September 30, 2003

Boise State Researchers, Students Attend Subsurface Symposium

Boise State University researchers and students will join colleagues from around the country at the third annual Subsurface Science Symposium Sunday through Oct. 8 in Salt Lake City.     The symposium, presented by the Inland Northwest Research Alliance and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, will features Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and a former New Mexico senator, as the keynote speaker.     The theme of the symposium is “Advances in Understanding and Modeling Subsurface Processes.”     Boise State scientists and students will discuss their research involving the development of subsurface sensors, new techniques for mapping the subsurface, and research projects in hydrology, modeling, geochemistry, geophysics and other areas. In addition, a panel discussion on technology transfer will include Boise State business faculty.     INRA is a non-profit scientific and educational organization consisting of eight Western research universities (Boise State, Idaho State, Montana State, Utah State, and Washington State universities; and the universities of Alaska Fairbanks, Idaho and Montana). The total research and development budget for these universities in FY 2001 was approximately $530 million, which would rank the INRA institutions collectively as the seventh largest institution of higher education in the country in terms of research funding.   INRA is a partner with Bechtel and BWXT in the management and operations contract for the INEEL, operated for the U.S. Department of Energy.  The Alliance was formed to train future experts in fields of importance to the INEEL and to the region and to develop important collaborative research initiatives. Contact Amy K. Matthews INRA 208 524-4800 Media contact Janelle Brown Boise State communications and marketing 208 426-1790