News & Announcements
Working to solve our most challenging environmental problems
DRI’s research calls on the expertise and methods of scientists from multiple scientific disciplines. More than 400 highly-skilled scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and staff work collaboratively within and across four research divisions, focused on understanding and answering critical science questions about global climate change, water quality and availability, air quality, the sustainability of desert lands, life in extreme environments, education, and more.
Climate change and “atmospheric thirst” to increase fire danger and drought in Nevada and California
Climate change and a “thirsty atmosphere” will bring more extreme wildfire danger and multi-year droughts to Nevada and California by the end of this century, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of Calfiornia, San Diego, and the University of California, Merced.
New luminescence rock dating technique to help answer archaeological questions in Lincoln County, Nevada
Above: In Coal Valley, located in Lincoln County, Nev., dry playas and ancient shorelines of ice-aged lakes hold clues to some of the Great Basin’s earliest inhabitants. DRI archaeologists are working to learn more about these ancient cultures through a new...
Local Scientists Tackle Timely Nevada Environmental and Climate Discoveries and Solutions During First “Conversations with DRI Innovators” Event
Researchers debriefed global participants on microplastics in the environment, a new online snow tracker tool for water resource management, and the role of dogs in body recovery. Link to Event Video Presentation Available at...
DRI Archaeologists to document ancient rock art at Fort Hunter Liggett
Caption: Pictographs from a site at Fort Hunter Liggett, processed with D-stretch imagery. DRI Archaeologists will soon travel to Fort Hunter Liggett, in California, to document rock art in high resolution. Credit: Fort Hunter Liggett. Las Vegas, Nev. (Nov. 10,...
DRI announces winner of 22nd Annual Wagner Award for Women in Atmospheric Science
Anne Barkley of University of Miami to be honored in a virtual ceremony on Oct. 27, 2020 Reno, Nev. (October 1, 2020) – The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is pleased to announce that the 22nd Annual Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric...
Wildfire smoke more dangerous than other air pollutants for asthma patients
Photo caption: Smoke from wildfires covering the city of Sparks, Nevada. Credit: GChapel, Adobe Images. Reno, Nev. (Sept. 22, 2020) - For people who suffer from asthma, wildfire smoke is more hazardous than other types of air pollution, according to a new study...
DRI, EDF, NASA, and Google Announce Web Application to Transform Water Management in the Western United States
DRI, EDF, NASA, and Google Announce Web Application to Transform Water Management in the Western United StatesRENO, NEV.SEPT 15, 2020HydrologyNevada AgricultureEvapotranspirationRemote-SensingData VisualizationOpenET will provide easily accessible satellite-based...
Dr. Kumud Acharya Appointed Permanent President of DRI
LAS VEGAS – Dr. Kumud Acharya, an ecological engineer whose pioneering work in Nevada helped local and state water managers address aquatic invasive species threatening both Lake Mead and Lake Tahoe, was appointed the permanent president of the Desert Research...
Population genetic screening shown to efficiently identify increased risk for inherited disease
Healthy Nevada Project’s community-based approach reveals up to 90% of CDC Tier 1 genetic condition risks missed using clinical care guidelines Reno, Nev. (July 27, 2020) – In a new study published today in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers behind the Healthy...
New USDA Grant Will Fund COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit for Tribal Extension Agents
Reno, Nev. (July 23, 2020) – Several members of the Native Waters on Arid Lands (NWAL) project team, led by Maureen McCarthy, Ph.D., of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, have been awarded a $300k grant from the US Department of Agriculture National...