Behind the Science Blog
DRI’s “Behind the Science” blog featuring our people and projects
Read the stories below to learn more about the amazing people and projects happening at DRI.
DRI welcomes new graduate students to Reno and Las Vegas campuses
Each year, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) welcomes new graduate students from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), who work under the direction of DRI faculty on our northern and southern campuses to conduct research across a variety of scientific fields as they pursue their master’s and doctoral degrees. Read below to get to know our new grad...
Why scientists are studying stories during the COVID-19 pandemic
The family dinner table. The water cooler with coworkers. Your social media feed. Bedtime with your toddler. What do all these places have in common? They’re full of stories. Look closely at your day and, chances are, you’ll notice that stories...
Meet Steve Bacon, M.S.
Steve Bacon, M.S., P.G., C.E.G. is an associate research scientist of geomorphology with the Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Nevada, Reno. Steve...
Meet Ken McGwire, Ph.D.
Ken McGwire, Ph.D., is an associate research professor of geography with the Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno. He specializes in environmental mapping, monitoring and modeling using satellite imagery...
People-powered research: Citizen science makes microplastics discovery at Lake Tahoe possible
Take a moment to picture a scientist who has made a groundbreaking discovery. What does that person look like? Perhaps it’s a person in a white coat standing in a lab with microscopes and test tubes, or a distinguished professor accepting an award...
Meet Julie Albright, DRI’s Technologist of the Year
The cutting-edge scientific research that happens at DRI wouldn't be possible without the Institute's many technologists: non-faculty employees who have special technical experience and training to support instrumentation design, laboratory and...
Using Machine Learning to Address Land Subsidence in Pahrump Valley
As populations in the southwestern United States continue to grow, the demand on water resources also increases. One region experiencing this stress on its groundwater resources is Pahrump Valley in southern Nye County, Nevada. Pahrump Valley is...
New DRI projects for 2020 include luminescence dating, fracking, and groundwater
Three new research projects sponsored by the Desert Research Institute in 2020 will explore new methods in luminescence dating, groundwater contamination around fracking operations, and the movement of groundwater through rocks and soils. DRI...
Donor-powered research solving critical environmental problems
DRI is a non-profit, which means that we rely on financial support from donors to make our projects possible. Thanks to individual contributions from community members, seed grants were awarded to eight teams of DRI researchers last year...
The WASH Capacity Building Program: An interview with Braimah Apambire, Ph.D.
Braimah Apambire, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for International Water and Sustainability (CIWAS) at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), and an expert in international Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). He leads DRI’s WASH Capacity...
Dust Control at the Oceano Dunes
DRI researchers continue a long-term effort to help park officials understand and manage dust emissions from California’s Oceano Dunes.
Science of Place: DRI researchers and teachers develop localized science lessons for Native American classrooms
Climate change, in the abstract, can be a difficult phenomenon to comprehend – but on the ground, youth from Native American reservations in Arizona are already experiencing everyday impacts in the form of droughts and warming temperatures. To help...
DRI Internal Award Winners 2019
At our annual Celebration of Science event in September 2019, we recognized our incredible DRI family. In addition to honoring faculty and staff celebrating service milestones with the Institute, we also presented internal awards to some of our...