Significant, cutting edge research again continued during FY18 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), an affiliate of SDSGC. Closed in 2000 after 124 years of operation, the Homestake gold mine was selected by NSF and funded by DOE for development as an underground laboratory that serves to shield sensitive, cutting-edge physics research experiments from background cosmic radiation. The project is the most ambitious research infrastructure project in SDs history, with SDSGC playing an active role in funding students and research projects.
One of the SURF programs supported by SDSGC is the Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program, assisted by professors at affiliate Black Hills State University. This four-week summer program gives students the opportunity to see cutting-edge, real-world applications of science while learning from experts, helping them to determine whether science is the right career path for them. The program accepts eight South Dakota students who just entered STEM education fields and have demonstrated leadership in their communities. It helps rising college freshmen and sophomores develop an understanding of where their passions for STEM could take them. The summer 2018 Davis-Bahcall Scholars toured the SURF facility in Lead, SD; EROS and Sanford Health Research in Sioux Falls, SD; MISCO and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; the University of Wisconsinâs IceCube Neutrino Observatory and Viz Lab in Madison, WI; Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, IL.; Teramo Observatory in Teramo, Italy; and Gran Sasso National Laboratory located under the Italian Apennines mountain range. Two of the eight 2018 Davis-Bahcall Scholars (Hanna Neumiller, a Biochemistry freshman at BHSU, and Zachary Hoopman, a Chemical Engineering freshman at SDSM&T) were fully-funded by $5,000 Space Grant NIFS stipends to participate in the program. Since 2009, 121 students have participated in the Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program. Begun as a physics-oriented learning experience, the program has evolved to include students from a variety of STEM majors, while incorporating international travel.