In recent years, (U-Th)/He dating of U- and Th-bearing accessory minerals has attracted tremendous interest as a means of constraining the timing and rates of a wide spectrum of upper-crustal to near-surface geological processes. The rapidly increasing demand for high-quality low-temperature thermochronological data exceeds the current analytical capacity of the few operating laboratories. This is clearly expressed by the large number of researchers interested in utilizing the KU facilities and the number of ongoing collaborative projects. The biggest obstacle toward meeting the demand for (U-Th)/He data is the availability of personnel to carry out the analytical work and assist visiting scientists. The addition of a full-time technician dedicated to the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory will ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the laboratory, dramatically accelerate research productivity and sample throughput, and allow the laboratory to engage in additional collaborations and to host visiting scientists and students that want to use the laboratory. The addition of a full-time technician to the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory represents an important investment into the national and international thermochronology research infrastructure with the prospect of a high payoff for the geosciences community in terms of scientific merit and educational impact. KU and visiting graduate and undergraduate students will work one-on-one with the technician in the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory, gaining invaluable hands-on experience important to their intellectual growth. ***
