Dr. David Benson, a hydrogeologist who develops mathematical models of the movement of pollutants in groundwater, and Dr. Christian Fritsen, a biologist who studies the ecology of microorganisms in extreme environments, will share the Desert Research Institute's 2001 Peter B. Wagner Medal of Excellence. The Wagner Medal includes a $1,000 prize for each scientist.
The award, which recognizes achievement by DRI faculty in the early stages of their careers, was established by former Lt. Gov. Sue Wagner in memory of her husband, Peter, a DRI scientist who died in the crash of a DRI research aircraft in 1980.
Fritsen's research regularly takes him to Antarctica to examine how microbes, a key component of the polar environment, affect nutrient cycles and the formation of ice crystals. His studies, currently funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, also have implications for finding microorganisms that could exist in the ice environments on Jupiter's moon, Europa, and on Mars. He is a member of the faculty of DRI's Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences.
Benson, in DRI's Division of Hydrologic Sciences, is working to construct new mathematical approaches for more accurately describing how pollutants disperse in ground water, or as vapors through soil and rock. Existing hydrologic models of subsurface pollutant transport cannot accurately predict or describe the variability of this underground movement of pollutants.
Sue Wagner, formerly a Nevada legislator and special assistant to three DRI presidents prior to being elected lieutenant governor, now sits on the Nevada Gaming Control Board. She also established the Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences, an annual national fellowship to encourage women to study in that field.