and use:
1. Venting towers recover heat from exhaust air and preheat fresh air, reducing heating costs while maintaining high air quality.
2. Light shelves are used to refract natural light from the sun inside the building up
to thirty feet. The glass walls of offices pass light to the corridors. Light-colored
countertops do not absorb light, essentially recycling light in the labs. Light supplied
by the skylights and windows changes in intensity and color throughout the day,
creating a more natural, healthy environment.
3. Trees harvested from the building site that were milled in place—saving energy
expenses of transport—were used for finishing work. Unmilled wood was shredded and used for erosion control and ground cover.
4. A co-generator produces electricity and the waste heat is recovered and used for
heating the building through special tubing embedded in the floor. This heat would
be lost to the atmosphere if the electricity were generated by a utility. It is estimated
that the co-generator cuts the carbon impact of electricity consumption by twothirds.
5. Trex material will be used for the exterior walkways. Trex is made of recycled plastic
grocery bags, stretch film, reclaimed wood and sawdust.
6. A compressed natural gas (CNG) pump will be located behind the building. SNC and
UC Davis staffs plan to use CNG vehicles to promote environmental stewardship.
7. The building’s structural concrete contains fly ash, a by-product of coal combustion,
converting that waste into a resource.
8. Rain and melted snow are captured, sterilized by ultraviolet rays from the sun and
stored for use in the building’s toilets.
9. Photovoltaic solar panels—875 of them—cover a section of the roof and generate
much of the electricity used in the building.
Top: DRI President Dr. Stephen Wells addresses a crowd of more than
700 at the TCES Grand Opening Ceremony.
Above: Dr. Charles Goldman (center wearing suit and tie) is honored
during the TCES Grand Opening Ceremony with a ceremonial dance
performed by the Washoe Tribe. Goldman, a member of the DRI Research
Foundation Board and top limnologist from UC Davis, has dedicated 35
years of his life to the study of Lake Tahoe’s clarity . The TCES building
was part of his vision.
10. Cold water is produced at night using the cold air and is stored in two buried 10,000gallon tanks. This water cools the building by day. The system conserves energy
compared to a conventional air conditioning system. The cooling system uses the
same radiant panels as the heating system, reducing construction materials.
Information found at the TCES website:
http://www.sierranevada.edu/admission/students/tces_green.html
11
Events
Events
Las Vegas Open House Wows Tourists and Residents Alike
More than 500 visitors roamed the halls of DRI’s
Las Vegas campus on October 7, and Institute scientists showed them there is more to glitter gulch
than larger-than-life hotels and neon lights. DRI’s
researchers proved to young and old alike that in the
“Entertainment Capital of the World,” science can
be extremely entertaining, captivating and educational. Radio station Star 102.7 helped showcase the
event, as scientists explained their expertise
in areas like virtual reality, groundwater
modeling, the Community Environmental Monitoring Program,
weather and climate, physical anthropology, archaeology, air quality,
nuclear research, innovation in monitoring global climate change,
microbiology, ecological engineering, geomicrobiology, soils and
geochemistry.
Visitors learned about Daphnia—a bug that cleans water—and
got to take some home; they learned how exploring life in rocks in
Antarctica sheds life on whether life can exist on Mars; and they built
soil volcanoes and rain gauges. A few stops took
visitors back in time: they learned what bones can tell us
about our ancestors; what artifacts the Anasazi left behind
help us understand about them; and what can be learned
about the effects of past nuclear testing at the Nevada Test
Site and other places across the U.S.
DRI would like to thank Star 102.7 radio for help with
publicity before and during the event; the Clark County
Air Quality outreach team for partnering to educate
the community about air quality issues; teachers Lee
Howard, Dana Harper and Don Curry, as well as Curry’s
students, for sharing their knowledge about DRI’s Science
Boxes program and assisting with the open house; and to
Summerlin for sponsoring the production of the “treasure
maps” that helped people find their way to each exhibit.
Story and photos by Heather Emmons
12
Events
13
News from the DRI Research Foundation
GreenPower Program Grows by Leaps and Bounds
Drive by any of DRI’s 14 GreenPower schools in Nevada and
you’ll see solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof. What you
won’t see—at least not while you’re driving by—is the thousands
of students monitoring renewable energy production and learning
about “green” energy sources . . . you’d need to visit a classroom
to see that. DRI is dedicated to supporting and promoting the use
and development of renewable sources of energy in Nevada, with
an emphasis on educating Nevada’s K-12 population through the
GreenPower program.
Over the past year, the GreenPower program has seen the addition of more school campuses than any previous year. When the
first DRI GreenPower school was unveiled in 2002, future growth
of the program looked slow and steady. But thanks to the generosity of corporate and individual donors, in the past two school
years, two school sites were unveiled in southern Nevada, one in
rural Nevada, and there is one more currently being constructed
in northern Nevada.
In spring 2007, construction will be complete at the Mountain
View Montessori School in Reno. The site is being funded by a
grant from the school, along with funds from the Nevada State
Office of Energy, Sierra Pacific Resources and Sierra Pacific Power
Company customers who make tax-deductible contributions to the
GreenPower program.
An enthusiastic group of supporters gathered at the David E.
Norman Elementary School in Ely on February 16, 2007, to celebrate
the unveiling of their GreenPower structure. All 5th grade students
participated in a renewable-energy poster contest, and the posters were featured at the unveiling event. The Norman Elementary
GreenPower site was funded by Sierra Pacific Resources.
In June 2006, the Frank J. Lamping Elementary School in
Henderson welcomed a GreenPower installation at its William
McCool Science Center. Lamping Elementary students attended the
unveiling event, participated in a poster contest and gave tours of
the Science Center to visitors. This school site is unique because
students from throughout Clark County will be visiting the McCool
Science Center on field trips, giving the GreenPower equipment the
potential to reach far more students. The GreenPower structure
at Lamping Elementary was the first paid for entirely by corporate sponsors, including Nevada Power Company, the
Nevada State Office of Energy and Bechtel Nevada.
The UNLV Research Foundation—as part of its
Solar Technology Center—also partnered in the
endeavor.
A similar event was held in October 2005 at
the Sandy Searles Miller Magnet School Academy
for International Studies in Las Vegas. Students
at the school participated in “Solar Day” festivities, visiting booths that featured interactive solar
activities. The solar panels and wind turbine array
itself were dedicated in honor of former First Lady
Sandy Miller’s late father, Jim Searles, who was a great
friend to the school. The site, like past GreenPower
installations, was funded primarily by donations from
individual power customer contributions.
Above, right: DRI Research Foundation board member and GreenPower Committee Chairman Jim Kropid asks the contest
winner at Norman Elementary School (Ely) to describe her renewable energy poster.
Below, right: Lamping Elementary School (Henderson) also had a renewable energy poster contest with a proud winner.
Background: The equipment at the Sandy Searles Miller Academy (Las Vegas) sits on the roof of the library.
Interested in supporting renewable energy in Nevada’s classrooms by contributing to DRI’s
GreenPower program? Visit www.sierrapacific.com or www.nevadapower.com to make tax-deductible contributions through your power bill.
14
Story by Kate Kirkpatrick
Photos by Heather Emmons
News from the DRI Research Foundation
Dr. Susan Lindquist to Receive DRI’s Nevada Medal for 2007
Story by Heather Emmons
Photo by Justin Knight
Like a crime scene investigator meticulously probing for clues in a
murder mystery, molecular biologist Susan Lindquist has spent decades
uncovering clues to the culprit for killers like Parkinson’s disease,
Creutzfeld-Jacob disease and mad cow disease. Her work has had an
enormous impact in fields as diverse as medicine, bioengineering, basic
molecular and cell biology and evolution.
The underlying theme of her multifaceted work is protein folding
and misfolding. Proteins are the basis of how biology gets things done.
They start out in the body as long strings of amino acids and have to
assemble themselves into complex shapes—a process scientists call
folding—before they can do anything. They are the main constituent of
our brains, muscles, hair, skin and blood vessels.
What happens if proteins don’t fold correctly? When proteins
misfold, they can clump together, and the clumps can often gather in
the brain, where they are believed to cause the symptoms of mad cow
or Alzheimer’s disease. Cystic fibrosis, an inherited form of emphysema, and even many cancers are also believed to result from protein
misfolding. Protein misfolding has been implicated as a major mechanism in many severe neurological disorders including Parkinson’s and
Huntington’s diseases.
Mysteries unfold in the Lindquist lab. . .
In the Lindquist lab, located at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical
Research in Cambridge, Mass., Lindquist and her colleagues have developed yeast strains that serve as living test tubes in which to study neurodegenerative disorders, unraveling how protein folding contributes to
them. The scientists have succeeded in reproducing many of the biological consequences of Parkinson’s disease in yeast cells and are screening for drugs to prevent and treat the disease.
Prions are proteins that can change into a self-perpetuating
form—renewing themselves indefinitely. Only recently discovered,
one of them is already well known as the cause of mad cow disease.
Lindquist and her team investigate both how prions form and the
diseases they cause. Additionally, Lindquist is convinced that other
prion proteins play many important and positive roles in biological
processes. The first evidence for this was shown in her work with
Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel, which demonstrated that prions may be
integral to memory storage in the brain.
The Lindquist lab has also used yeast to prove that inherited traits
can be passed on via prion proteins, without any change in DNA or
RNA, findings that have added a twist to the traditional understanding
of inheritance.
Heat shock proteins are a group of molecular chaperone proteins
that, as their name might suggest, guide other proteins to fold and
mature correctly. Lindquist has established that heat shock protein 90
can reveal hidden genetic variations in fruit flies and in cress plants
under certain environmental conditions. Most of these variations are
“What do ‘mad cow,’ people with
neurodegenerative diseases and an
unusual type of inheritance in yeast have
in common? They are all experiencing
the consequences of misfolded proteins.
. . In humans the consequences can
be deadly, leading to such devastating
illnesses as Alzheimer’s disease.
In one case, the misfolded protein is not only deadly to the
unfortunate individual in which it has appeared, but it can
apparently be passed from one individual to another under
special circumstances—producing infectious neurodegenerative
diseases such as mad cow disease in cattle and CreutzfeldJacob disease in humans.”
—“From Mad Cows to ‘Psi-chotic’ Yeast: A New Paradigm
in Genetics,” National Academy of Sciences Distinguished
Leaders in Science Lecture Series
likely to be harmful, but a few unusual combinations may produce valuable new traits, spurring the pace of evolution.
Revolutionary. . .
Many times scientists must also take on the role of inventor, finding
new strategies and revolutionary tactics, and Lindquist is no exception. She has designed her own technology when necessary, some
of which has transformed the practice of Drosophila genetics—an
experimental simulation observing the breeding of the fruit fly—
producing the first precise method of inserting and deleting genes in
a higher organism.
Her determination to translate her fundamental biological research
into clinical treatments and cures for diseases is further illustrated by
the fact that she and a colleague, Jeff Kelly from Scripps Research
Institute, co-founded a biotech company, FoldRx Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., to expedite the discovery of drugs to alleviate the diseases.
Lindquist is a member and former director (2001 to 2004) of
Whitehead Institute, a professor of biology at MIT and a Howard
Hughes Medical Institute investigator. At the University of Chicago,
she was the Albert D. Lasker Professor of Medical Sciences from 1999
to 2001 and a professor in the Department of Molecular Biology since
1978. She received a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University in 1976,
and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in
1997, the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 and the Institute of
Medicine in 2006. Lindquist’s honors also include a spot on Discover
magazine’s 2002 list of the top 50 women scientists and Scientific
American’s top 50.
15
News from the DRI Research Foundation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
All names left to right
16
1) FASTFRAME (1st Place Men and Best Dressed): Kim Park,
Steve Sear, Steve Buszka and Craig Park.
2) Pepsi/InSors, Inc. (2nd Place Men): Jim Miller, John Parsons,
James Leah and Ken Monk.
3) Chavez (3rd Place Men): DeWayne Manning, Robert Chavez,
Dan Welty and Tim Robson.
4) Barrick (1st Place Women): Renee Parker, Sean Gamble,
Crystal Bartorelli and Be-Be Adams.
5) Newmont (1st Place Mixed): John Mudge, Llee Chapman,
Jill Chapman and John Burrows.
6) Wells Fargo (2nd Place Mixed): Brandon Goles, Mendy Elliott,
Christopher Lynn and Chad Osorno.
7) The Resort at Red Hawk (3rd Place Mixed): Cathy Dangler,
Skylo Dangler, Dave Richardson and Marsha Wagner.
8) Embarq II (Sportsmanship Award): Rob McCoy, Bob Welch and
Phil Williamson.
9) Nevada State Bank I: Jack Frost, Dave Pooser, By Sprenger and
Steve Erger.
10) Nevada State Bank II: Rick Teixeira, Terry Ulleseit, Greg Barrington
and Chris Forgis.
11) IGT I: Dave Solter, Kurt Davis, Jim Shaw and Pat Minnix.
12) IGT II: Barry Phillips, J.J. Jarzynka, Paul Hewitt and Ted Herzchel.
13) Ameriprise Financial: Chris Mulloy, Keith Gottschalk, Joel Heffren
and Jason Glavish.
News from the DRI Research Foundation
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
14) Sierra Pacific Resources: Larry Tuntland, Walt Higgins, Jeff Sligar
and Bill Follette.
15) Groves-Fischer: Jeff Groves, Mike Talbot, Fred Fischer and
Dana Metoyer.
16) Lennar I (Hawk Sponsor): Tim Kent, Pam Parenti, Mark Bacon and
Mike Branson.
17) Lennar II (Hawk Sponsor): Scott Lippi, Dave Reeder, Mark Gamba and
Jack Gamba.
18) Rollermonkey/REMSA: Regent Stavros Anthony,
Dan Gubbels, Dan Botwinis and Jim Gubbels.
19) Fernley 7-11 Team: Craig Williams, Todd Herman,
Dean Nicholson and Eric Lopez.
20) Boomtown: Dick Scott, Mike Helbing,
Jack Fisher and Jerry Day.
21) Ami Jewelers: Jack Ferris, Jeff Marcil,
Tudor Chirila and Mike Faiella.
22) Tournament Sponsors: Ameriprise Financial/Jason
Glavish; Ami Jewelers/Mike Faiella; Bear Industries/
Jerry Cail; Embarq/Rob McCoy; and FASTFRAME/Steve
Buszka.
23) Ten Year Team Awards: Bear Industries/Jerry Cail; AT&T
Nevada/Kris Wells; FASTFRAME/Steve Buszka.
24) Tournament chairman Skylo Dangler presents Lennar with the company’s sponsor pieces and special recognition award.
25) Tournament Sponsors: KOLO-TV/Dick Stoddard; Rollermonkey/
Steven Braun; The Resort at Red Hawk/Mike Eskuchen; Sierra Pacific
Resources/Walt Higgins.
26) DRI volunteer John Gardner, DRI President Stephen Wells, Beth Wells
and former DRI Foundation Chair David Fulstone.
27) Tournament founder Jerry Cail putts for $25,000!
Photos by John Doherty and Heather Emmons
17
News from the DRI Research Foundation
Sponsors of the 2006 DRI Golf Extravaganza
The Lennar Family of Companies
Corporate Team Sponsors
Boomtown
First National Bank of Nevada
Groves-Fischer
Pavers Plus
Team Sponsors
3D Electric
Associated Management
AT&T Nevada
Circus Circus
Clark and Sullivan Constructors
Custom Tile
Fernley 7-11
Grand Sierra Resort
Dr. Harry Huneycutt
Mill Direct Services
Newmont Mining
Timberidge Development
All Other Donors
24-Hour Fitness
ABD Insurance/Rich Bullard
A. Carlisle and Company
Be-Be Adams
Aliante Golf Club
Anonymous
Applebee’s
Applied Mechanical
Arrow Creek Golf Course
Arrowleaf Golf Course
18
ASUN Bookstore
Atkinson & Atkinson CPAs, LTD.
Atlantis Casino Resort
Baja Fresh
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bertha Miranda’s Mexican Restaurant
Big 5 Sporting Goods
Big O Tires
The Bijou
BJ’s Nevada BBQ
Blue Moon Pizza
Bobo’s Mogul Mouse
Bonanza Casino
Greg Bortolin
Brainstorm Consultants/Michael
Benjamin
Steven Braun
Michelle Breckner
Bricks Restaurant
Buenos Grill
Buggy Bath Car Wash
Bully’s Sports Bar & Grill
John Burrows
Butcher Boy
Jerry & Judi Cail
Cake and Flower Shoppe
Carriage House
Carlson Wagonlit Travel/Business Travel
& Tours
Carson Oak Outlet
Casablanca
Cascata Golf Resort
Robert “Llee” Chapman
Robert Chavez
Claim Jumper Restaurant
Clay Canvas
Cold Stone Creamery
Robin & Dawn Coots
Ryan Coots
Coyote Moon Golf
D’Andrea Golf Club
Skylo & Cathy Dangler
Dayton Valley Golf Club @ Legado
Diamond Peak Ski Resort
John Doherty
Eagle Valley Golf Club
Nathan Edwards
El Adobe Café Mexican Restaurant
Eldorado Hotel Casino
Mendy Elliott
Jerry & Lou Emmert
Fagen Family Charitable Fund
Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro
Brian Fitzgerald
Floral Expressions
Flowers by Patti
Flowing Tide Pub
Foley’s Irish Pub
William Follette
Forever Yours Furniture
Franke Contract Group
Tammy Freeman
R.T. Freudenthaler
Fuller Color Center
David & Diane Fulstone
Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort
Mark Gamba
Garden Shop Nursery
Fred D. Gibson, Jr.
Jason Glavish
Gold Dust West
Gold ‘N’ Silver Inn
Golf Club at Fernley
Keith Gottschalk
Ryan Greenhalsh
Grill at Quail Corners
Fred Groves, Jr.
Beth Hall
Vicki Hall
Harrah’s Reno
Harvey’s/Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
Jim Hicks
High Sierra Lanes
Hoagie Hut
Richard Horton
Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino
InSORS Integrated Communications
Jamba Juice
Java Jungle
JJ’s Pie Company
JLH, Inc.
John Ascuaga’s Nugget
Juicy’s Giant Hamburgers
Jungle Vino
K.G. Park Lines
Kate & Jay Kirkpatrick
Janis Klimowicz
KNPB Channel 5 Public Broadcasting
La Pinata
La Vecchia
Lake Shastina Golf Resort
Lakeridge Golf Course
Chris Larsen
Las Vegas National Golf Club
Lodge at Galena
Lone Oak Lodge
Michelle Lopez
Louis’ Basque Corner
News from the DRI Research Foundation
Doug Lowenthal
William Luikart
Kathy Mahon
Marble Slab Creamery
Marina Hand Car Wash
McDonald’s/Tom McKennie
George Mercado
Nanette Merlino
Jim Miller
Mimi’s Café
Claudia Miner
Subhasree Mishra
Mission Car Wash
Moana Nursery
Dave Mouat
Christopher Mulloy
National Automobile Museum
Dean Nicholson
Bob & Del Noland
Northgate Golf Club
Chad Osorno
Painted Desert Golf Club
Pam Parenti
William M. Park
Patrick James Men’s Clothing
Payless Cleaners
PDQ Shell
Peppermill Hotel Casino
Pizza Baron
Pizza Shack/Dave Richardson
PJ’s & Company
Playful Potter
Port of Subs Clearacre
Precision Diamonds
Pulte Homes
Q&D Construction Inc.
R. Herz & Brothers Jewelers
Regis Hair Salon
REMSA
Reno Gallery of Furniture
Reno Mattress Co., Inc.
Reno Toyota
Reno Vulcanizing
Rio Suites & Hotel
Tim Robson
Norman Rosensteel
Rosewood Lakes Golf Course
Cindy Routh
Ruby River Steakhouse
Mary Lee Schmidt
Rina Schumer
Vicki Hafen Scott
Stephen Sear
Shoppers Square
Sierra Classic Foods
Sierra Office Solutions
Sierra Sage Golf Course
Silver Club
Silver Peak Brewery
Kathleen Smith-Miller
Southwest Airlines
Sparks Florist
Sports West
Squaw Valley Ski Corporation
Craig Stevenson
Lee Suttner
Michael J. Talbot
TGI Friday’s
Thunder Canyon
Top Hat Party Rentals
Truckee River Bar and Grill I
Truckee River Bar and Grill II
Larry Tuntland
UNR Department of Athletics
U.S. Bank
Stuart Vides
Kris Wells
Stephen & Beth Wells
Western Turf
Whispering Vine
Harvey & Annette Whittemore
Wild Creek Golf
Wild Island
Bob Wilkie
Craig Williams
Dennis Williams
Wolf Run Golf Club
Dongzi Zhu
Zozo’s Italian Ristorante
Fourteen Fresh Faces Join DRI Research Foundation
Thirteen new members have joined the DRI Research Foundation this year, along with one returning
member. This year’s crop is a diverse group of individuals from a wide array of industries encompassing
many of the interests of DRI’s scientists—all dedicated to furthering the mission of DRI’s scientists in
Nevada and across the world. Please join us in welcoming this year’s new board members:
Daniel C. Barnett
Paul M. Laxalt
Kirk V. Clausen
Sandy Masters
Charles T. Creigh
Kristin McMillan
Chief Operating Officer of Vistage International
(Incline Village, NV)
Regional President/Nevada for Wells Fargo Bank (Las Vegas, NV)
Founder of NewMarket Advisors (Las Vegas, NV)
Thomas E. Gallagher
President of Greylock Group, Inc. (Las Vegas, NV)
Judi Gardner
Owner of EJ’s Jazz Cafe (Reno, NV)
Kathleen L. Hone
Executive Director for Saint Mary’s Foundation
(Incline Village, NV)
Real Estate Broker for Chateau Properties (Reno, NV)
Vice President and General Manager of Embarq Corporation
(Las Vegas, NV)
Maureen Mullarkey
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
International Game Technology (Reno, NV)
Ian Rogoff
Owner of Hone Company (Gardnerville, NV)
Co-Founder and General Partner of Sierra Nevada Partners
(Incline Village, NV)
Peter Kovacs
Marlene Wheeler
Owner and Consultant for Kovacs Advisory Group, LLC
(Incline Village, NV)
Co-Founder of Wheelers Las Vegas RV and Co-Founder of the
Wheeler Family Foundation (Las Vegas, NV)
James J. Kropid
President of James Kropid Investments (Las Vegas, NV)*
*Returning board member
19
Meet 2007 Nevada Medalist Dr. Susan
Lindquist and learn more about her
work by attending the Nevada Medal
Dinners or the free Nevada Medal
lectures.
DRI News is published by the Desert
Research Institute, a nonprofit, statewide
division of the Nevada System of Higher
Education. DRI is internationally recognized
for excellence in environmental research.
DRI operates the Dandini Research Park
in Reno. Articles appearing in DRI News
may be reprinted without restriction unless
noted otherwise.
Vice President for Institutional
Advancement
Dr. Claudia Miner
Editor
Heather Emmons
Nevada Medal Dinners
Reno:
Tuesday, April 10 – Grand Sierra Resort. For more information contact
Dawn Coots in Reno at (775) 674-7551.
Las Vegas: Thursday, April 12 – Caesars Palace. For more information, contact
Cindy Sargent in Las Vegas at (702) 862-5530.
Free Nevada Medal Lectures
Reno:
Wednesday, April 11 at 4:00 p.m. – DRI’s Stout Conference Center
Las Vegas: Thursday, April 12 at 4:00 p.m. – DRI’s Rogers Auditorium
For more information contact Heather Emmons in Reno at (775) 673-7313
or in Las Vegas at (702) 862-5420.
Contributors
Heather Emmons
Kate Kirkpatrick
Sara Marcus
Jack Sunderland
Layout & Design by Rollermonkey Design
Printing by Bear Industries
755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV
89119-7363
(702) 862-5400
2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV
89512-1095
(775) 673-7300
E-mail: heather.emmons@dri.edu
www.dri.edu
Desert Research Institute is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity/
Affirmative Action in recruitment of its
students and employees and does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex, age, creed, national origin,
veteran status, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation. DRI employs
only United States citizens and aliens
lawfully authorized to work in the United
States. Women and under-represented
groups are encouraged to apply.
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
RENO, NV
PERMIT NO. 127
2215 Raggio Parkway
Reno, NV 89512-1095
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED