The Institute of Atmospheric Sciences (IAS) was established at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) in 1959. It started a program in weather modification research slowly as a part-time effort involving existing SDSMT and South Dakota State University faculty, but began to grow rapidly in 1964 with the hiring of its first full-time director, Richard Schleusener. Strong support from federal research agencies, particularly the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, led to development of a large internationally-recognized research program at SDSMT employing more than 50 staff in the late 1960s. Support for weather modification research began to diminish in the 1970s. Staff numbers declined. The IAS diversified its research portfolio to include a broader meteorological and environmental perspective. A core research effort in storm phenomena relevant to weather modification was maintained. In the 1990s a very successful program in satellite remote-sensing developed, but in 1997 that group moved to a different institution to continue its efforts. In the 2000s a new focus on earth system science developed. Again, the development faltered with the departure of key researchers and shrinking of staff numbers. Through all of these changes an active research program has survived. We survey the scientific achievements of IAS researchers and their continuing successes in the area of atmospheric physics and dynamics, atmospheric chemistry and air quality, remote sensing, land surface-atmosphere interaction, and earth system science and biogeochemical cycles.
