Council 2015-2016

The following early career researchers served on the 2015-2016 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2015-2016 are also part of the Council: Ruth Vingerhagen, Alice Bradley, Heather Mariash, Hanne Nielsen, Trista Vick-Majors, as well as Jean-Sébastien Moore(ex-offio), and Yulia Zaika (ex-officio).

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Allen Pope (USA) and Mariette Wheeler (South Africa).

• Rachel Downey - Germany - APECS Council Co-Chair 2015-2016

  

  Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Germany

  I am a PhD student researching the ecological impacts of environmental change on sponge communities, specifically the biological impacts of the Larsen AB ice-shelf collapse in Antarctica. I have broad skills in Southern Ocean marine taxonomy and have managed and contributed to large-scale data collaborations, such as the SCAR-MarBIN/TOTAL Foundation Bioconstructors project, which compiled, and made freely available, over 30,000 records of corals, bryozoans, and sponges in the Southern Ocean for scientists, policy makers and conservation managers. I am by discipline, a physical geographer, having specialised in environmental change research in the cryosphere regions (University of Bristol). I gained experience of the environmental impacts on biological communities during my post at ZSL (Zoological Society London), working on reports, posters and organising conferences on the impact of climate change on corals and migratory species. This was furthered within my post as a marine biologist at (BAS) British Antarctic Survey, in which I worked on a broad range of Antarctic marine invertebrate taxonomy, biogeography, and marine geology projects. I gained experience of fieldwork in the Southern Ocean, during a 2-month marine biology and geology expedition to the Weddell Sea in 2012

• Scott Zolkos - Canada - APECS Council Co-Chair 2015-2016

  

  University of Alberta, Canada

  I am a PhD Student in the biological sciences program at the University of Alberta. My graduate focus in ecology stems from my longstanding fascination with the impact of climate change on Earth systems. After completing my B.A. in environmental science at Middlebury College (2011), I joined the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) as a Research Assistant. For 2.5 years at WHRC, I was part of research teams investigating the impacts of climate change and land disturbance on river chemistry and land-ocean linkages (Global Rivers Observatory), with much focus on the Arctic. My participation as a team member on the international Polaris Project expedition (2012) to the Siberian Arctic inspired me to pursue graduate studies in arctic science. As a graduate student in Dr. Suzanne Tank's lab, I am studying the influence of massive permafrost degradation on carbon cycle dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in the Peel River watershed (Northwest Territories, Canada). I find this research rewarding and fascinating because I work with a fantastic group of international researchers and Northern communities to understand the impacts of climate change on arctic ecosystems.

• Alexander Thornton - United States - APECS National Committee Coordinator

  

  University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  From an early age, having read about explorers like Shackleton, I was bitten by the ‘Polar Bug,’ and this passion grew over time; but my interests matured as I did. Growing up in the years following the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole and aftermath of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, my interests found a natural home studying polar ecosystems impacted by climate change and anthropogenic forces, under-toned by a sense of urgency for conservation. An animal enthusiast, I was delighted to find ecosystem sentinels in many species of marine mammals and seabirds, but didn’t know I could actually be a field researcher until—the year before beginning college—I met a graduate student who researched penguins in Antarctica. It was this encounter and her advice that sent me back to school with renewed passion, and turned my focus to polar sciences. Today, still on that path, it is my intention to be a highly-skilled scientist who not only studies the relationships between sympatric populations of polar species within their fragile environments, but one who also can overcome challenges of applying my research across disciplines and cultural divides to promote international cooperation.

• Mar Fernandez Mendez - Norway - APECS National Committee Coordinator

  

  Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

  I am a biologist by training who has always been fascinated by the ocean and its hidden secrets. After studying Biology in Madrid (Spain), I was totally convinced of the power of marine microbes to shape our planet. That´s why I decided to pursue my Masters in Marine Microbiology at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany. Since I am concerned about the increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, I decided to specialize on the group of marine microorganisms responsible for carbon fixation: phytoplankton. During my PhD studies at the Alfred Wegener Institute (2011-2014) I decided to focus on understanding the carbon cycle in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Since 2011 I have joined three expeditions to the Arctic Ocean, presented my research at five international conferences, and supervised four master students. Currently I work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute analysing recent scientific data from the N-ICE2015 drift expedition to answer societies most pressing questions regarding anthropogenic climate change and its impacts on the Arctic ecosystem.

• Adam Campbell - New Zealand

  

  University of Otago, New Zealand

  I am presently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand researching fracture propagation on the Ross Ice Shelf. In June of 2015, I completed my Ph.D in Earth and Space Sciences from the University of Washington. My dissertation focused on understanding environments that could serve as refugia for photosynthetic life during the Snowball Earth Events of the Neoproterozoic. While attending the University of Washington I served at manager for Engage Science, a science storytelling organization, from 2013-­‐2015. I completed a Masters degree in Geology at Portland State University in 2009, where I modeled the reaction of Crane Glacier to the disintegration of the Larsen B ice shelf. I have Bachelors degrees in Geology and Physics from Portland State University and Oregon State University, respectively.

• Jennier Cooper - United States

  

  CSULA, United States

  As an undergraduate student, I was avid to learn about all things science and I became involved with as many research groups and organizations as possible. Despite having to narrow down my career interest to astrophysics, I still have a desire to remain engaged with other fields, since there are oftentimes collaboration opportunities and I want to know how these other disciplines function and evolve. I’m currently involved with the Scientific Community on Antarctic Research, Astronomy & Astrophysics subgroup and I’ve loved every minute! I’m looking forward to developments for astronomy in Antarctica and how this can lead to insight for other research teams as well. Besides my academic life, I was a national level athlete in gymnastics and swimming for many years and I maintain my active side by hiking, surfing, and exploring the world wherever the opportunity presents itself.

• Kristina Creek - United States

  

  Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), United States

  I am and early career professional with an educational background in writing / language and Arctic Policy. I grew up in New York, went to school on Long Island, and lived in South Carolina for a while, but seven years ago I returned to my birthplace of Fairbanks, Alaska. I live in a small cabin 20 minutes outside of the city with my dog Kira and I work at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS). My interests outside of work are varied and I spend a lot of time trying new things but I am habitually in on and around water of any type and in any place. I travel as often as possible and enjoy boating, swimming, scuba diving and exploring.

• Archana Dayal - India

  

  National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), India

  I received my Master’s in ‘Climate Science & Policy’ from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi and Bachelors in ‘Biological Sciences’ from the University of Delhi. My interest in climate research was sparked when I joined an expedition to Kolahoi glacier in the Western Himalayas (in Kashmir) to study the geomorphological features of glaciers during my course work on ‘Glacier Hydrology’. My interest in polar research was further fuelled when I undertook my summer internship and Master’s thesis at the Ice Core Laboratory of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, (which is India’s nodal centre for polar research). Later I was selected as a student researcher of the 33rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (December 2013 to April 2014) where I carried out my research project on the biogeochemistry of blue ice and cryoconite holes.
  I have recently been awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship and am very excited to begin my PhD on the biogeochemical processes of the Arctic environment at the University of Sheffield, UK from October, 2015.
  I hold the post of Vice-President of the Research, Education and Outreach (REO) working group of the Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) since August 2014.

• Alena Dekhtyareva - Norway

  

  UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

  I have grown up in Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Since upper secondary school, I became interested in environmental protection issues and technologies. I graduated with honours in 2010 from the Murmansk State Technical University with the specialist degree (5 years education) in environmental engineering. Since 2011, I have been studying in Norway, at the University of Tromsø (UiT). During my Master studies I spent one semester at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) studying polar meteorology in order to improve my understanding of physical processes of cold climates and gain an experience in the meteorological field work and advanced data processing. I have been awarded a diploma for the degree of Master of Science in Physics at the UiT within the specialization in energy and climate in 2014. I have started my 4-years PhD in Environmental surveillance technology at the Department of Engineering and Safety of the UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2015. My research fields are polar meteorology and atmospheric chemistry in the Arctic. The work is dedicated to modelling and monitoring of pollution transport and dispersion processes from regional emission sources in the Arctic such as ships and power plants.

• Ivan Dubinenkov - Germany / Russia

  

  Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany / Russia

  I am just graduated from the POLMAR graduate school of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. I work there since 2012 and the main focus of my research is biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in the permafrost‐influenced Lena River and coastal Laptev Sea. In my studies on DOM I extensively apply non‐targeted molecular tools (i.e. Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)) for understanding of roles, reactivity, transformations, and properties of DOM in the changing arctic rivers. Also, I am interested in permafrost, its carbon pools and degradation processes. During my work I have done two expeditions to the Lena Delta and inner Laptev Sea (the Lena Delta 2012 and 2013 field campaigns). Prior my PhD studies I have studied organic chemistry in Lomonosov Moscow State University where I received my diploma degree. During my university years I started to be interested in studies on DOM in natural waters due to its extreme molecular complexity and incomplete understanding. Futher, I have combined my interest in DOM research with the Arctic Science. My involvement to the Arctic Science began from "the Polaris project" expeditions for undergraduate students to the Kolyma River (East Siberia, Russia) in 2010 and 2011. In these expeditions I realized how beautiful and at the same time vulnerable the Arctic is.

• Friederike Gehrmann - Finland

  

  University of Helsinki, Finland

  I grew up in Germany and after finishing school in 2008 I moved to London, England for three years where I studied biochemistry for my Bachelor’s degree. In 2011, I moved to Finland and completed a Master’s degree in Plant and Forest Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki. I enjoyed living in the North so I decided to stay in Finland for my PhD in Plant Ecology which I started in 2014. My research concerns the adaptation of Nordic plants to natural small-scale environmental variations. I spend every summer in Kilpisjärvi, Finnish Lapland, where I do my fieldwork on mount Saana. In my free time I volunteer with the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, go running and spend time outdoors as well as meet my friends and learn Finnish.

• Vikram Goel - Norway

  

  Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

  I am a second-year PhD candidate in Antarctic Glaciology working at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway and enrolled at the University of Oslo, Norway. Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of glaciology, ground penetrating radar and cryospheric modeling. My research work focuses on studying the current status and evolution of ice rises in Dronning Maud Land Antarctica. It includes using field collected GPS, firn cores and GPR data to calculate the mass balance of the ice rise and modeling its deep internal radar reflectors to study its evolution over the past several millennia. Previously, I did my masters in Earth System Science & Technology from IIT Kharagpur (India) in 2013 and a bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from UPES Dehradun (India) in 2011. During my masters i was awarded the DAAD scholarship under which I carried out my Master’s thesis work at the Leibnitz University Hannover, Germany. As a part of the research, I participated in the field expedition at the Fimbulisen ice shelf, DML, Antarctica in 2014.

• Meagan Grabowski - Canada

  University of British Columbia, Canada

  Meagan Grabowski was born in Dawson City, raised in Whitehorse, and continues to live in the Yukon Territory. She completed a BSc Natural Resource Conservation at the University of British Columbia and is currently an MSc Student in the Department of Zoology. Meagan is interested in alpine and Arctic science and how this science is communicated to the people who live where it takes place. Her work experience has been over 8 field seasons of ecological research in the circumpolar regions including southwest and Arctic Yukon, Nunavut, and Svalbard. Meagan is a member of the third cohort of the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship (http://gordonfoundation.ca/north/jane-glassco-northern-fellowship/2015-2017-fellows).

• Gunnar Mar Gunnarssson - United Kingdom

  

  Scott Polar Research Institute, United Kingdom

  Gunnar Mar Gunnarsson is a former faculty member at the University of Akureyri, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, with a specialization in Anthropology & Social theory. More specifically, his work examines subjecthood, power & the social realm in general, or the basic structure of social reality. With respect to Gunnar’s professional life, his academic background includes course work both in social sciences as well as the humanities. He earned undergraduate B.A. degree from University of Iceland in Anthropology, followed by graduate study in Icelandic Medieval literature and cultural history, aforesaid university. His studies enabled him to, essentially, gain knowledge of northern communities, with a particular emphasis on North Atlantic Rim cultural history. Prospective research will advance his understanding of Arctic colonialism, sovereignty and the relationship between such historical groundings & everyday life in the Arctic. He has recently been accepted as a research student (MPhil) at Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.

• Svenja Halfter - Germany

  

  University of Rostock, Germany

  I grew up in Bremen (northwestern Germany) and last year, I finished my Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Rostock (northeastern Germany), where I worked about the particle and chlorophyll a distribution in the Black Sea. I began my Master studies in marine biology, also in Rostock. We had many excursions to the Baltic and the North Sea, but I have never been to the Polar Regions, though it is my biggest dream to become a polar scientist. I was always fascinated of the marine life in Arctic and Antarctica, especially the organism communities which are directly dependent on sea ice. Other hobbies of mine are seabirds-watching and swimming in too cold waters (yep, I´m a crazy biologist). Additionally, I love to show other people the ocean and its inhabitants. The winter semester I will be on “holidays”: participating in biological courses and internships. For instance, in the last two months I went to the Baikal Lake in Russia for a Summer School and to Scotland for a course about marine megafauna. At the moment I live in Brussels to learn more about marine politics on EU level. And I applied for several courses in the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in the next year. I´m so excited to get in contact with polar science and the polar scientist community!

• Lara Hughes-Allen - United States

  

  University of Southern California, United States

  Lara Hughes-Allen is a graduate student in Geographic Information Systems Technology Master’s Program at the University of Southern California. She graduated from Pitzer College in 2011 with a double major in Environmental Biology and Geology. In the summer of 2015, she participated in the Juneau Icefield Research Program where her passion for glaciology and arctic climate research was solidified. Previously, Lara was a researcher for the Institute for Bird Populations, studying the foraging habits of Black-backed Woodpeckers, a contender for the Endangered Species List. She also worked as a researcher for Under the Trees, a privately owned forest research firm, which conducts carbon inventories and forest management inventories for private and public landowners. A level two PSIA certified ski instructor, she is currently a ski instructor and training assistant at Northstar Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA. Lara is interested in using GIS to analyze the effects of recent anthropogenic climate change on the condition and extent of glaciers and the long-term implication of these changes on surrounding watersheds.

• Ming Jing - China

  

  China Meteorological Administration, China

  I got my first academic degree of BS in Geology when getting graduated from Zhejiang University in 2002 and then was enrolled by IGGCAS pursuing the Ph.D. degree during 2002-­‐2008. Black carbon and other aerosols in the atmosphere over the Tibet Plateau are also my research interests. I had been focused on measuring black carbon in snow and ice collected from the glaciers in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Tianshan Mountain. I was recruited as a research scientist by National Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration as a research associate professor since October of 2010. Beyond scientific research, I am involved in taking service on the scientific support of climate change of NCC/CMA, including the policy-making inquiry on the impacts of climate change and scientific popularization of climate change to the general public. I’m also involved in the Arctic and Antarctic ice-core research during my visit in Dr. Ross Edwards’ group based in Curtin University, Australia. In his TRACE laboratory, ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica are analyzed for DNA, black carbon, and trace elements, for which I am fully joining in the analyzing group, which will take years to be completely coming into publications.

• Alia Khan - United States

  

  University of Colorado Boulder, United States

  A native of the Tarheel state, I completed my BS in Public Health in the US at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. My research interests began in detecting fecal contamination in rural drinking water in developing countries. After travelling in the high mountains in the Himalayas between research field stays in South Asia, I discovered a love and passion for cold environment field work. In May 2010 I began my MS at the University of Colorado – Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Studies. During that time I completed a UNIS field course on 'Fate and Modeling of Pollutants in the Arctic, and was also a member of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER), 'Stream Team'. The Stream Team is tasked with measuring discharge of ephemeral glacier fed streams in the Dry Valleys which flow 6-10 weeks per year, as well as collect water samples for chemical and biological analysis. We spent almost four months camping in the dry valleys and hiking to and from the stream sites. I then stayed on at CU-Boulder for a PhD in Environmental Engineering, and am now in my third year. My dissertation specific research interests are in local and long range transport of contaminants and pollutants to the cryosphere, and their resulting impacts on albedo reduction, the hydrological cycle and water quality. I am also very interested in the social and human impacts of climate change and have worked with the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo. Like many researchers in the polar sciences, I love the great outdoors! I'm an avid backcountry splitboarder and also enjoy rock and ice climbing.

• Nikita Kuprikov - Russia

  

  Russian Polar Initiative, Russia

  I’m a science researcher at Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St.Peterburg, Russia) since 2014 and Associate Professor at Department 101 «Airplane design» of Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) (Moscow, Russia). My research focuses on aircraft design, polar exploration, ocean-atmosphere interaction and remote sensing. I have graduated from Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) as Engineer for Aeronautical design and Specialist for Linguistics in 2011. I did my masters 2011-2013 at MGIMO University (Moscow state institute for foreign affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation). I have done my Ph.D. on aeronautical design at Moscow aviation institute (National Research University). My thesis focuses on analysis of economical and technical characteristics of regional airplanes for the Arctic region. I am a current member of Russian Geographical society and Russian Association of polar explorers.

• Elena Kuznetsova - Norway

  Representing the Permafrost Young Researcher Network (PYRN) on the APECS Council

  

  Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

  I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Road group of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. I had the privilege to complete my bachelor/master studies and PhD research at the Department of Geocryology (Faculty of Geology) of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia). My PhD dissertation was focused on thermal properties and phase composition of water in the frozen volcanic ash and scoria (region – Kamchatka, Far-East of Russia). Since 2012, I have been living and working in Norway, 2012-2013 I was working as a research scientist at SINTEF - the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, and from 2014 I started my 3-years postdoc in NTNU. My research interests focus on frost heaving with special application to roads in cold climate regions. Currently I am IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) fellow in Cryosphere Working Group (CWG) and a member of PYRN ExCom.

  My main hobbies are practicing yoga, skiing (both cross-country and downhill), drawing, and photography.

• Béatrice Laudet - France

  

  Always curious about biology, scientific research and adventure, I first accomplished studies in agronomics fields engineering. More interested by human aspects, I made a PhD, aiming at develop new inhibitors of a kinase protein involved in cancer, by high throughput screening of small molecules and rational drug design. After that, I decided to start medical studies to know more about pathologies and be able to treat patients in any case. I am at the moment specializing in emergency aspects, and coldness and mountain pathologies. In 2013, I spended a wintering in Kerguelen Islands, French Austral and Antarctic Lands, in the small hospital of the base. Now I am 35 years old and I am finishing medical studies this year. I am working in Paris in an Emergency Department. I am also interested in hiking, bike ride, Nordic skiing, karate and accordion.

• Lydie Lescarmontier - France / Australia

  I'm passionate about anything relative to the polar places ! My first trip in Antarctica in Adelie Land was in 2008, during my PhD on the interaction between Ocean and Ice-Shelves. Since, I've been traveling to Antarctica 7 times, in the context of my Phd on the Mertz Glacier, but also during my Postdoctoral Research studies at the Australian National University. There, I was working on the Antarctica mass balance, using satellite data (Gravity, Altimetric, Global Positioning System…) and in-situ data collected from GPS beacons in East Antarctica. Also curious about the Arctic, I'm working with a guiding company as a polar guide in Spitzbergen and Greenland.

• Juliana Marson - Canada

  

  University of Alberta, Canada

  Born in a small city in the country side of Sao Paulo, Brazil, I was in love with Ocean Sciences since I was 12 years old. I left my parent’s home when I was 17 to get my BSc in Oceanography in the southern part of Brazil. In my second year at the Universidade de Rio Grande (FURG), I started working with Physical Oceanography around the Antarctic Peninsula. From that, I moved my focus to Antarctic sea ice and spent two months of my last undergrad year in Germany, at the Alfred-Wegener Institut (AWI), working with sea ice remote sensing in Svalbard. I obtained my BSc degree in 2008 under the supervision of Dr. Mauricio Mata and started my Masters at the same university (FURG), studying sea ice variability within a numeric model (OCCAM). I concluded my PhD this year at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) under the supervision of Dr. Ilana Wainer, working with the effects of meltwater in the ocean circulation of the last 21,000 years using the NCAR-CCSM3 model. The last year of my PhD was carried on at McGill University (Montreal, Canada), under the supervision of Professor Emeritus Lawrence Mysak.

• Claudia Marturana - Chile

  I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates focus on the genetic consequences of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. Now, I am on the first year of my PhD, when I am going to test two biogeography hypotheses regarding of the evolutionary history of this group in Antarctica using a phylogeographic approach. Through all this years I traveled and met a lot of interesting people all over the world because of the network that I was able to make thanks to APECS. Now I am very excited and I want to make more things with you.

• Ellorie McKnight - Canada

  

  University of Alberta, Canada

  When not daydreaming about the next hiking, climbing, or skiing adventure, I’m currently spending my time working towards a MSc degree in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. My research area is in northern limnology and focuses on studying the dynamics of large northern lakes (using Kluane Lake [Yukon Territory] as a model system) and how these lakes may be changing in the face of climate change and development. These lakes have recently been described as sentinels of climate change: slight physical, biological, and chemical changes within these waterbodies can lead to significant shifts in lake properties & ecosystems. Baseline data and monitoring identify these changes and provide information which can be then be applied to resource and water management. Prior to undertaking graduate school, I completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of Ottawa. During and after this degree, I spent several field seasons working on various ecology & physical geography projects in Greenland, Alaska, and Yukon. I like to combine science & adventuring and have somehow managed to incorporate hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, canoeing, and pacrafting into various research projects. I also enjoy science outreach & education, particularly with youth.

• Bernabé Moreno - Peru

  

  Científica del Sur University, Peru

  Call me Bernabé Moreno, Peruvian Marine Biologist passionate about the ocean. I obtained my BSc Diploma at the Cientifica del Sur University (Lima, Peru) on 2013. Early that year I made it to visit –for my first time– the Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer. I was sent as a scientist member of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cientifica del Sur University, to survey the macrobenthic communities of the Mackellar Inlet, King George Island. Since that expedition I’ve been involved with the Antarctic project of my institution, sharing some of my results on symposia and open science conferences like the last XXXIII SCAR (Auckland, 2014). On the science field I develop I’ve tilted my interests towards the marine ecology of polar and subtropical ecosystems, in order to look for contrasts both in faunistic composition and physical drivers. In my country, Peru, with its sea sustaining plethora of diversity and richness, I’ve been performing as a consultant for the zoning plan of Marine Protected Areas of certain offshore islands for which I’ve steered and executed SCUBA Scientific Diving Protocols assessed with Underwater Photography. I’m looking forward to implementing these techniques for the next Antarctic Expedition on 2016.

• Karolina Paquin - Norway

  Karolina hails from Montreal, Canada. She lives and breathes for the fresh air of Alpine and Polar Regions, a passion originating from weekend trips to the cabin and the Canadian Rockies as a youth. With a Master of Arctic Biology under her belt, she can be found working various positions on Svalbard at the moment, such as at a remote station Isfjord Radio and guiding in the winter. With such a curious nature, she always seeks out ways to be more capable in the Arctic, mountains and sea she calls home. With an energetic and sunny disposition, she finds it almost impossible to refuse embarking on wilderness adventures on skis, boats and foot. Otherwise, she spends her time dabbling in Arctic sciences when possible, while living and learning in the environment that suits her best.

• Vicki Sahanatien - Canada

  I have been an Arctic-o-phile since the mid-1990s when I moved to Inuvik to work on the Yukon North Slope in Ivvavik National Park. Since then I have lived in NWT, Yukon, and Nunavut, working on environmental research and monitoring projects from 66°N-83°N (Ward Hunt Island). My most recent research project was for my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, which I defended on September 8th, 2015! I studied the sea ice habitat, space use and movements of polar bears in Foxe Basin, Nunavut. I have been a member of APECS since 2010 and an APECS-Canada board member since 2012. As an Iqalummuit (resident of Iqaluit) I would like to raise awareness locally and in Nunavut about APECS and current polar research through special events (e.g. Polar Week), radio and public presentations. One of the reasons I love the Arctic is because the ski season begins in November and lasts until June.

• Sara Strey - United States

  

  University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, United States

  I am an atmospheric scientist and instructor studying interactions between the Arctic and midlatitudes from the perspective of air sea interactions. I received my BS from Central Michigan University in 2009, and my MS in 2009 in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois. I’m currently the Meteorology Teaching Fellow at Northland College in Ashland, WI while finishing the final stages of my PhD work remotely with the University of Illinois. My current areas of research interest include arctic-midlatitude interactions, excellence in undergraduate education, and air sea interaction from both the atmospheric and oceanic perspectives.

• Camila Signori - Brazil

  

  University of São Paulo, Brazil

  Bachelor’s in Oceanography at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (2001-2005) and Master`s in Biological Sciences/Zoology at the National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2006-2008). After a 2,5-years period working at a company for environmental consulting, I came back to the academy and did the PhD in Sciences/Microbiology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2010-2014, CNPq fellowship), including two periods as a Guest Student at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Apr-Dec 2013 and Apr-Jul 2014), supported by CAPES fellowship and WHOI Mary Sears Visitor Award. This year I came back to WHOI to develop my research as a Guest Investigator with the SCAR fellowship (Jun-Aug 2015) and since September I am a post doc at the Oceanographic Institute - University of São Paulo, Brazil. My research interests include bacterial and archaeal diversity and biogeography, interactions between the oceanographic/environmental factors and the microbial community structure in the Southern Ocean, microbial processes in the marine carbon cycle and extremophile microorganisms. I have a good experience in oceanographic expeditions, including 3 times to Antarctica (and getting ready for the next Brazilian Expedition), 1 time crossing the South Atlantic Ocean, some cruises on the Brazilian coast, 1 time to the Pacific Ocean, where I had the chance to dive in Alvin (DSV-2). The ocean is definitely my passion, and I look forward to collaborating with APECS.

• Paul Suprenand - United States

  

  Mote Marine Laboratory, United States

  Combining environmental science, biological oceanography, and marine animal physiology, I develop assessments of natural marine resources through ecological modelling. Assessments include considerations of environmental drivers to quantify alterations in food-web trophodynamics and developing fishery management indices. Environmental drivers include climate change with consequential food web impacts, as well as oil spills and restoration efforts. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, and a doctorate in Marine Science, Biological Oceanography. I am currently an International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) fellow, and an APECS member. I have received training in Arctic Biology at the University of Iceland at Reykjavik, conducted field-work along the western Antarctic Peninsula, and have been trained in ecological modelling by the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project. In addition to my academic experience, I have worked as a conservation biologist, a biotech scientist, and a university-level educator. Current publications include the topics in Antarctic zooplankton ecology and physiology, Antarctic and Gulf of Mexico ecological modelling, as well as developing predictive models for an aquaculture industry in Florida. My current research is focused on utilizing my ecological model of the Beaufort Sea Arctic marine ecosystem, which considers predator-prey relationships, seasonal/environmental changes, as well as the indigenous community (Inupiat and Inuvialuit) artisanal hunting and fishing efforts, to identify marine species, habitats, and indigenous communities that are at risk of being negatively impacted by Arctic oil spills.

• Zuzanna Swirad - United Kingdom

  

  Durham University, United Kingdom

  I am 2nd year PhD student in Physical Geography at Durham University, UK. I am interested in evolution of post- and peri-glacial rocky coasts. My main research areas are north-eastern England and southern Svalbard. I got hooked on the Arctic when, as an undergraduate student, I took part in the 32nd Polish Polar Expedition to Hornsund, Svalbard. I am originally from Wroclaw, Poland, where I completed my BSc and MSc in Geography. For a year I worked on polar remote sensing at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. I took part in the Permafrost course at the University Centre in Svalbard, assisted in the spectrometry fieldwork in the Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia and got involved in a project whose aim was to map ice-related landforms on Mars. I joined APECS Council in 2013. I have shared knowledge about the Arctic through volunteering for Polar Museum in Cambridge and giving physical geography classes in secondary schools.

• Lorna Thurston - United States

  Hello, my name is Lorna Louise Thurston. I am a physical geographer and my current research interest is in cold climate fluvial geomorphology. I recently relocated from New Zealand to the USA to pursue this interest. Over the coming two years, I look forward to being part of the Arctic Glacial Lakes, Catchments and Climate Linkages Project titled: “Collaborative Research: Developing A System Model Of Arctic Glacial-Lacustrine Sedimentation For Investigating Past And Future Climate Change”, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. I will be contributing to the fluvial geomorphology component of the project at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Prior to coming to NAU, I studied and worked within the environment sector in New Zealand for almost ten years. I completed my BSc (Honors) degree in 2009, and I subsequently worked as an environmental consultant, managing the planning of large-scale subdivision and development projects. I left my consulting position in September 2014 to pursue academic interests and travel. Over the past year, I have completed the Postgraduate Certificate of Antarctic Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; travelled throughout the Southwest Pacific to Japan with the Enderby Trust; worked for charities in Australia; participated in the Summer School on Geomorphology in Austria, funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung; and started studying and working at NAU! I am grateful to have had so many interesting experiences and I look forward to having more during my time on the APECS Council.

• Ekaterina Uryupova - United Kingdom

  University of Salford, United Kingdom

• Anna Varfolomeeva - Hungary / Russia

  

  Central European University, Hungary / Russia

  My name is Anna Varfolomeeva, I am an environmental anthropologist from Russia, currently starting my PhD at Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. I received my Master's Degree (2012) from CEU as well, and my thesis was devoted to the evolution of the concept of indigenous people in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation with the case study of Vepses, a small ethnic minority residing in the North-West of Russia.
  In 2013/14 I was conducting research at Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Sweden; my research focused on the state policies of Sweden towards its indigenous population in comparison with Russia. I am specifically focused on the topics of indigenous land and natural resources rights in the Northern Europe and Russia as well as indigenous youth organizations and their activities. I took part in several European conferences on minority rights and youth policies and had an internship in event organization at a youth NGO in Slovenia in 2012/13. Now I am at the next step of my career and will study the complex relations of indigenous communities to mining in the North-West of Russia.

• Matthias Wietz - University of Oldenburg - Germany

  

  University of Oldenburg, Germany

  I am a postdoctoral research associate at Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, which is affiliated with the University of Oldenburg (Germany). My research focuses on the ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and biogeography of marine bacteria, with special emphasis on the bacterial degradation of macroalgal organic matter. My Polar research activities included a number of projects in the Southern and Arctic Oceans, Antarctica, and Svalbard. Collaborative research on frost flowers with the University of Washington has been featured in National Geographic Magazine and other media (see e.g. http://www.nationalgeographic.de/aktuelles/leben-in-eisblumen). My academic background includes an MSc from Australian Institute of Marine Science, a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark, and a postdoc at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As Council member I'm excited about promoting the international cooperation among young Polar scientists.