DRI Research Highlights: 2024, Volume 2

Dear Friend of DRI,

Thank you for your interest in the vital research being conducted here at DRI. As you will read in this semi-annual report, our scientists are engaged in critical environmental research focused on water, fire, air, earth, and people. Our cover story highlights the critical restorative impact of good fire, resulting in healthier forests. We share fascinating research projects related to water, life in extreme environments, protecting people from the effects of wildfire smoke, our commitment to introducing students to careers in STEM, and an exciting project with the Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine to spur economic opportunity while addressing climate challenges.

We also share Betty and John Gallifent's donor story and their establishment of an endowment providing unrestricted support for DRI. It has been my honor to get to know Betty, and we are deeply grateful for her legacy support of DRI and science that improves the quality of our lives.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the variety of important research our scientists are undertaking on science that matters now!

Sincerely, Kumud Acharya, Ph.D., DRI President

Betty Gallifent recently established the Elizabeth and John Gallifent Endowment, which will provide unrestricted support for DRI.

She worked for the Clark County School District (CCSD) for 36 years as a teacher, reading specialist, and school principal. Betty worked predominately in under-resourced communities and made great efforts to bring the outside world into the classroom. In her retirement, she helped establish the Las Vegas ICO – Inspiring Connections Outdoors, which provides nature outings and wilderness experiences for underserved urban youth. “I first learned about DRI by attending the May the Science Be With You event and am excited to be able to support science that will allow us to live with the greatest quality of life,” said Betty.

John was a photographer for CCSD, where he created the CCSD Student Photography Contest, now an annual event for over 50 years. He was the owner and operator of Silver State Printers, which served the hotel and business community of Las Vegas for more than 20 years. In his retirement, he was an active member of the CCSD Archive Committee where he co-authored the book, “Education in the Neon Shadow,” and other publications on the history of schools in Clark County.

“By establishing this endowment at DRI we will honor the Gallifents' legacy in perpetuity and are forever grateful for Betty’s kindness,” said President Kumud Acharya. “This is a transformational gift.”

For more information on how you can make a gift that supports DRI’s research efforts, please contact the Office of Advancement at (775) 673-7226 or email drifoundation@dri.edu.

We are Nevada’s non-profit research institute, founded in 1959 to empower experts to focus on science that matters. We work with communities across the state–and the world– to address their most pressing scientific questions, while building bridges between scientists and policymakers to enact positive change.  

We’re proud that our scientists continuously produce solutions that better human and environmental health. We pioneered the use of chemical fingerprinting to identify sources of air pollution in Nevada’s cities and reduce haze in National Parks across the country. We work with communities downwind of historic atomic testing at the Nevada National Security Site to monitor radiation exposure. We used ice trapped below the surface of Greenland to connect historic levels of lead pollution with the rise and fall of ancient economies like the Roman Empire. For decades, we have been using satellite technology to locate, and build, drinking water wells for communities in Ghana and we have enhanced precipitation throughout Nevada, the driest state in the nation, using decades of research on cloud seeding.  

Scientists at DRI are involved with students at other Nevada System of Higher Education institutions, offering research positions and teaching support, but are not expected to take on the heavy teaching loads of university professors. Instead, they are encouraged to follow their research interests across the traditional boundaries of scientific fields, collaborating across DRI and with scientists worldwide. We reach thousands of young Nevada students annually with specialized science and robotics lessons and free continuing education for teachers. All faculty support their own research through grants, bringing in nearly $5 to the Nevada economy for every $1 of state funds received. With more than 600 scientists, engineers, students, and staff across our Reno and Las Vegas campuses, we conducted more than $47 million in sponsored research focused on improving peoples’ lives in 2023 alone.

At DRI, science isn’t merely academic – it’s the key to future-proofing our communities and building a better world.