SURF hosts livestream after ‘An Evening with America’s Underground Lab’ sells out in Sioux Falls
World-class research, engineering, and education in the Black Hills takes center stage during a free event on September 17 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls—a livestream is available for all those who can’t attend in person.
The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) will host An Evening with America’s Underground Lab at 7 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at the Washington Pavilion’s Belbas Theater at 301 S. Main Avenue in Sioux Falls.
While the in-person seating is currently full, registration is open for the free livestream.
The evening will feature the latest on world-leading discoveries and ongoing research happening nearly a mile below the Black Hills while showcasing SURF’s mission to inspire learning across generations, build the scientific and technical workforce of tomorrow, and create business opportunities across the state.
America’s Underground Lab is home to cutting-edge research in biology, geology, physics, and engineering. Attendees will learn about exciting updates on breakthrough research in biotechnology, geothermal energy, dark matter, neutrinos, and engineering marvels taking place in the former gold mine turned underground laboratory.
The evening will include a panel of experts who will take audience questions about the ongoing mission to advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations.
Panelists include:
Dr. Kevin Lesko
Dr. Kevin Lesko is the Wolfson Senior Fellow in the department of physics at the University of Oxford.
Lesko was instrumental in the establishment of SURF. Following the closure of Homestake, he worked alongside state and federal officials as a leading advocate for turning the former gold mine into a national science laboratory.
Lesko is a retired senior physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a former spokesperson for LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment, located at SURF. LZ recently announced the detection of a possible dark matter particle, if proven true the finding would change the understanding of the make-up of our universe.
In 2024, Berkeley Lab recognized Lesko with a lifetime achievement award for his “exceptional contributions to pioneering neutrino and dark-matter experiments and establishing the nation’s premier underground science laboratory for scientific explorations and STEM workforce training.”
Mike Headley
Mike Headley is the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and the laboratory director at SURF. He has served in SURF leadership for the past 18 years and his tenure has grown the facility from a former gold mine into one of the world’s leading underground laboratories for both research and education. Today, SURF is home to more than 30 world-class experiments with an education team that reaches 22,000 students and 400 teachers with hands-on STEM learning and professional development each year. South Dakota State University College of Engineering named Headley as a Distinguished Engineer in 2024. He also received an honorary doctorate in science from SDSU in 2026.
Before coming to SURF in 2008, Headley served in various roles at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS), and was a Deputy Program Manager and Assistant Vice President for the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at the USGS EROS Center, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Nicol Reiner
Nicol Reiner is the Director of Education and Outreach at SURF, where she leads efforts to inspire curiosity, build confidence in STEM, and connect students and educators with the operations and world-class science happening at SURF.
Through hands-on learning experiences, educator support and meaningful connections between teachers and researchers, Reiner and her team help strengthen STEM education and build STEM literacy across South Dakota.
She has more than 30 years of experience in the field of education serving in several capacities, including roles as a math teacher, an adjunct graduate instructor, and as a Director at the SD Department of Education.
Bill Even
Bill Even is the Commissioner of the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development and a champion for the work underway at SURF and its value to the state’s economy. Even brings decades of experience in public service and agricultural leadership. His past roles include Secretary of Agriculture, Deputy Secretary of Tourism and State Development, State Energy Policy Director, and Director of GOED. Most recently, he served as CEO of the National Pork Board.
Even holds degrees from Lake Area Technical Institute, South Dakota State University, and Drake University Law School.
Mike Ray, a science communicator at SURF, will serve as a moderator for the panel discussion.
Learn more about the event here.
