The poster above explains itself, except that Tuesday evening’s free lecture is in part courtesy of the Lead Chamber of Commerce. We’re hosting their mixer here from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and they graciously agreed to open the doors to the public for Dr. DeSalvo’s talk. (We guarantee it will be entertaining. When we asked for a photo for our poster, that’s the one he sent.)

Dr. DeSalvo already has installed instruments underground at the Sanford Lab as part of an experiment to prepare for a much larger, ongoing study of gravity waves.

Dana Dykhouse

Note: Below is the press release from the Office of the Governor announcing the newest member of the Board of Directors of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority.

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds today announced the appointment of Dana Dykhouse, Sioux Falls, to a position on the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA).

“I am very pleased to announce that Dana Dykhouse has accepted an appointment to serve on the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority,” said Gov. Rounds. “Dana’s experience in business management and development will be a great asset to the Authority as we prepare for the Sanford Laboratory and the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) at Homestake.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to serve on the SDSTA Board of Directors. The impact this project will have in both boosting the economy of the Black Hills Region, as well as the opportunity for research, development, and education, is tremendous. I look forward to participating in this unique opportunity for our state and region,” said Dana Dykhouse.

Dykhouse currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of First PREMIER Bank in Sioux Falls, with over 24 years of banking experience. He serves in leadership positions in numerous local and state organizations, including Chairman of Junior Achievement of South Falls, Chairman of the Sioux Empire United Way 2006-2007 Campaign, Chairman of South Dakota State University Athletic Champions Council, and Co-Chair of the Forward Sioux Falls V.

Dykhouse fills the position previously held by Steven Zellmer of Rapid City.

Visitors line up at the Yates Dry for walking tours to the Yates Hoist Room.
See below for why it’s called a “dry.”

Bill Harlan
Public information Officer

Public outreach will be a big part of the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake, and it has already started. An event here July 12 drew almost 600 visitors, thanks to thorough and expert promotion by South Dakota Public Broadcasting, which was a co-sponsor of InNOVAtion. In fact, SDPB dreamed up the Saturday morning event. The popular science series NOVA also helped. (Hence, InNOVAtion.)

The event included two presentations by NOVA producer Julia Cort, who talked about raising obelisks in Egypt and hunting “dark matter” in Minnesota. Sanford Lab director Dr. Jose Alonso went into a more detail about dark matter and neutrinos. Dr. Cynthia Anderson of Black Hills State University talked about looking for strange life forms deep underground at Homestake. Duane Ennis, a former Homestake gold miner who is helping re-open the mine for science, talked about Homestake’s unique underground culture.

Visitors to InNOVAtion also saw videos and displays. They got to participate in hands-on experiments, both in the dry and in the state’s Science on the Move semi-trailer. More than 450 visitors went on walking tours of the Yates Hoist Room. For a first-person account from an actual visitor, see the Black Hills Pioneer. Click the “more” button for more photos.

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