Behind the Science Blog
DRI’s “Behind the Science” blog featuring our people and projects
Read the stories below to learn more about the amazing people and projects happening at DRI.
Meet Cayenne Engel
Cayenne Engel, M.Sc., is a Staff Research Scientist in urban climate adaptation who joined DRI in September 2024. Based at DRI’s Las Vegas campus, she is dedicating her time to assessing and expanding the region’s urban tree canopy to bring relief to communities burdened by temperatures that regularly soar above 100° Fahrenheit. In the following interview, Engel shares her passion for public service-oriented research, how Nevada’s unparalleled landscape lured her west, and her love for intricate puzzles.
Preparing for the Floods That Follow the Fires
A conversation with Guo Yu and Jeremy Giovando about their new research examining post-fire flood frequency. The study expands on previous frameworks to account for the compounding impacts of repeated wildfires on flood risk, using a southern California watershed as a case study.
Meet Bea Gordon, Ph.D.
Beatrice, who also goes by “Bea,” is an interdisciplinary hydrologist with a deeply embedded concern for water availability born from her childhood on a Wyoming ranch. She is focused on working with communities in rural Nevada to understand their needs for effective climate adaptation.
Xiaoliang Wang and Gabrielle Boisramé Receive 2024 Board of Regents Awards
Nevada 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
A New Tool Can Help Protect California and Nevada Communities from Floods While Preserving Their Water Supply
DRI’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.
Can Scientific Ingenuity Turn the Clock Back on Climate Change?
An interview with atmospheric scientist David Mitchell, Ph.D., who first proposed research into the climate intervention research of cirrus cloud-thinning.
Meet DRI Atmospheric Modeler, John Mejia
John 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.
DRI Scientists Launch Nevada Orchid Project
DRI scientists are starting the first ever effort dedicated to studying and conserving Nevada’s orchids. Many people know orchids as flashy, delicate flowers raised in lush greenhouses, but orchids also thrive in the sparse wetlands sprinkled around Nevada’s arid landscape. In fact, lovers of the state’s orchids like to tout one impressive statistic: Nevada has no less than 14 species of native orchids, in contrast with Hawaii’s mere three.
Meet Ariel Choinard, Project Coordinator for CNAP & Southern Nevada Heat Resiliency Lab
Ariel Choinard, M.A., started at DRI in February 2023 as the project coordinator for the California-Nevada Adaptation Program (CNAP) and the new Southern Nevada Heat Resiliency Lab. She is working with Tamara Wall, Ph.D., to build connections between scientists, community members, and community organizations to co-produce solutions, adaptations, and resilience to natural hazards.
Annual Awards Presented to DRI Faculty and Staff at 2023 Celebration of Science
On September 26 & 28, DRI held awards and recognition ceremonies at our Reno and Las Vegas campuses to honor eleven scientists and staff members for their achievements. Along with the below awardees, several faculty and staff were recognized for their long-term service to DRI for up to 25 years.
DRI Recognizes Andrea Gordon as the 2023 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award-Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences
DRI 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.
More Heatwaves and Vanishing Snow: The Lake Tahoe Basin’s Future on a Warming Planet
DRI scientists produced the most detailed projections yet for how the region’s landscape will be impacted by climate change. Lake Tahoe is known for its crystal-clear blue water, scenic mountain backdrop, and world-class recreation opportunities. Unfortunately, the lake and surrounding basin aren’t insulated from global climate change.
Meet Microplastics Research Students Angelique DePauw and Olivia Hines
Angelique DePauw and Olivia Hines are undergraduate student researchers in the Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Lab. Together, they are conducting an experiment comparing the decomposition rates of plastic and plastic-alternative straws.