GENETICS, DARK MATTER, AND EDUCATION: BHSU RESEARCH INITIATIVES AT SANFORD UNDERGROUND RESEARCH FACILITY

Black Hills State University's proximity to the Sanford Underground Research Facility at Homestake combined with a high level of interest among faculty and staff has created numerous collaborative projects not only in science but also in science education and across the disciplines. Students at BHSU have already had the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research and are poised to maximize future opportunities as they emerge.

BHSU's activity at the Sanford Lab is another way to create innovative educational opportunities for students. The Kathryn Johnson Life Sciences Laboratory at BHSU is a new state-of-the-art science building on campus that provides classroom and laboratory space to accommodate our rapidly increasing number of science students and makes lab space available for visiting researchers.

Enthusiasm about the Sanford Lab extends throughout the BHSU campus. Students and faculty from a wide range of disciplines are involved in initiatives related to the Sanford Lab. As plans for the lab move forward, the BHSU/Sanford activity is developing in:

• Science research in the fields of microbiology, physics, and other areas;
• Science education including the development of a world-class Sanford Center for Science Education; and
• Myriad other initiatives ranging from mass communications to business to history.
• See photos of current research projects