DRI Recognizes the Achievements and Dedication of Scientists and Staff Members
DRI’s annual awards and recognition ceremonies were held at our Reno and Las Vegas campuses in October to honor scientists and staff members for their achievements. Along with the below awardees, several faculty and staff were recognized for their long-term service to the institute. DRI prides itself on fostering a fulfilling workplace that builds internal community and inspires scientific discovery.
Peter B. Wagner Medal of Excellence: Monica Gehrig
Monica Gehrig is DRI’s STEM Education Training and Outreach Coordinator. She joined DRI in 2023 to bring science education to Nevada schools and build partnerships with organizations like the Atomic Museum and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. She manages and facilitates the STEM Education Team’s many professional development trainings, unique programs, and outreach initiatives.
Gehrig’s has been working with kids she was 13 years old, and she fell in love with science education right after college. “Helping students explore phenomenon, ask questions, discover their interests — it all came so naturally to me,” she said. “It was what I was meant to do.”
Her contributions have been instrumental to securing several large grants for STEM education in Nevada, including an EPA grant for a million dollars to partner with the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and the Southern Nevada Water Authority to develop curriculum and educator professional development trainings that will improve the water workforce pipeline in Nevada. She also secured a DOE grant for 2 million dollars to partner with DRI researchers and the Atomic Museum to develop field trips, curriculum, and educator professional development trainings to prepare the next generation with the knowledge and technical skills needed for employment in fields such as clean energy, waste management, and environmental remediation.
Learn more about Gehrig in DRI’s Behind the Science Blog, Meet Monica Gehrig
About the award: The Peter B. Wagner Medal of Excellence recognizes outstanding scientific accomplishments of DRI faculty in the early stages of their careers. The Medal is given on the basis of scientific and service achievement that brings recognition to the scientist and DRI. The two major criteria are the quality of publications and peer recognition, which can include program development and scientific achievement.
DRI Service Medal: Beth Large, Margie Stuart, and Yvonne Rumbaugh
This year’s DRI Service Medal was awarded to three individuals who were nominated as a group: Beth Large, Margie Stuart, and Yvonne Rumbaugh — our longest-serving Division Business Managers. Their contributions are of critical importance to the effective operation of DRI, from the start of the grant proposal process to the completion. Their work not only garners positive feedback from faculty but also facilitates the seamless operation of their respective divisions.
Each individual has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication to service, enhancing our operational efficacy and elevating the reputation of DRI. Together, Beth, Yvonne, and Margie have significantly impacted both the internal and external facets of our institute in a positive manner. Their collective achievements have strengthened DRI’s position as a leading research entity and validate their merit of the DRI Service Medal.
About the award: The DRI Service Medal honors an individual’s broader impact across the Institution and throughout our communities. This person has worked to make DRI a better place to work and secure our place as a leader in environmental science and research.
DRI Outstanding Contributions Medal: Hans Moosmüller
Dr. Moosmüller is an Emeritus Research Professor of Physics and Atmospheric Sciences who founded and led DRI’s Wildland Fire Science Center. Over the last five years, he secured two NSF EPSCoR awards totaling more than $23 million and managed multi-institution programs that expanded DRI’s wildfire and aerosol research capacity.
His contributions to DRI’s research projects have led to an impressive scholarly output, with over 14,000 citations, an i10-index of 136, and collaborations across federal research agencies such as NSF, NASA, NOAA, DOE, and DoD.
Dr. Moosmüller is an outstanding mentor and advisor. His exceptional mentoring abilities, genuine passion for research, and desire to see others succeed have had a transformative impact on the careers of many early-career faculty. Through his guidance, numerous graduate students and early-career faculty have not only achieved significant research milestones but have also secured promotions and established themselves as independent researchers.
About the award: This internal award is given annually to a DRI faculty or staff member for outstanding contributions to the Institution. There are many ways beyond scientific achievement that individuals can elevate DRI. This award is given on the basis of a singular or cumulative contribution to DRI. Evidence of contributions can include establishing new directions for research, securing a large grant, or management of large programs.
DRI Foundation Faculty Award for Outstanding Public Engagement in Science: Ariel Choinard
Ariel Choinard is the Project Coordinator for the California Nevada Adaptation Program and the Nevada Heat Lab. In this role, she works closely with Tamara Wall and other team members to build connections between scientists, community members, and community organizations to co-produce solutions for adaptations and resilience to climate hazards. She is a dedicated advocate for raising awareness of the dangers of extreme heat in Nevada, home to the two fastest warming cities in the nation.
In September 2024, Ariel represented DRI as an invited participant at the White House Extreme Heat Summit, an honor and testament to the importance of her work.
She regularly contributes her expertise to the media, elevating DRI’s position as a leading voice in the field. From January 2024 through August 2025, Choinard’s work has appeared in over 240 media articles including The New York Times, NPR, NBC News, The Nevada Independent, as well as a profile and numerous articles in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Read more about Choinard in DRI’s Behind the Science Blog, Meet Ariel Choinard.
About the award: The DRI Foundation was founded in 1982 with the objective of maximizing DRI’s global environmental impact by securing philanthropic funding, promoting DRI to various constituencies, and expanding DRI’s reach. For the past 40 years, the Foundation has helped bridge the science that happens at DRI with the public.
In recognition of the important role that DRI scientists play in strengthening this bridge, the DRI Foundation established the DRI Foundation Faculty Award to recognize a scientist who has contributed to enhancing the public’s engagement with science, increasing scientific literacy, or translating the societal impact of scientific research for non-science audiences.
The Regent Emeritus Jason Geddes Rising Researcher Award: Kristin VanderMolen
Dr. VanderMolen is an Assistant Research Professor in DRI’s Division of Atmospheric Sciences, where her work focuses on climate impacts and adaptation. Her interdisciplinary research addresses critical societal challenges, particularly the impacts of climate variability, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat on vulnerable communities.
With a background in environmental anthropology, Dr. VanderMolen employs an innovative approach to enhance community resilience and inform public policy. Some of her current and recent projects include: investigating ways to increase the reach and effectiveness of heat risk education and warning messaging; assessing household strategies for managing wildfire smoke and extreme heat during compound events; and deploying air quality monitoring stations and developing effective communication methods on the risks of wildfire smoke exposure for rural Nevada communities.
“I am honored to receive this award,” VanderMolen said. “I am also grateful for the recognition of research that is largely community and stakeholder-driven and that aims to address public needs.”
*Read DRI’s feature story on one of VanderMolen’s projects: DRI Researchers Partner with NDEP to Prepare Rural Nevada Communities for a Smokier Future
About the award: The NSHE Regent Emeritus Jason Geddes Rising Researcher Award is bestowed upon one faculty member at each Nevada research institution in recognition of their early-career accomplishments and potential for future advancement and recognition in research.
In addition to the award from the Board of Regents, this year’s Regent Emeritus Jason Geddes Rising Researcher from DRI will also receive $5,000 from the DRI Foundation to support their research endeavors.
Graduate Advisor of the Year: Vera Samburova
Each year, DRI asks our graduate students to nominate advisors for the DRI Graduate Student Advisor of the Year. The faculty nominated this year are Justin Huntington, Monica Arienzo, Vera Samburova, and Yeongkwon Son. One of Dr. Samburova’s several winning nominations this year wrote that she is an excellent advisor “because she is deeply passionate about her field and is always eager to keep learning. That mindset has inspired me to approach my own work with the same curiosity and dedication.” Another nomination stated that “Students often turn to her at any time of day for help with different issues, knowing that they will receive thoughtful solutions and genuine support.”
Dr. Samburova is an Associate Research Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and leader of the Atmospheric Chemistry Group. She previously served as Director of the Atmospheric Science Graduate Program at the University of Nevada, Reno, and has mentored countless students who have gone on to complete their graduate degrees and contribute to the field. She is a brilliant scientist whose work contributes to human and ecosystem health through the examination of post-fire soils, organic compounds that contribute to air pollution, and even the toxic compounds in the breath of e-cigarette users.
The George Burke Maxey Hydrology/Hydrogeology Fellowships
- Current student Emmanuel Cobbinah, who is advised by Dr. Rishi Parashar. Cobbinah’s research focuses on virus transport modeling and contaminant transport in hydrological settings.
- Current student Eugene Long, who is advised by Dr. Justin Huntington. Long’s research uses the best available science to tackle the big questions surrounding the quantification of evapotranspiration in the Great Basin. He is contributing to the Nevada Water Initiative, as well as the U.S. Geological Survey’s Saline Lakes project.
- Incoming student Karthiga Inthirakumaran, whose research looks at how wildfires affect flooding in the western United States using modeling and data to improve how we understand and manage flood risks.
- Incoming student Mimi Payne, who is working with Christine Albano to model the impacts of treatment types on post fire debris flow and their effects on the Upper Middle Truckee drinking water supply.
About the award: These Fellowships were established through an endowment by Elizabeth West Stout, a paleontologist and Trustee Emerita of the DRI Research Foundation. The award has been established in the honor of Dr. George B. Maxey, former Executive Director of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences, and Jane C. Maxey, his wife.
