DRI thanks U.S. Sen. John Ensign for support during tour of Reno campus

Junior senator lauds institute's work, entrepreneurial culture

U.S. Sen. John Ensign, left, discusses inner workings of DRI's patented LORAX, or Lidar On-Road Aerosol Experiment, system with Nicholas Nussbaum, research assistant, center, and Claudio Mazzoleni, graduate research assistant, during a tour of the Northern Nevada Science Center. (Photo by Kevin Kirkeby)

As a former practicing veterinarian and businessman, U.S. Sen. John Ensign is no stranger to the intersection of science and entrepreneurship that is DRI's hallmark. A strong supporter of DRI, Ensign, R-Nev., toured the Northern Nevada Science Center in Reno during an August 6 visit, viewing demonstrations of projects he helped make possible.

DRI Research Professor Dr. John Watson greeted the senator at the first stop where he saw a drive-by smog-check demonstration using LORAX, a remote-sensing technology used to measure particulate matter emitted from passing vehicles. Based on LIDAR, or "laser radar," the system was patented by Watson and colleagues Drs. Hans Moosmüller and Peter Barber, along with Dr. Robert Keislar, formerly of DRI.

Watson said LORAX could someday be used to identify easily the small minority of vehicles on the road that don't meet federal or state air quality standards. This development could make annual vehicle inspections and smog stations obsolete.

Dr. Eric McDonald, interim director of the Center for Arid Lands Environmental Management, or CALEM, briefed Ensign on DRI's desert terrain project for the U.S. Department of Defense. Ensign, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management, expressed considerable interest in the project.

Ensign and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who serves on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, were instrumental in gaining congressional authorization for funding the project officially known as Integrated Desert Terrain Forecasting for Military Operations.

McDonald described DRI's research to understand how lubricants for military weapons interact with dust like that found in the deserts in Iraq. He said preliminary studies show that the properties of the lubricants in combination with the properties of the dust are critical in avoiding weapon jams during dust storms.

A visit to the Advanced Computing in Environmental Sciences, or ACES, VisLab (see ACES story) was the last stop on the senator's tour. Here DRI atmospheric scientist Dr. Vanda Grubisic demonstrated the lab's 3-D data visualization capability and discussed the benefits that will be derived from the lab's collaborative network of high-end computer resources, support services and communication technology.

At a reception and lunch before the tour, DRI President Dr. Stephen G. Wells welcomed the senator and his staff, represented by John Lopez, deputy chief of staff; Verita Black Prothro, northern Nevada director; and Kevin Kirkeby, rural coordinator.

DRI President Dr. Stephen G. Wells, left, and DRI Research Foundation Chair David Fulstone, II, right, present U.S. Senator John Ensign with a photo and plaque commemorating his support of the institute's desert terrain studies for the U.S. Army. (Photo by Kevin Kirkeby)

Wells thanked Ensign for his support of DRI and said his interest in science and commitment to DRI and Nevada have benefited the state and the entire world. He said the senator has been a long-standing champion of Nevada's environment and its economy.

"When Senator Ensign was a congressman, he was the first in the House to recognize the need for an air quality study in Las Vegas. He also understood DRI's capabilities in air quality research. He pushed this from day one," Wells said.

As a result, Wells said, DRI scientists have been able to provide important information to air quality managers in the Las Vegas Valley.

In gratitude for his support, Wells presented Ensign with a photograph representing DRI's desert terrain studies work, which was signed by faculty and staff.

Speaking off-the-cuff, Ensign said the day before he had met with Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton at a Lake Tahoe meeting, where he bragged to her about DRI.

"I appreciate the work that you all do here. I think you're one of the bright spots for Nevada... You know, back in Washington, D.C., I brag about you all the time... I think it's the spirit; you are the entrepreneurs of the scientific community. That's really the way I look at you."

Characterizing himself as a fiscal conservative inclined to cut programs, eliminate waste and put cash back in the taxpayer's pocket, Ensign praised DRI for being credible and judicious in its use of funding. "DRI has never brought me anything that I couldn't get enthusiastically behind and that is because of the people in this room and the work that you do."

He credited DRI's entrepreneurial culture as a key to its success. "You earn your way each year... I think it's the reason you've been as successful as you have... and it's the reason that it makes it very easy for me to get enthusiastic about supporting you."

Ensign lauded DRI's work, saying it is not difficult for DRI to convince him to help on projects.

-Ron Kalb