Vickery to research science and technology

Dave Vickery, native of Sioux City, IA, will be working as a research intern at The University of South Dakota (USD) for the summer. Vickery's internship is provided by the South Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Vickery will be working alongside USD professor Mary Berry, researching solar concentrators that collect light. This research seeks to make solar energy more efficient and competitive with fossil fuels.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of the project and furthering my research experience. I am happy to be a part of this large-scale vision that is so important to South Dakota," said Vickery.

The South Dakota EPSCoR program is funding 15 interns to work in the areas of research, education, business, and communications. The program is designed to give the interns hands-on experience as well as show them how research can stimulate economic development, provide educational experiences, and show the importance of communicating this research.

"We are excited to have Dave on the EPSCoR team. His research will be essentialto the success of developing solar energy to make the technology a more viable option and a strong economic asset for the state of South Dakota," said Dr. James Rice, director of South Dakota EPSCoR.

Vickery is a senior at The University of South Dakota pursuing his degree in chemistry and secondary education. In the future Vickery hopes to be teaching or working in his selected field.

This activity is supported by the National Science Foundation and by the State of South Dakota. South Dakota EPSCoR promotes research, builds research infrastructure, and stimulates technology-based economic development throughout the state of South Dakota. For more information about South Dakota EPSCoR, go to www.sdepscor.org.