With funding from the State of Nevada distance education program, DRI has been able to expand the reach of the lesson plans written by its summer teacher fellows. The institute's first 16-hour workshop was conducted via videoconferencing in Reno and Las Vegas over two Saturdays this October. Lesson plans presented by DRI researcher/summer fellow teams focused on demonstrating how teachers from across the state can model the lessons to enhance the science curriculum in their own classrooms. John Newman of Smith Valley High School and Dr. Dale Johnson teamed to present "Physical Science of Soils," Donald Keele of Churchill County High School and Dr. Peter Wigand presented "Pollen and Climate Reconstruction," Dr. Paul Buck focused on "Archaeology," and Eric Hobson of Fernley High School joined Dr. Fred Rogers in presenting "Air Pollution." Another workshop will be offered again in early 1997.

The DRI Research Foundation, established in 1983 to promote the growth of and raise funds for DRI's scientific research, has named four new trustees to its board. Phil Bryan is the president and COO of Boomtown, Inc., with a career in the gaming industry spanning more than 30 years. Bryan is currently a member of the board of directors for Very Special Arts Nevada. Mac King, Jr. is president and CEO of Nevada Bell. He serves on several boards, including the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada and the Northern Nevada Science Fair. Brad Stanley is CEO, president and co-founder of KnowledgeBroker, Inc., a Reno-based public company providing technical computer support products, 800/900, e-mail and Internet services to corporations and individuals. Prior to founding KnowledgeBroker, Stanley headed the GTE TELOPS national advanced technology group. Terry Van Noy, is president and CEO of Amil International of Nevada, a full-service managed care organization. Under Van Noy's direction, Amil has received the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's award for excellence in customer service.

Selections in two of the institute's most prestigious graduate student competitions were announced in early fall.

The Maki Fellowship, established by long-time DRI supporters Sulo and Aileen Maki, was awarded to W. Braimah Apambire, a Ph.D. student in hydrology/hydrogeology at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Apambire, a native of Ghana, recently completed his M.S. degree at Carleton University in Canada. His long-term research goals include helping in the characterization and development of potable water supplies in Africa.

The Peter B. Wagner Scholarship Award, named in honor of DRI researcher Dr. Peter Wagner, a member of DRI's Atmospheric Sciences Center who was killed on a research flight, recognized these UNR students and their research: Yonghong Xie, "A Two-Dimensional Cloud Model with Bulk Microphysical Parameterization Scheme," first place; Matthew Bailey, "Quasi-Biennial Oscillations of the Equatorial Stratosphere," and David DuBois, "Winter Visibility Measurements at Storm Peak Laboratory," second place; and recognition awards to Qingmei Cai, "Snow Video Spectrometer: Image Analysis Procedures and Ice Crystal Analysis Results," and Yangang Liu, "Scattering of Electromagnetic Wave by Spherical Particles."

DRI employs about 55 graduate students pursuing degrees at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and UNR on institute research projects.

Dr. Cathy Cahill, a former graduate research assistant in DRI's Energy and Engineering Center, has returned to her Irish ancestral homeland on a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to continue her studies at University College in Galway. Cahill's research involves the optical properties and chemical compositions of air particles over the Atlantic ocean-information important to climate models.

She is gathering information using a remote aerosol sampling site at Mace Head on the west coast of Ireland. Cahill says the site is well suited for her research, though it presents a few challenges: "Sheep leaping in front of the research van, gale force winds, sea spray, rust, cattle knocking over equipment, unfamiliarity with driving on the left side of the roadway, and getting used to a climate completely opposite Reno's." Cahill adds a considerable advantage is the incredible beauty of the Irish coast and legendary friendliness of the Irish people.

A 1995 recipient of DRI's Peter B. Wagner Scholarship Award, Cahill is also lecturing on atmospheric visibility in an honors senior-year physics course and advising a senior student. Her Fulbright appointment to University College continues a long-standing DRI affiliation with the prominent Irish university.

The Pennsylvania State University recently named Dr. John Hess a Centennial Fellow of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Hess, DRI's vice president for academic affairs and executive director of the Water Resources Center, received the prestigious award in a September ceremony at Penn State. Hess was one of 245 Centennial Fellows elected from the college's 12,500 alumni. He was recognized for "distinguished accomplishments that bring honor to the college and university."

For two weeks in November 1995, northern Nevada viewers of KOLO NewsChannel 8 watched as DRI scientists calling in from Antarctica fielded questions from local students during the evening news. This January, KLAS Channel 8 News in Las Vegas plans to bring southern Nevada students into the loop with new video segments and their own Internet connection from students to DRI researchers who have returned to the polar continent.

Candy Schneider , assistant director of the Clark County School District's School-Community Partnership Program and George Ochs, science curriculum coordinator for Washoe County School District, are coordinating their respective groups of interested teachers to provide curriculum guides and student activities.

KLAS Weather Manager Kevin Janison says the station, which is also an Internet service provider in the Las Vegas area, plans to set up a special area in its World Wide Web site in cooperation with the Clark County School District. This will allow the public to follow along as students discuss research topics with DRI's researchers in Antarctica.

Janison adds KLAS will conduct live coverage of the students connecting with DRI's Antarctic researchers from their schools around the Las Vegas Valley.

Jeff Hardin, the KOLO weatherman who moderates the Reno part of the program, says his station plans to again connect students with Dr. Robert Wharton, DRI's vice president for research, who is in charge of two of the institute's current research projects in Antarctica.

1995 Nobel laureate Dr. F. Sherwood Rowland, the University of California, Irvine professor acknowledged for predicting the chemical processes attacking the earth's protective ozone layer, will receive DRI's 10th Nevada Medal this spring. The Nevada Medal is formally presented each year by Nevada Governor Bob Miller.

Rowland will be honored at separate award dinners in Reno on March 17 and Las Vegas on March 19. DRI President James V. Taranik points out that Rowland was nominated and agreed to accept the Nevada Medal award several months before being notified of his Nobel selection.

Rowland and two colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize for their research predicting that chlorofluorocarbons from common aerosol spray cans would interact with the upper atmosphere, reducing its ability to shield the surface from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation. Their conclusions led to the discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica in 1985.

The Nevada Medal is an annual national award recognizing outstanding achievement in science and engineering, and includes lectures at Nevada's two university campuses and interaction with faculty and students by the recipients. The award includes a $5,000 prize and a minted 8-ounce pure Nevada silver medallion sponsored by Nevada Bell shareholders.

The formal awards dinners are fundraising events to support DRI's academic research programs and will include unique environmental science-themed auctions.