DRI is organized into three Divisions and four Centers.  The Divisions are based on three main areas of faculty expertise—water, atmospheric, and earth-and-ecosystems sciences.  The Centers draw on expertise across the three Divisions for multidisciplinary research projects. 

Divisions

The Division of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) faculty work on projects as diverse as numerical modeling of atmospheric dynamics to wildfires and air quality.  The Western Regional Climate Center and the Nevada State Cloud-Seeding Program are based in DAS.  DRI’s renewable energy program is housed in DAS.

The Division of Earth and Ecosystems Science (DEES) encompasses a broad range of research specialties, including archaeology, geology, ecology, and climate change.  DEES projects include examining life in extreme environments, desert land utilization, including the Desert Terrain project, remote sensing, and soil studies.

Faculty members in the Division of Hydrological Sciences (DHS) have expertise in all aspects of water science, from water resources to contaminant modeling to chemistry.  Current DHS projects include evaluation and modeling of surface and groundwater, remediation and resource assessment, and collaborative projects like the Walker Basin Project.

Centers

The Center for Environmental Remediation and Monitoring (CERM) examines and mitigates environmental impacts from public and private projects, including community monitoring for the Nevada Test Site. 

Supporting the goal of sustainable development, the Center for Arid Lands Environmental Management (CALEM) research focuses on climate change and providing policy-makers with sound science for best-management practices. 

The Center for Watershed and Environmental Sustainability (CWES) is involved in collaborative studies at Lake Tahoe, including finding out why the lake is losing clarity. 

The Center for Advanced Visualization, Computing, and Modeling (CAVCaM) uses computer technology to conduct and enhance research at DRI, and is working collaboratively with division faculty to plan and utilize a full-immersion artificial-reality visualization facility (CAVE).

Questions regarding DRI's science research?  Contact DRI.