LEAD — The Sanford Underground Research and Brookings Kiwanis Club invite the community to learn more about the science taking place a mile underground in Lead and how that work is benefitting South Dakota. Deb Wolf, director of outreach and culture at SURF, will give a public presentation at noon on Thursday at the Mission Coffeehouse, which is located on the north end of First Lutheran Church on Eighth Street and Main Avenue in Brookings.
“We are excited for our entire community to be able to more about the important science being done at SURF, as well as the organization’s work with schools in South Dakota,” said Mary O’Neill, a member of the Brookings Kiwanis Club.
SURF is the deepest underground laboratory in the United States — and among the deepest in the world. As a dedicated research facility, SURF hosts experiments in physics, including dark matter and neutrinos, as well as biology, geology and engineering. SURF will also house the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF/DUNE) project, now under construction on the 4,850-foot level underground at SURF. The project is managed by the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
The world-leading research taking place at SURF is changing the way we understand our universe and our planet. It also impacting the economy of South Dakota. A recent study projects SURF’s net economic impact will reach $2 billion through 2029 and create nearly 1,200 jobs in that same period.
In addition to economic impacts, SURF leverages the research to educate learners of all ages, while providing unique learning opportunities for educators and K-12 students in South Dakota. Programs include curriculum modules, classroom presentations, fields trips and public outreach events.
“As a former classroom teacher, I find this particularly exciting,” Wolf said. “In the past year alone, thousands of K-12 students and hundreds of K-12 educators in South Dakota have benefitted from our educational programs. I am truly excited to be able to share SURF’s progress and future plans with the Brookings community.”
In addition to her presentation in Brookings, Wolf is participating in this week’s STEM Education Conference in Huron with other team members from SURF. The conference is designed to “encourage an active interest in and an appreciation of mathematics and science at all levels, and to provide professional growth opportunities for math and science educators.”
