Archives: Events

Under the Sun: Stories of Heat and Humanity in a Changing World

Join DRI for an evening of storytelling that explores the impact of extreme heat on the human body, the environment, and the communities most vulnerable to its effects. ‘Under the Sun’ will delve into the science of heat, the life-and-death risks it presents, and the stories of resilience from those who bear the greatest burden in a warming world.

Purchase tickets online!

DRI Storytellers:
Patrick Hurbain, Ph.D. is an environmental epidemiologist working in the Environmental Analysis Facility at DRI. He worked as a technician at DRI between 2013 and 2019 before leaving to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Nevada, Reno. He returned to DRI as a postdoctoral researcher in September 2024. While in graduate school, Hurbain worked on a project with DRI’s Yeongkwon Son, Ph.D., examining environmental exposures in young children.

Read more about Dr. Hurbain in an exclusive interview with Behind the Science Blog.

Dr. Hurbain will tell the story of the human body under the stress of extreme heat.

Cayenne Engel is a Staff Research Scientist at DRI with a background in plant ecology, restoration biology and urban forestry, studying dynamic changes in complex ecosystems and bringing together a wide variety of partners and stakeholders across jurisdictions at local, state, and national scales. Cayenne works in DRI’s Nevada Heat Lab.

Cayenne will be telling a story about the complex relationships we have with trees which transcends the simple infrastructure role in our community architecture.

Featured Presenter:

RED is a rapper, entertainer, and master bucket drummer who will fuse a story and performance that weaves together raw experiences performing on the scorching Las Vegas Strip. Through live drumming and vivid tales, RED brings to life the hustle, heart, and heat of street performance.

Thank you to our community partner Nevada Humanities and media sponsor Nevada Public Radio.

This production is not a Vegas Theatre Company event. The views expressed and other information presented are solely those of the producing entity.

January 22, 2025
Roots of Wonder: Following Curiosity into the Natural World

Join us for an evening of storytelling that delves into the roots of curiosity and its enduring connection to the natural world. Explore personal journeys of discovery that spark a lifelong fascination with nature, ‘Roots of Wonder’ invites you to explore how our curiosity shapes our understanding of the world around us and inspires creativity in unexpected ways.

Purchase tickets online!

DRI Storyteller:
Sean McKenna, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences (DHS) at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). In this position he is responsible for success of a division with ~120 Research Faculty and Scientists, Postdocs, and Students. DHS works to advance knowledge of hydrologic processes including ground water, surface water, evapotranspiration, precipitation and snowmelt as well as the impacts of climate change and wildfires on these processes and on society. Projects within DHS span the full spectrum from basic science to applied solutions. Dr. McKenna’s research interests are within the areas Ground water flow and solute transport modeling, parameter estimation, hydroinformatics, and spatial statistics.

Dr. McKenna will share stories of his experiences working at the intersection of engineering and science and also looking at challenges that we face living in the Southwest.

Featured Speakers:

Jarret Keene is an assistant professor in the Department of English at UNLV, where he teaches American literature and the graphic novel. He is the series editor for Las Vegas Writes, sponsored by Nevada Humanities and published by Huntington Press, and is the author of Hammer of the Dogs, and the middle grade books Decide and Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom. Keene’s Kid Crimson series of Western novels, about the youngest, deadliest, and most handsome hired gun in Virginia City, Nevada, is published by Wolfpack Publishing. Keene has been interviewed by Writer’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, EcoTheo Review, Library Thing, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and Coast to Coast AM.

Sonia Barcelona is a singer-songwriter and multi-disciplinary artist from Las Vegas, known for her soulful vocals and heartfelt storytelling. With over a decade of performance, Sonia’s music blends indie, folk, and alternative sounds, drawing inspiration from her personal journey, culture, and the beauty of everyday life. Her work has been featured on Netflix, VICE, and she has been named Best of Vegas. Sonia has performed on numerous stages across the city and beyond, captivating audiences with her warm presence and introspective lyrics. In addition to her music, she is deeply involved in the arts and community, using her creativity to inspire and connect with others.

Thank you to our community partner Nevada Humanities and media sponsor Nevada Public Radio.

This production is not a Vegas Theatre Company event. The views expressed and other information presented are solely those of the producing entity.

January 22, 2025
Chasing Snow – Stories of Wonder, Tradition, and the Science of Winter

Join us for an evening of captivating stories that explore our connection to winter. From the wonder of snowfall to the traditions it inspires, and the science that unravels its mysteries, ‘Chasing Snow’ celebrates the many ways winter shapes our lives. Through diverse perspectives, we’ll uncover tales of discovery, creativity, and the enduring allure of the cold season. Come ready to be inspired.

Purchase tickets online!

DRI Storyteller:
Anne Heggli, Ph.D. is a snow and water scientist focused on improving observational methods and actionable environmental data as a research scientist at DRI. Her work focuses on long-term monitoring of mountain hydro/biosphere systems that informs the understanding of larger scale processes and water resources. Her entrepreneurial background in international weather monitoring, hardware development, and sensor systems consulting has perfectly prepared her to advance practical climate and weather research in the academic and public agency space.

Anne’s story will weave together her upbringing on the American River, snow monitoring, and her research in the Snake Range in Eastern Nevada (partially funded by the Long Now Foundation).

Featured Speakers:
Autumn Harry (she/her) is a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. She is Numu (Northern Paiute) on her paternal side and Diné (Navajo) on her maternal side. Autumn has spent her entire life learning and fishing in Kooyooe Pa’a Panunadu (Pyramid Lake, NV). Autumn recently graduated with a Masters of Science from the University of Nevada, Reno where she studied Geography with a focus on the reclamation of Numu place names at Kooyooe Pa’a Panunadu. Autumn identifies as a fisherwoman, land defender, Indigenous rights advocate, visual artist and fly fishing guide.

Shaun Griffin is a poet, author, and bridge-builder dedicated to fostering community where it is most needed. Griffin was appointed to the role of Nevada Poet Laureate on May 1, 2024,and will serve through April 30, 2026. He has spent decades amplifying voices through poetry, education, and advocacy. He co-founded Community Chest, a nonprofit serving children and families in rural Nevada, and directed the Nevada Office for Education of Homeless Children and Youth. For more than 30 years, he has led a poetry workshop at Northern Nevada Correctional Center, publishing Razor Wire, a journal of inmate writing.

Griffin’s work spans poetry, essays, translations, and memoirs, including Anthem for a Burnished Land. A lifelong advocate for the arts, he curated a 25-year poetry series at Reno’s Sundance Books and hosts the biweekly podcast A Writer’s World. His contributions have earned him the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, induction into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame, and other honors recognizing his profound impact on Nevada’s literary and social landscape.

Thank you to our community partner Nevada Humanities, our media sponsor KUNR, and our exclusive beverage sponsor 10 Torr.

January 22, 2025
Science Distilled: Drive-in for Science

Drive in, sit back, and get ready to watch a scientific film on the BIG screen! Join DRI, The Discovery and PBS Reno for the second annual Drive-in for Science, your chance to watch an amazing science documentary at the nostalgic El Rancho Drive-in in Sparks. Don’t forget the popcorn and Red Vines!

Location: West Wind El Rancho Drive-In Theater, 555 El Rancho Drive, Sparks
Times: Gate opens at 7:00 p.m. and the film begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase online through the Discovery!

Featured film:

NOVA: New Eye on the Universe Join scientists as they use NASA’s brand new James Webb Space Telescope to peer deep in time to hunt for the first stars and galaxies in our universe, and try to detect the fingerprints of life in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. Rating: TV-PG

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June 12, 2024
The Story of Nevada

Join us for an engaging science lecture that delves into Nevada’s history through the lens of archaeology and geology. Discover the significance of Basque arborglyphs, explore the research at the DRI luminescence lab, and learn about volcanos in Nevada (yes, this state!) that erupted not that long ago.

Tickets are available now for purchase through The Discovery!

This panel will feature Teresa Wriston, Ph.D., Geoarchaeologist and Associate Research Professor at DRI and Kathleen Rodrigues, Ph.D., Quaternary Geochronologist in the Luminescence Lab and Assistant Research Professor at DRI.

Teresa Wriston, Ph.D –
Teresa’s research centers on how past cultures coped or adapted to changing environmental conditions. She uses a broad interdisciplinary approach to build environmental contexts that show how prehistoric people used the landscape and what resources were targeted. Her work often draws from geomorphology, soils, remote sensing, ecology, and isotope ecology.

Kathleen Rodrigues, Ph.D. –
Kathleen is a Quaternary geochronologist that specializes in radiation exposure dating techniques, including optically stimulated luminescence, thermally stimulated luminescence, and electron spin resonance. Her research interests are focused on the development and application of luminescence dating methods to address questions in Quaternary geomorphology, paleoclimatology, and archaeology. Her recent work has focused primarily on the development of novel methods for dating eruption events in the Great Basin and defining the timescales over which tephra reworking occurs in the landscape.

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November 28, 2023
The Story of Extremes

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation delving into the realm of extremes. We’ll explore the impacts and dynamics of extreme heat, flash flooding, atmospheric rivers, and even delve into the complexities of extreme human behavior. Through an analytical lens, we’ll decipher the mechanisms driving these phenomena and their far-reaching consequences on our environment and society. Discover the science behind these extreme occurrences and gain a deeper understanding of how they shape our world.

Tickets are available now through The Discovery!

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Featured panelists:

Dan McEvoy, Ph.D. is a researcher with the Western Regional Climate Center at DRI. His research interests are interdisciplinary and span the fields of climate, hydrology, and meteorology.

Guo Yu, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor of Hydrometeorology. His research explores hydroclimate extremes, process-based hydrologic modeling, rainfall and flood frequency analyses, and climate change impact studies.

Wendy Baroli operates a small Personal Farmer Program™ and manages a land and water resource bordering Northern Nevada and Northern California.

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November 28, 2023
The Story of Resilience

This installment in the Science Distilled series will explore the critical topic of climate resiliency and local solutions. Gain valuable insights into emerging research on cooling the climate and how we can manage forests into the future.

Get your tickets online through The Discovery

Featured Presenters:

David Mitchell

Dr. David Mitchell received his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, USA, in 1995 and has contributed to the peer-reviewed literature in the atmospheric science sub-disciplines of cloud physics, radiation, remote sensing and climate dynamics. He and his students developed a theory describing the evolution of the North American monsoon that is now widely accepted, and he developed a treatment of ice cloud radiative properties that is currently used in the NCAR climate models. He and Dr. Anne Garnier developed and published (in 2016) the first satellite remote sensing retrieval for ice particle concentrations and later developed a method providing global percentages of cirrus clouds strongly affected by homogeneous ice nucleation. He published the first paper on the climate intervention method known as “cirrus cloud thinning” which may produce significant surface cooling at high latitudes. He has given 40 invited talks at universities and research institutes in the USA, the U.K., Germany, Mexico, Norway, France, and Sweden.

Anna Higgins

Anna Higgins is a forester with over twenty years of experience in forestry and wildfire throughout the West. She has a B.S. Forestry from the University of Montana, and a M.S. Forestry from Northern Arizona University. She has worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry, the US Forest Service, and currently the Nevada Division of Forestry. As the Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program Forester, Anna oversees the management of the forests in all NV State Parks inside the Lake Tahoe Basin. She is also a qualified prescribed fire Burn Boss and is very passionate about reintroducing good fire back into our forests.

Anna will present how the forests of Lake Tahoe have changed since Euro-American settlement, what risks the forests are facing in a changing climate, and how land managers and the Washoe tribe of Nevada and California are working to make the forests more resilient.

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November 28, 2023
The Story of the Mind

Embark on a fascinating exploration of the science of the mind in this engaging lecture. We will delve into the intricate links between obesity and trauma, unravel the science behind addiction, demystify the brain’s activity during meditation, and delve into the enigmatic mysteries of the human brain. Gain insights into the intricate workings of the mind and its profound impact on our health, behavior, and overall well-being.

During intermission, attendees at this Science Distilled event are welcome to explore Mental Health: Mind Matters, The Discovery’s current featured exhibition.

Get your tickets online through The Discovery: nvdm.org/event/science-distilled-the-story-of-the-mind/

Featured panelists:

Emma White wears many hats including being an author, professional speaker, podcast host, and Founder and President of the Life Is Worth It Organization. Emma is an accomplished advocate and mental health expert whose passionate voice and lived experience has gained national acclaim. In her day job, she is the Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Education and the Project Aware Manager for the Office of Suicide Prevention, where she specializes in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies on local, state, and federal levels.

Joe Grzymski, Ph. D. is the Chief Genomics Officer of Renown Health, the Director of the Renown Institute for Health Innovation, and a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine in the fields of Computational Biology and Genetics. Dr. Grzymski conceived of the Healthy Nevada Project and now leads a diverse team of geneticists, data scientists, programmers, engineers, clinicians, and doctors as a part of the Renown Institute for Health Innovation and within the School of Medicine.

Stephanie Koning, Ph. D. is Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Public Health in the Department of Health Behavior, Policy, and Administration Sciences. Her research spans population health, human biology, and social systems and policy. She focuses on biopsychosocial determinants of maternal and child health; structural violence, social stress, and trauma; and the health implications of migration and displacement.

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November 27, 2023
The Story of the Future

Join us for an enlightening science lecture focused on the power of data, models, dashboards and forecasting in keeping the public informed about critical environmental and community concerns. Explore the dynamics of urban heat and extreme weather modeling. Discover the vital role of community dashboards in presenting quality-of-life data and how data is being used to accurately predict education outcomes. Gain a deeper understanding of how data-driven models can help us prepare for and respond to the challenges of our changing world, all aimed at improving quality of life and creating resilient communities.

Tickets are available through The Discovery at https://nvdm.org/event/science-distilled-the-story-of-the-future/

Featured Presenters:

Kylie Rowe, Executive Director of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow
Measuring What Matters in Washoe County: TMT’s New Initiative in Data + Impact Storytelling
For 30+ years, Truckee Meadows Tomorrow has been Northern Nevada’s hub for quality-of-life data + explanation of services and what we bring to the community. Kylie will be presenting an overview of Quality of Life Community Indicators in Washoe County with examples of data and TMT’s New Pilot Project in Data + Impact Storytelling.

TMT is a grassroots organization that collects and publishes quality-of-life indicator data in northern Nevada. The mission is to enhance quality of life by providing accurate, timely and objective data as the basis for community engagement and dialogue.

John Mejia, Associate Research Professor, Climatology at DRI
Dr. Mejia’s current research focuses on developing regional climate modeling frameworks to examine climate impacts across various scales, ranging from global to regional to urban settings. He integrates observations and model output to generate practical information for environmental management, as well as the formulation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Dr. Mejia’s presentation will show our advancements in the modeling of the urban climate for the Las Vegas Metropolitan area, including its urban built heterogeneity and its interaction with urban vegetation, water, and energy consumption. Additionally, we shed light on how policies aimed at water conservation (e.g., turf replacement) or heat management (e.g., cool roofs and cool roads) exhibit synergies and tradeoffs, underscoring the importance of a comprehensive understanding for effective urban environmental management.

JT Stark, Data Visualization and Analytics Coordinator at Washoe County School District
Presenting: Insight into High School Graduation
In his position as the Data Analytics Coordinator for the Washoe County School District (WCSD), the 59th largest district in the U.S., JT Stark plays a role in supporting the educational paths of over 60,000 students each year. Recent innovations created within WCSD have allowed WCSD to lead the nation in educational early warning systems, profoundly impacting the field of public education, and identifying students in need more accurately and earlier than ever. Beyond his work at WCSD, JT is an instructor of information systems and data analytics at the University of Nevada’s College of Business, and serves on the board of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow, a local non-profit committed to improving our community’s quality of life through strategic data utilization.

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November 22, 2023
The Story of Nevada

The Story of Nevada: An engaging science lecture that delves into Nevada’s history through the lens of archaeology, offering a detailed look at mobile foraging of early peoples in Nevada and how their behavior changed with shifts in precipitation, as well as delving into the Lost City and what scientists are doing to preserve the archaeological sites from erosion. Plus, a short film about the Basque arborglyphs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.
Beer, wine, and small bites will be available for purchase from Aspire Coffee House.

Visit the Springs Preserve website to purchase tickets: springspreserve.org/events

Featured Presenters:

Dr. Greg Haynes
Dr. Haynes is an Associate Research Professor at DRI and has been a practicing archaeologist for nearly 40 years. His research interests have long been focused on sedentary agricultural villagers on the Colorado Plateau, the Ancestral Puebloans or Anasazi, and transhumant mobile foragers of the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, including the Ancestral Paiute and Shoshone. He is currently conducting investigations on ceramic assemblages obtained in the 1950s from the shorelines of ancient Lake Cahuilla, of which the Salton Sea is but a remnant.

JD Lancaster
JD Lancaster is an Associate Research Scientist in Anthropology and Archaeology at DRI. Lancaster’s work has focused on archaeology of the Great Basin and Columbia River Plateau, quaternary paleoclimatology and paleogeography, archaeological prospection and predictive modeling, and human behavior ecology.

In the summer of 2019, Lancaster, along with other researchers, used drone technology to create high-resolution 3-D maps of the Pueblo Grande de Nevada archaeological site, also known as Lost City. The use of drones to map the archaeological site allowed the team to identify erosion sites that put the Lost City at risk and help develop and test mitigation strategies.

Nathan Harper
Nathan Harper’s passion for the past began at an early age helping his parents investigate the family’s history in small, dusty courthouses and storerooms across Kansas. This early experience would lead him to search even deeper into the history and prehistory of the people of the American Southwest, Great Basin, and the eastern Mediterranean.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Anthropology at Wichita State University, culminating in a Fulbright Fellowship to Cyprus in 2001. Nathan has conducted fieldwork in Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, Texas and internationally in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Mexico.

From 2010 to 2022 Nathan served as the Preserve Archaeologist at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, conducting preservation and compliance projects and was part of a curation team that restored and rehabilitated four San Pedro railroad workers cottages for the development of Boomtown 1905. Nathan currently serves as the Archaeologist for the Southern Nevada Water Authority conducting preservation and compliance work on all SNWA and Las Vegas Valley Water District managed properties, which includes the Springs Preserve, Warm Springs Natural Area, and the Las Vegas Wash.

In the community, Harper serves on the State Board of Museums and History, overseeing the State of Nevada’s Museums and Historical Society.

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November 16, 2023
The Story of Extremes

Join us for a thought-provoking science lecture delving into extreme heat. We’ll explore the impacts and dynamics of its far-reaching consequences on vulnerable populations, our environment, and society. Discover how extreme heat shapes our communities.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.
Beer, wine, and small bites will be available for purchase from Aspire Coffee House.

Visit the Springs Preserve website to purchase tickets: springspreserve.org/events

Featured Panelists:

Ariel Choinard – DRI, CNAP
Ariel Choinard, M.A. started at DRI in February 2023 as the project coordinator for the California-Nevada Adaptation Program (CNAP) and the new Southern Nevada Heat Resiliency Lab. She is working to build connections between scientists, community members, and community organizations to co-produce solutions, adaptations, and resilience to climate hazards. Choinardcame to DRI after working as the Urban Heat Resilience Fellow for Clark County and is based at DRI’s Las Vegas campus.

Lisa Ortega – City of Henderson, Urban Forestry Program
Lisa Ortega created the City of Henderson Urban Forestry Program through active inventory, writing the UF Program Plan, and contract accountability. She has been a consultant in her own business, Great Basin Sage Consulting, LLC since 2018, consulting on tree health, risk assessments and tree appraisals. She also started a tree planting nonprofit, Nevada Plants (2021).

Nancy Beecher – Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), Water Resources Department
Nancy Beecher is a Senior Environmental Biologist at SNWA. She has a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology, an M.S. in natural resource sciences, and is working on an M.S.L. in water and environmental law. She conducted her Ph.D. research in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica, where she studied how climate‐induced changes in pond water levels can influence amphibian development and immunity. She has been with SNWA for the past 17 years, where she brings together biological, hydrologic, geospatial, and legal information to inform land and water resource management. She and her colleagues recently completed a study on balancing heat resilience and water conservation in the Las Vegas Valley Metropolitan Area.

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November 16, 2023
The Story of Resilience

This science lecture will explore the critical topic of climate resiliency and community solutions. Discover how climate intervention research offers potential strategies to counter a warming climate, learn about the impact of urban forestry in mitigating urban heat, and explore the collaborative efforts of science and nonprofits to ensure water accessibility. We’ll also delve into grassroots initiatives aimed at fostering climate-resilient communities. Gain valuable insights into the science-backed approaches and community-driven actions that contribute to a sustainable, resilient future in the face of climate change.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.
Beer, wine, and small bites will be available for purchase from Aspire Coffee House.

Visit the Springs Preserve website to purchase tickets: springspreserve.org/events

Featured Presenters:

David Mitchell

Dr. David Mitchell received his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, USA, in 1995 and has contributed to the peer-reviewed literature in the atmospheric science sub-disciplines of cloud physics, radiation, remote sensing and climate dynamics. He and his students developed a theory describing the evolution of the North American monsoon that is now widely accepted, and he developed a treatment of ice cloud radiative properties that is currently used in the NCAR climate models. He and Dr. Anne Garnier developed and published (in 2016) the first satellite remote sensing retrieval for ice particle concentrations and later developed a method providing global percentages of cirrus clouds strongly affected by homogeneous ice nucleation. He published the first paper on the climate intervention method known as “cirrus cloud thinning” which may produce significant surface cooling at high latitudes. He has given 40 invited talks at universities and research institutes in the USA, the U.K., Germany, Mexico, Norway, France, and Sweden.

Marco Velotta

Marco Velotta, MS, AICP, LEED Green Assoc. is a Planning Project Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer of the City of Las Vegas. Marco leads the management and implementation of the City’s Strategy for Community Resilience, Net-Zero Energy, and Sustainability to conserve and reduce the City’s consumption of energy, water, and waste by overseeing renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, water conservation, recycling, and alternative transportation efforts.

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November 16, 2023