PhD Student at the University of Munich, Germany
Contact Inga

I am a PhD student at the University of Munich and my thesis is embedded in the ArcticNet program. I am studying to which extent it is feasible to detect changes in the state of permafrost by means of remote sensing techniques. The study is done within a strong collaboration with researchers from INRS (Quebec) and the Laval University (Quebec).

Because I was born with ‘snow – and icesickness’, I was always interested in the polar region and its gorgeous but highly sensitive environment.  Now that I have the possibility to study polar sciences myself, it is really a dream coming true.

PhD Student at the British Antarctic Survey and the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
Contact Helen

I'm a PhD student investigating biological sources of iodine emissions in the sea ice zone at the British Antarctic Survey and the University of East Anglia. I enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of my research as it combines the physics of sea ice formation, marine biology of the phytoplankton which colonise the brine channels within sea ice, and atmospheric chemistry of the iodine compounds which are produced and subsequently released from the ice. I've been fortunate enough to travel to Hudson Bay in Quebec, Canada, the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula on field campaigns, instilling in me a love and respect for the polar environment. Being involved with APECS and UKPN activities allows me to share this passion with other researchers.

Master of Science Student at the University of Akureyri, Iceland
University of the Arctic Assistant, Rovaniemi, Finland

Harry grew up in Happy Valley, Labrador and hasn't left the north for long ever since. Harry has a BA degree in Canadian Studies/Political Science from Mount Allison University, Canada. His honour's research was on language policy in the four Inuit regions of Canada. Following that, he worked for the University of the Arctic in Rovaniemi Finland, and most recently the Arctic Centre in their Arctic Graduate School. Harry remains active with the University of the Arctic and its programs, he's also been an APECS enthusiast since he joined in 2008, volunteering with their Field School activities. Harry is currently an MA student in Polar Law at the University of Akureyri in Iceland. His research interests are international cooperation, region-building and Arctic institutionalism with his thesis work looking at Arctic national strategies and their impacts on international governance in the region.

Researcher for the Geological Survey of Canada

Nicole Couture is a permafrost geomorphologist with the Geological Survey of Canada and is just completing her Ph.D. in physical geography at McGill University where her research focuses on erosion along Arctic coastlines and the subsequent flux of organic carbon to the Arctic Ocean.   Prior to starting her doctoral work, she provided logistics for scientific research in the Canadian high Arctic and was a lecturer in physical geography and geology at Bishop's University.  Her scientific interests include the response of permafrost landscapes to development activities and changing environmental conditions, the influence of coastal processes on nearshore and onshore permafrost, including the assessment of material fluxes from degrading permafrost (sediment, organic carbon, and contaminants), and how these are affected by the distribution of ground ice.  She has been involved in international coastal science activities for the past decade, and has participated in or led research trips to the Arctic since 1995.  Nicole became truly bi-polar in 2008 when she made her first forays into the Antarctic as a guide and lecturer aboard an expedition-style cruise ship.  Nicole also holds a B.A. in Russian studies and has worked as a producer for an international television news network.

Administrative Assistant at the IPY International Programme Office

Melissa currently works for the International Polar Year, International Programme Office (IPY IPO) in Cambridge, England, assisting senior management in daily operations and providing key administrative support.  She has experience working in both governmental and non-governmental organisations.  Previous to joining the IPY IPO office (which is hosted by the British Antarctic Survey) she spent 5 years working in a Regional Executive Office for the United States Geological Survey in Columbia, Missouri.  She is excited to contribute to the diverse educational goals of IPY.

APECS Chile

Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany

Born at 7th March 1980 in Valparaiso, Chile. Attended Elementary and High School in Punta Arenas (Southern Chile). Moved in 1998 to Concepción (Chile) to study geology at the University of Concepción, there graduate in 2005. In 2006 worked for a private mining company near the city of Coyhaique (Chile). At the end of 2006 received a DAAD scholarship to initiate a PhD in Germany at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research and the University of Potsdam, began the studies in April 2007 after a six months language course in the city of Leipzig (Germany).

Between 2002 and 2008 participate in five scientific expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula in subjects like palaeontology, geology and glaciology. The first four expeditions were in frame of an INACH (Chilean Antarctic Institute) project with the aim to study the evolution of the Gondwana break-up, based in paleontological and geological evidences. During these expeditions worked in different points of the South Shetland Islands. During January and February 2008 carried out the first expedition of his PhD program in the Antarctic Peninsula nearby the Chilean “O ́Higgins” station, from this location were retrieved shallow ice cores to study the climate variability in the last years to decades. 

I find the idea of collaboration between young researchers really interesting. As I saw at the SCAR/IASC meeting, APECS will become in the near future a reference point for all young Polar scientists and I would be really glad to contribute to this organization. I could offer my help to establish a national committee (Chilean) with the aim of get in touch all the Chilean young researchers and hopefully to establish cooperation instances between national and international partners. As well I could offer some help to those trying to work in the field, especially in the north of Antarctic Peninsula, where the Chilean stations are, to contact the right persons and when ever it’s possible to collaborate in field.

Junior Scientist at the Institute for Marine Research and Ecosystem Studies, Netherlands

Hauke Flores works as a Junior Scientist at the Institute for Marine Research and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES) on the Dutch Wadden Island Texel. During his doctorate Hauke has been working on food chains in the Antarctic seasonal sea ice zone. During several expeditions in the Weddell and Lazarev Seas, Hauke has investigated the ecological importance of krill and other animals living at the underside of sea ice using a newly developed under-ice net. Hauke was born in Germany on September 18th, 1974. He graduated (‘Diplom’ = MSc) in Biology at the University of Hamburg. He completed a PhD at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) in 2009.

Assistant Professor at Ohio University, USA

Dr. Ryan Fogt is a climatologist  / meteorology whose particular research focus is on the climate of Antarctica.  He completed his undergraduate education at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, before heading to The Ohio State University to complete his Master's and Ph.D.  His graduate advisor was Dr. David Bromwich.  During his graduate education, Dr. Fogt travelled to Antarctica three times, each visit to work with the forecasters on ice to improve the forecasting model used to support all operations of the USAP.  While on ice, he also helped other meteorology projects and installed and upgraded several automatic weather stations on the Ross Ice Shelf.  After graduate education, Dr. Fogt spent two years as a postdoctoral research at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO.  Currently, he is an assistant professor (tenure track) at Ohio University, where he directs the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis and oversees the meteorology program.

Gerlis Fugmann was born in Ansbach, Germany, on November 4, 1979. I completed a Magister Artium (M.A.) degree in Geography at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University Bonn (Germany) in 2005 with Anthropology and Prehistoric Archaeology as minors. During an exchange year to the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, Canada, I first developed a keen interest in the Canadian Arctic which inspired me to start research in economic development perspectives for Nunavut for my Magister thesis.

I am currently a PhD candidate in Geography at the Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany). My research focuses on a comparison of grassroots economic development opportunities in Canadian Inuit regions (especially Nunavik and Nunatsiavut) after the settlement of land claims agreements. In 2006 I was able to participate in the 4th IPSSAS (International PhD School for Studies on Arctic Societies) Seminar in Kuujjuaq, Canada. After receiving a scholarship of the DAAD in Germany I was able to complete my fieldwork phase in Kuujjuaq (Nunavik), Kangirsuk (Nunavik) and Nain (Nunatsiavut) in 2008. I am also working and teaching as a research associate at the Department of Geography of the Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany).

PhD Student at Edinburgh University, UK

I am currently in the second year of my PhD at Edinburgh University, entitled Biogeochemistry and Diatom Ecology of the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone. My work focuses on the physical and biogeochemical factors influencing the seasonal phytoplankton bloom in Ryder Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula. Fieldwork has taken place over two summer seasons based at Rothera Research Station in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.

My academic background is in Environmental Geoscience. I am an active member of APECS and the UK Polar Network, for which I have been involved in several events and taken the lead role in organising a mentor panel at the IGS Symposium 2009.

Postdoctoral Researcher at Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
Secretary for the International Permafrost Association

I am a 31 years old permafrost researcher originally from France. Upon completion of my French Baccalauréat, I started a Geography/Geology degree in Paris. I graduated from Université Paris 7 with a maîtrise in Physical geography and moved to Montréal, Canada to get a masters. I stayed three years at McGill University, and graduated with an MSc that had to do with the quantification of coastal erosion on Arctic coasts using remote sensing and photogrammetry. I then got an offer to come to the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam to start a PhD and took it. I completed my PhD in 2008 on the impacts of climate change on Arctic coasts. My current research involves the use of geospatial, geochemical and sedimentological tools to quantify and characterize the coastal erosion occurring in permafrost regions. I am also running the secretariat of the International Permafrost Association, an exciting job for an early career researcher.

I also take part in some projects in the polar world related to specific science issues (Arctic Coastal Dynamics, SAON) and to the promotion of young scientists activities (PYRN, APECS, WAYS).

Postdoctoral Researcher with the British Antarctic Survey and Stellenbosch University, South Africa

I completed my BSc Honours (Ecology) at the University of Sheffield, England. My final year project investigated the relationship between invasion success and climate change in the Antarctic, this sparked my passion for the ecology of the region which ultimately brought me to study at Stellenbosch University. In Stellenbosch I completed my PhD which examined the movement of alien species and propagules in the Antarctic at a number of different spatial and temporal scales. This work allowed me to travel to the Antarctic on a number of occasions where I was able to further develop my interest in the region, especially its micro arthropods.

My present research is a collaborative project between the British Antarctic Survey and Stellenbosch University and aims to test, using molecular phylogeographic techniques, major hypotheses proposed for the existence of refugia for arthropods in Antarctica.

Postdoctoral Researchers at the University of Tromsø, Norway

I have currently (2009-2010) a postdoctoral position at the University of Tromso in Norway, in the team of Professor Paul Wassmann. I work on the impact of changes in temperature and pH, on the metabolism of zooplanktonic and benthic organisms. I did my PhD (2004-2007) at the University of Connecticut, USA, on Arctic marine carbon cycling. I did my Master in Marine Sciences in France and the equivalent of undergraduate studies in Earth Science and Biology at the Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. Various internships and positions have developed my interest in Polar Marine Sciences. During my PhD and postdoc, I have participated in studies in different Arctic seas, including Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Bering Sea and Greenland Sea.

In parallel to my research, I like to participate in outreach activities. The collaboration with an elementary class of Pau, France, gave birth to a book from, and for, children “La Carotte de Classe” (http://www.nathaliemorata.com/la_carotte_de_classe.htm). I also collaborated with a high school class of Burnaby, Canada, and gave presentations for Animal Kingdom Career Days of Girl Scout camp and for Education Workshops at the University of Connecticut. I finally participated in the IPY Ocean Science Days last March, presenting my research by radioconferences to various schools in USA and Europe.

Masters of Arts Student at the University of Akureyri, Iceland

Jennifer Rhemann is an M.A. candidate in Polar Law at the University of Akureyri. She has worked in various science support capacities for the U.S. Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and she studied polar sciences via the U.S. National Science Foundation Polar Education Program and California State University. She holds a Bachelor of Antarctic Studies with Honours from the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, where her research was focused on the development and implementation of policies regarding non-native species in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Her research interests include the science – policy interface, governance of the Polar Regions, and implementation of policy. She's fascinated by the polar regions and is thrilled to be an active member of the Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS).

Project Manager at the Arctic Research Consortium of the US (ARCUS)

With a background in education, community development, and natural resources management, my interests lie in science communication, teacher/researcher collaborations, and global climate change education. I recently finished my bachelor's degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Rural Development with an emphasis in Land, Resource, and Environmental Management. I am planning on beginning a master's degree soon to further my studies in climate change education and teacher researcher collaborations.

I am currently employed as a project manager for the Arctic Research Consortium of the US (ARCUS) and work on a project called PolarTREC, which matches teachers with researchers for research experiences in the polar regions (www.polartrec.com). When not working or at school I enjoy backcountry skiing and snowmachining, floating rivers, cooking, making art, and traveling with her husband, Jake, and their two dogs.

Science Communicator and Associate Researcher at K.U.Leuve, Belgium

Anton Van de Putte works as a science communicator at the K.U.Leuven in Belgium and is an associate researcher at the Laboratory for Animal Diversity and Systematics (K.U.Leuven). During his doctorate Anton worked on the ecology and evolution of Southern Ocean fish. He participated in several international expeditions. His research interest are focused on the mesopelagic fish Electrona antarctica and trematomid fish. Anton Was born in Belgium in 1979 and graduated at the K.U.Leuven, where he also completed a PhD in 2008.

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Delaware with a focus in Climatology.  My research is aimed at assessing between sea ice processes with both active and passive microwave products specifically for the validation of scatterometer products using the Ku-band to distinguish between open water and specific ice types for Antarctic sea ice.  The validation for this will improve the systematic applications of these products for operational and logistical ice charting capabilities by providing near real-time forecasting and archiving of long-term records for scientific analysis and climate modeling.

Postdoctoral Researcher at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

As a child I spent a lot of time toddling around the Scottish Highlands, completely oblivious to the scenery. I guess that being outdoors and in the mountains did get to me though, as I ended up going to the University of Glasgow to do physical geography. While on a field project to Svalbard I became moderately obsessed with the polar regions. My Masters and PhD were both through the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio. I made 12 trips to the Antarctic during that time, working in the Transantarctic Mountains measuring crustal deformation in response to changing ice loads. I also did some work on the Icestreams of the Siple Coast, and went to Greenland to install continuous GPS systems all around the nation. After a one year postdoc at OSU I moved to the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department at Cornell. I have been using remote sensing to measure thickness and speed changes over the outlet glaciers of the Patagonian Icefields. I hope to get some field time there soon!