Black Hills State University announced the premiere of “Welcome to the BHUC,” a short documentary created by Scott H. Thornburg in the Office of Marketing and Communications. This nine-minute documentary takes viewers a mile beneath the ground at the BHSU Underground Campus (BHUC) where faculty and students contribute to the global search for dark matter at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF).
“I'm fascinated by the long history of underground research in the Black Hills. There’s a real sense of mystery and wonder in the study of dark matter and the cosmic unknown, and the brilliant people building these experiments deep underground are uniquely driven,” said Thornburg. “When I came to BHSU and learned about the university’s collaboration with SURF, I knew this was a story I wanted to tell.”
The documentary is free and open to the public and will be held at the Joy Center on March 11 at 4 p.m. At the conclusion of the film, a Q&A session will be held featuring BHUC Director and BHSU Associate Professor Dr. Brianna Mount, and Katie Pedneau, Post-Baccalaureate Researcher at BHSU and BHUC.
“Dr. Brianna Mount and Katie Pedneau spoke with me about their research and their personal experiences working deep underground. We captured an incredible amount of footage, and this short documentary brings together some of the most compelling moments. I’m excited to share it and give people a glimpse of the science happening beneath the Black Hills,” added Thornburg.
For more information, please contact Scott Thornburg at Scott.Thornburg@BHSU.edu