Donor-powered research solving critical environmental problems
BlogFeatured projects
November 22, 2019
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...
Research Divisions
Research Divisions 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 600 highly-skilled scientists,...
Featured Research: DRI scientists analyze origins of the Saharan dust plume
BlogFeatured projects
July 22, 2020
On June 18, 2020, NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured this visible image of the large light brown plume of Saharan dust over the North Atlantic Ocean. The image showed that the dust from Africa’s west coast extended almost...
Atmospheric Modeling Group
Atmospheric Modeling Group About Atmospheric Modeling at DRI The DRI Atmospheric Modeling Group implements a full suite of numerical models of the atmosphere and climate including fine-scale computational fluid dynamics codes,...
DRI, EDF, NASA, and Google Announce Web Application to Transform Water Management in the Western United States
AnnouncementsNews releases
September 15, 2020
OpenET will provide easily accessible satellite-based water data to help build a resilient future for agriculture. The Desert Research Institute (DRI), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), NASA, and Google, proudly announced...
New NV Energy Foundation Grant Will Support Wildfire Preparedness in Nevada
Donor StoriesA generous grant from the NV Energy Foundation will provide $150,000 to support DRI’s development of a Weather and Research Forecast advanced modeling tool that simulates weather, fire, and smoke for firefighting and prescribed fire operations.
Nevada NASA Programs appoint new Project Director, Dr. Eric Wilcox
AnnouncementsNews releases
December 6, 2022
Nevada NASA EPSCoR and Space Grant Consortium announced the new Project Director, Dr. Eric Wilcox, DRI research professor of atmospheric science.
Tim Minor: Celebrating a Career in GIS and Remote Sensing
BlogFeatured researchers
December 21, 2022
Tim Minor, M.A, recently retired from DRI after 31 years. His successful career as a geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing scientist brought him to DRI in 1991.
Understanding Rain-on-Snow Events with Anne Heggli
BlogFeatured researchers
March 6, 2023
Rain-on-snow events are the focus of DRI’s Anne Heggli, who is studying ways to improve our ability to forecast and prepare for these potentially hazardous storms.
DRI Recognizes Andrea Gordon as the 2023 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award-Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences
Awards and HonorsDRI is pleased to announce that the 25th annual Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences has been awarded to Andrea Gordon of the University of Oklahoma. An award ceremony commemorating her achievement was held at the DRI campus in Reno on Sep. 21, 2023.
Meet DRI Atmospheric Modeler, John Mejia
Featured researchersJohn Mejia, Ph.D., is an associate research professor of Atmospheric Modeling at DRI. He was recently awarded a Mid-Career Advancement Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support his research on climate change impacts to urban communities, including urban heat islands and air pollution.
A New Tool Can Help Protect California and Nevada Communities from Floods While Preserving Their Water Supply
Featured projectsDRI’s Anne Heggli is partnering with the National Weather Service to understand flood risk from rain-on-snow storms in real-time, protecting communities and enabling water conservation throughout Nevada and California.
Xiaoliang Wang and Gabrielle Boisramé Receive 2024 Board of Regents Awards
Awards and HonorsNevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents awards Xiaoliang Wang, Ph.D., with the 2024 Mid-Career Researcher Award and Gabrielle Boisramé, Ph.D., with the Rising Researcher Award