Dear Faculty, Staff, Students and Trustees:

I would like to express my appreciation and admiration for our facilities staff at DRI. While we often hear about the exciting research that goes on here and the flurry of global activity by our faculty, our facilities and those who maintain and improve them are often overlooked, but I can assure you that your dedicated work is not taken for granted.             During the past year, DRI has embarked upon an organizational review and reallocation process. This led to reorganization in the area of Institutional Advancement so that DRI can better address its fund raising responsibilities. We are also in the process of examining several critical areas of DRI, including facilities operations and want to commend the work of the facility costs reallocation group that included Jenny Chapman, Cheryl Martin, Nick Lancaster and Peter Ross.             The strengths pointed out by the committee include: DRI facilities look good and operate well Flexible and responsive in serving wide variety of faculty and administration needs In-house expertise retains DRI control over cost and quality of facility work State O&M money is leveraged to support research Low-or-no direct cost for services to faculty and divisions, such as research-driven remodels.       One of the alternative approaches presented was "outsourcing." However, the committee concluded that the facilities department is "cost effective" and "no waste or excess identified." The committee did not recommend additional outsourcing beyond the limited outsourcing currently used by facilities. Let me assure you it is not an option at the present time.

GSA Geology publishes Lancaster's work                        Linear sand dunes, like those found in the Namib Desert in southwestern Africa, are the most widespread type of desert sand dune around the world, and move over time as if alive-stretching farther in long lines as winds blow across the desert, piling more sand on them.             Until recently, insufficient data led to challenges with determining the age of these sand dunes, as well as how they were formed. DRI's Dr. Nick Lancaster, with colleagues Dr. Geoff Duller of the University of Aberystwyth and Dr. Charlie Bristow of the University of London, used ground penetrating radar and optically stimulated luminescence dating to dig deep inside the dunes to reconstruct the sedimentary layers and to solve the mystery of their age. The results, which appear in an article in the new issue of the journal "Geology," are monumental: the dunes were younger than expected; there was firm evidence of lateral migration-or shifting sideways-of linear dunes; and they were constructed by winds from different directions than previously thought.             The results have important implications for understanding how all these ancient sand dunes formed, whether they were formed long ago during the Jurassic Period (206 to 144 million years ago) such as the Navajo Sandstone, or in the last 5,000 years like those in the Namib Desert.             Sponsored by the American Chemical Society's Petroleum Research Fund, the article can be found at: www.gsajournals.org Walker Basin Project Website Launched             A website - www.nevada.edu/walker - has been launched to provide an on-going information source about the Walker Basin Project, a comprehensive research and water rights acquisition effort. "We recognize there is a great deal of interest in this project, and providing access to information is important," said Karen Grillo, Walker Basin Project Coordinator with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). "A benefit of using the web as a primary information source is that it can be accessed by interested citizens living in the basin as well those around the state and beyond." The Walker Basin Project is a federally funded project that includes collaborative environmental and economic research conducted by researchers with the Desert Research Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno. It also involves the acquisition of water and water rights from willing sellers under the coordination of the NSHE. As noted on the website, the research will explore the best means by which to get additional water to the lake while maintaining the Basin's economy and ecosystem. The background information available on the website includes an overview of the project, maps of the basin, a copy of the authorizing Congressional legislation and a summary of the 10 currently funded research projects. A "Tell Your Story" section invites "those who care about Walker River, Walker Lake, and the valleys and communities that make up the Walker Basin" to "share your memory or perspective in words, photos or both." Each page on the website includes an email link by which to contact Grillo.  "The information available on the website is only a starting point," added Grillo. "As the project moves forward, the website will evolve and grow." Wishing Dick Reinhardt the best             Dick Reinhardt has announced his plans to retire from DRI at the end of next month.  Effective July 1, Kelly Redmond will assume the position of Interim Director of the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC).  We intend to conduct a national search for the next permanent Director of the WRCC.             Dick began at DRI in 1986 as Assistant to the Executive Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Center (ASC).  In 1988 he became Deputy Director of ASC.  He was appointed the first Director of the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC) in 1992 - a position he has held until the present.  Dick was instrumental in structuring the WRCC and shaping it into the highly visible and respected organization it is today.              Dick also filled in during times of need in two significant ways:             1. He served as Interim Director of ASC, following retirement of the Executive Director in 1992             2. He served as Interim Director of NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Atmospheric Sciences and Terrestrial Applications (CIASTA) in 2000-2002.

Until next time,   Dr. Stephen Wells

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