Reno Archives

Prakash Gautam in the lab working with equipment and wearing protective eye covering.

Meet Prakash Gautam

By Elyse DeFranco | Nov 6, 2025 | Featured researchers

Prakash Gautam, Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences and the Director of DRI’s Optics Lab: “Gautam Laboratory for Advanced Aerosol Dynamics and Light Scattering Research.” He has been with DRI since August 1, 2022, when he first joined as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Gautam also serves as Graduate Faculty in the Physics and Atmospheric Sciences departments at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he contributes graduate teaching, mentorship, and research collaboration. His work seeks to understand how atmospheric particles interact with light in order to better understand atmospheric components.

In the following interview, Gautam shares his dual passions for physics and tennis and offers insight on creating a successful career in science.

Ashley presenting at a podium with a microphone and American flag in the background.

DRI Recognizes Ashley Cornish as the 2025 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences

By Elyse DeFranco | Oct 8, 2025 | Awards and Honors

DRI is pleased to announce that the 27th annual Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences has been awarded to Ashley Cornish of the University of Georgia. The Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences is an annual competition recognizing the published works of women pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. in the atmospheric sciences or any related program at a university in the United States. The award is presented to women graduate students with outstanding academic publications and includes a $1,500 prize. This award has been presented annually by DRI since 1998 and is the only such honor designated for graduate women in the atmospheric sciences in the United States.

Student researchers sorting through microplastics on the beach.

DRI Internships Offer TMCC Students Insight Into Science Careers

By Elyse DeFranco | Sep 3, 2025 | Announcements

This summer, DRI brought eighteen students from Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) to our Reno campus for a paid, immersive research experience. Over the course of the ten week program, students worked under the mentorship of DRI faculty members to learn about the process of using scientific research to solve real-world problems. This unique internship program welcomes all students, not only those pursuing majors in science.

Collage of US Maps showing the annual average temperature from 1900s through 2020s.

An Invisible Natural Disaster

By Elyse DeFranco | Aug 15, 2025 | Featured projects

Earth is hotter than it has been in 125,000 years, and DRI scientists are striving to uncover the impacts of a warmer atmosphere.

Photo of Erik overlooking the canyon at Zion National Park on a snowy day.

Meet Erik Henzl

By Elyse DeFranco | Aug 12, 2025 | Featured researchers

Erik Henzl is a Staff Research Scientist and environmental economist who joined DRI in January 2025. Based at DRI’s Reno campus, he is currently focused on estimating the water and energy required to support Nevada’s rapidly expanding data centers now and into the future. In the following interview, he shares his passion for learning as a vocation and how his research will help Nevada navigate its growing role in the digital world.

Downtown Reno, Nevada under smoky skies.

DRI Recruiting Washoe County Community Members for Research on the Health Impacts of Heat and Wildfire Smoke

By Elyse DeFranco | Jul 31, 2025 | Announcements

DRI and Northern Nevada Public Health are recruiting Washoe County community members for a research project examining heat and air quality impacts on household health. Participants should be 18 or older and live in Washoe County.

A smoky haze overs the city of Sparks, NV obscuring the buildings and mountains in the distance.

New Study Analyzes Air Quality Impacts of Wildfire Smoke

By Elyse DeFranco | May 27, 2025 | Research findings

The comprehensive research examined air quality in Reno, Nevada during 106 wildfires to illuminate the atmospheric and public health impacts of smoke. The research, published in April's issue of Environmental Science: Atmospheres, measured air quality in Reno, Nevada over a 19 month period between 2017 and 2020 to capture both smoky and clear days.

DRI Launches Statewide Science Storytelling Series

By Detra Page | Jan 23, 2025 | Announcements

DRI announces the launch of a series of community-based events in Las Vegas and Reno that celebrate how science shapes our lives, fuels creativity, and deepens our understanding of the world by underscoring the transformative power of curiosity and knowledge. Curiosity Lab by DRI will feature DRI scientists and other guests to address some of the world’s most urgent concerns while also telling the tale of what it means to live in Nevada on the front lines of a changing climate.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Releases Detailed Urban Heat Data

By Elyse DeFranco | Jan 13, 2025 | Research findings

The summer 2024 data collection effort provides community members, legislators, and scientists with detailed maps of the region’s urban heat island. The campaign took place on August 10th, a clear and hot day for our region. The measurements and maps produced from the campaign reveal a great deal of variability across the nearly 200 square miles of our study area and between the early morning, mid-afternoon, and early evening time periods of the study.

Satellite Image of Simushir Island covered in snow and ice surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

New Research Solves 200 Year Volcanic Mystery

By Elyse DeFranco | Jan 2, 2025 | Research findings

DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman are co-authors on a new study that sheds light on a historical mystery that has plagued historians and scientists alike for nearly two centuries. Using Arctic ice core records, the team identified the volcano responsible for an enormous eruption in 1831 that caused global cooling of around 1°C, leading to crop failures and famines around the world.