|
|
| 2001 Team |
Blue Spikes
Field Assistant
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
I am originally from a dusty town in western Kansas called Garden City. I attended Emporia State University as an undergraduate where I majored in Earth Science and played on the football team. After graduating from Emporia, I found my way to The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. There I was first exposed to the branch of geology called glaciology, which is the study of glaciers. During that period I traveled to Antarctica four times and Greenland twice. My research has generally focused on whether the ice sheets are getting larger or smaller as a result of climate change. After completing my Master’s degree in Geology at Ohio State I decided I wanted to continue my education by earning a Ph.D. in geology. This brings me to my current position at the University of Maine.
This will be my second season as an ITASE participant. I think this is a very exciting field program both from a scientific aspect and from an adventure standpoint. I work with Dr. Gordon Hamilton and Dr. Steven Arcone. My major responsibility on ITASE will be to make measurements of how fast the ice sheet is flowing and how much the ice sheet is thickening or thinning. To accomplish this we track the movement of markers in ice with GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers. We are also using radar to study how snow accumulation varies across West Antarctica.
Outside of work I am an active person whose hobbies include snowboarding, mountain biking, running, hiking, and camping. I am a huge fan of music concerts and will travel great distances to see a favorite band. In general, I like to travel and be on the move.
