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News Release MEDIA ADVISORY / October 27, 2008 Media Advisory What: Presentation of a $150,000 research grant from URS Washington Division for development of environmental sensing technologies Who: Recipients and Boise State professors Molly Gribb and Dale Russell will provide a brief explanation of potential impacts When: 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29 Where: Third floor atrium, Engineering and Technology Building, 1375 Manitou Ave., Boise State campus In a single breath or drink of water, there is inherent trust. People believe their environments are safe, often without fully understanding threats to the basic systems that support life. Research being done at Boise State University is providing more efficient, effective methods of monitoring contaminants in the nation’s air, water and soil, and may lead to greater public awareness of the need to keep a constant watch on the quality of these resources. It includes a subsurface Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) designed and fabricated by an interdisciplinary team led by civil engineering professor Molly Gribb. Deployed underground, the IMS probe detects and quantifies volatile organic compounds that can pose serious risks to human health with high sensitivity and real-time results at a low cost. Complementary work by professor Dale Russell in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry involves the invention and commercialization of sensors that can detect trace amounts of uranium, plutonium, mercury, arsenic and other strategic contaminants in environmental samples. Together, the systems are capable of detecting a wide spectrum of contaminants. That is why URS Washington Division is providing $150,000 to fund research by Gribb and Russell. The Boise-based company is a division of the international engineering, construction and technical services firm, URS Corporation, which offers a range of environmental services from monitoring to remediation. The funding will allow Russell to do field demonstrations and pilot production of her sensors, while Gribb’s team will continue testing and refining the IMS probe for commercial applications. An informal ceremony to recognize this partnership will include interview opportunities. For more information, contact Erin Ryan, communications specialist, at (208) 426-4910 or erinryan@boisestate.edu. Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.
Last reviewed on Monday, October 27, 2008
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