Researcher kneeling on ground holding a device into water to take a sample for analysis

DRI Launches Collaborative New Project Investigating PFAS and Microplastics for Department of Defense 

By | Aug 27, 2025 | Featured projects

DRI’s Monica Arienzo, Director of the Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, was recently awarded $250,000 by the Department of Defense to investigate laundering and textile degradation as a possible source of PFAS and microplastic pollution. The one-year grant will fund laboratory studies and analysis led by Arienzo, with DRI’s Daniel Saftner and Yeongkwon Son contributing to the work. Matt Reeves of Western Michigan University is partnering with the DRI scientists for the project.  

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View from the top of a mountain where a DRI truck is parked and researchers are working on a weather station and surrounded by pine trees.

Long Science in the Nevada Bristlecone Preserve

By | May 12, 2025 | Featured projects

Ancient bristlecone pines have been collecting data for us for millennia. Anne Heggli's research aims to provide a nearly microscopic look at how the climate in the Great Basin is changing, from hour to hour and season to season. With scientific monitoring equipment positioned from the floor of the Great Basin’s Spring Valley up to the peak of Mount Washington, her project examines temperature fluctuations, atmospheric information, and snowpack insights across the region’s ecosystems.

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Sean McKenna speaking on a panel with two others with a microphone in front of him.

DRI Holds Water Panel at Nevada State Legislature

By | Apr 23, 2025 | Featured projects

On March 27, DRI scientists gathered at the State Capitol to illuminate work that supports Nevada’s communities and landscape. With more than 600 scientists, engineers, students, and staff across our Reno and Las Vegas campuses, we conducted more than $52 million in sponsored research focused on improving peoples’ lives in 2024 alone.

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A worker in yellow vest wanders the rubble left of a home after the Eaton fire.

What’s in the Burnt Remains of the LA Wildfires?

By | Apr 21, 2025 | Featured projects

DRI scientists deployed to Los Angeles to collect ash, soil, and dust samples from burn zones in the hopes of illuminating the unique risks of wildland-urban fires. These urban fires presented a unique opportunity to understand how materials like plastics, metals, and even lithium batteries from electric cars can transform into environmental contaminants when they burn.

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Satellite image from OpenET that displays a map of blue and green circles.

OpenET’s New CEO, Sara Larsen, Discusses the Future of the Revolutionary Water-Monitoring Initiative

By | Apr 8, 2025 | Featured projects

OpenET, a nonprofit initiative focused on improving water management with accessible, satellite-based evapotranspiration (ET) data, has welcomed Sara Larsen as the new CEO. DRI sat down with Sara to discuss what makes the initiative unique, her plans for the organization, and how OpenET can help address the biggest challenges in water management.

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A presenter stands at the front of a conference room with attendees sitting at tables.

DRI Scientists Work to Protect Miner Health and Safety Across Nevada

By | Mar 27, 2025 | Featured projects

To help protect miners and assist mine managers in reducing hazardous exposures, DRI scientists Xiaoliang Wang, Judy Chow, and John Watson are conducting free trainings to raise awareness about health risks and effective protection methods. Data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that as much as 27% of miners are overexposed to air contaminants.

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Wildfire in a forest of pine trees with billowing smoke rising into the sky.

What We Know About Wildfire Risk and Prevention 

By | Jan 30, 2025 | Featured projects

DRI scientists conduct a wide range of research on wildfire related topics to help policymakers, fire managers, and community members navigate challenges to public safety and health. In this Q&A, a selection of our scientists answer some of the most pressing questions about the environmental conditions that lead to the most devastating blazes and offer previews into some of their most relevant research.  

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