This is the IPY EOC International Steering Committee that worked together to carry out the IPY EOC assessment project and to inventory and compile IPY EOC activities that have occurred over the last few years around the world. Along with this inventory a general assessment of the EOC work that was done during the IPY started. We worked hard gathering as much information about EOC activities that went on during the latest IPY.
Project Co-PI: David Carlson, IPY IPO
David directed the International Programme Office for the International Polar Year, hosted by the UK National Environmental Research Council at the British Antarctic Survey. IPY, with more than 50,000 participants from 60 nations, covered a wide range of geophysical, biological and social science topics at a critical time for polar regions. David has devoted more than 15 years to guiding and managing large international science programmes, starting from the very large Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere programme in 1992 and 1993 and continuing through a decade of complex programmes focused on many aspects of weather, atmospheric chemistry, and climate. Dr. Carlson holds a PhD in Oceanography and led successful research teams focused on upper ocean physics and chemistry, oceanic microbiology and carbon cycling, and marine chemical ecology.
Project Co-PI: Jenny Baeseman, APECS Director
Jenny been interested in life in streams starting with her childhood on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Her training includes a B.S. in Water Chemistry from the University of WI - Stevens Point, M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, a Ph.D. also in Civil Engineering with an environmental emphasis from the University of Colorado, and postdoctoral training in geosciences at Princeton University. During her training, she has spent 3 summer seasons in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica and has a deep appreciation and interest in the Polar Regions.
Jenny began working with the International Polar Year (IPY) in the summer of 2005. While working as an Assistant Professor in Biological Science, she became the co-chair of the IPY Tertiary Education Committee and the founding Director for the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), one of the major legacy programs of the IPY. One of her main objectives for the organization is to help young researchers combine their interests in interdisciplinary polar science with interests in education and outreach and professional development activities. She began serving as the Director of APECS in 2007, when the Directorate was hosted at the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks, where she is currently an affiliate assistant research professor. The University of Tromsø, and the Norwegian Research Council are now hosting the APECS Directorate Office, and Jenny is happy to be living in Tromsø, the "Paris of the North".
Project Assistant: Jennifer Provencher
Jennifer completed her BSc in marine biology and her BEd with a focus on secondary science and biology at the University of British Columbia. After completing her education degree she moved to a samll fishing village on the west coast of Vancouver Island to work in the Public Education Department at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Here she continued to develop her passions for science and education through working on a number of coastal ecology projects studying kelp forests, rockfish, whales and seabirds. Alongside her science work she developed a number of teachers' guides designed to use current relevant science to teach prescribed learning outcomes set by the province. At this time she also taught in the local school district and developed a high school curriculum package using ecosystem based activities to teach the high school curriculum.
After years of field work and on the west coast of North America. Jennifer was given the opportunity to visit the Canadian Arctic as part of a Canadian IPY project examining seabirds as indicators of change in the north (dogsbody.psych.mun.ca/ipy/IPY/Welcome.html) . She later joined the project as a graduate student and completed her MSc at the University of Victoria on seabirds as indicators of changing marine ecosystems and marine pollution in the eastern Canadian Arctic. She also carried her IPY science into the IPY Arctic Sea Ice Educational Package (www.thearcticseaice.com) to create cross curricular lesson plans for teachers based on locally relevant science in northern Canada.
International Steering Committee:
Renuka Badhe, SCAR
Renuka Badhe has a PhD in Marine Environmental Biology with the British Antarctic Survey and an MPhil in Land Economy with specialisation in Public and Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge. She also has a BSc and an MSc in Environmental Science from the Institute of Science, India. Prior to joining the SCAR Secreteriat, Renuka was working with the IUCN Climate Change and Species programme in Cambridge. She was also the Co-ordinator of the Student Conference on Conservation Science (Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge) for the year 2007. Her other experience in the UK includes Project Management of Carbon footprinting projects and teaching in the fields of Geography and Environmental Sciences. In India, she was a Research Fellow with the Naval Materials Research Laboratory, where she developed a modified diesel fuel which reduced the pollution load of the exhaust using micro-emulsion technology, amongst other projects.She has a range of publications, with the latest one she co-authored while at the IUCN making news all over the world, including on National Geographic and the BBC. Her interests include photography, travelling and skating.
Jennifer Bellman, IPY Canada
Jennifer has been with the Canadian IPY Program since August 2008 working on training, communications and outreach issues. Having started her career in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in the Canadian Arctic, she has worked for the Government of Canada, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for over 10 years on Northern and Aboriginal issues. Her background is in corporate communications and outreach, with a specific interest in fostering joint collaborative projects with private sector, Aboriginal and non-governmental organizations. Jennifer is currently leading the communications planning and program efforts for the IPY 2012 From Knowledge to Action Conference to be held in Montréal April 22-27, 2012 www.ipy2012montreal.ca . She lives in Chelsea, Quebec with her husband, Matt, two sons and a crazy Northern husky.
David Hik, University of Alberta, IASC
David Hik is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. His interests have included the effects of lesser snow geese on salt marshes along Hudson Bay, the effects of predators on the 10-year cycle of the snowshoe hare, and the restoration of Australian woodlands. For the past decade, his research has focused on plant-herbivore-climate interactions in northern alpine ecosystems. The mountains of the southwest Yukon are currently an epicenter of climate warming and offer exceptional opportunities to investigate the physical and biological sensitivity to climate change in alpine ecosystems. Plant communities, forage species, and mammalian herbivores, including Dall sheep, collared pikas, hoary marmots and Arctic ground squirrels, all appear to be sensitive to climate variability. Using a multidisciplinary approach, it has been possible to begin to untangle the processes which influence the dynamics of species living in these northern mountains.
Louise Huffman, ANDRILL
Louise retired from 34 years of public school teaching before taking on the role of ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) Coordinator of Education and Public Outreach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and her master's degree from Northern Illinois University. Besides teaching children, Louise has worked with the Golden Apple Foundation teaching workshops on science inquiry for teachers. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. She is a Fellow in the Golden Apple Academy and besides winning the Golden Apple Award in 2002, she was twice recognized for Excellence in Teaching by the Illinois Science Teachers Association. She is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who Among American Women, Who's Who in the World, and Who's Who Among America's Educators.
In the 2002-03 Antarctic research season, Louise was a TEA (Teacher Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic) on the "Stream Team" in the Dry Valleys. She also spent the 2007 Antarctic research season at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, coordinating the ANDRILL ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) program. She served as the Chair of the Formal Education Subcommittee of the IPY (International Polar Year www.ipy.org) Education and Outreach Committee, and the Chair of Theme 6 of the IPY Oslo Science Conference (www. http://www.ipy-osc.no/article/2009/1245943735.35).
Jacinta Legg, ICSU
Jacinta Legg is the Science Communications Officer for the International Council for Science (ICSU)—a sponsor of the International Polar Year. She is responsible for ICSU's publications and communication activities, and is currently redeveloping the organisation's website. Jacinta trained as a neurobiochemist in Australia, researching neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. She worked for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as an education officer, before working as a communications officer for the Australian Academy of Science.
Margarete Pauls, AWI
Margarete is the Head of the Communications Department at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association. She has a post secondary education and diploma degree in Mechanical Engineering/Marine Technology from the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) University in Aachen. Additionally, she is a research associate at the Centre for Research and Development in Higher Education at RWTH University Aachen, a consultant in professional communication, and a freelance science journalist. Since the 1989 and the establishment of the public relations department at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Ms. Pauls has accomplished many high profile outreach events, including the exhibition '125 Years of German Polar Research' at the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven, which subsequently travelled to Frankfurt, Bonn, Bremen, Potsdam and Rostock (1993 – 1995), Polarstern expedition for schools (1998), 'Live from the Ice' – public interactive video conferences with Antarctic researchers during EXPO (2000), 'Ice-cold Discoveries' – a popular science book, authored by scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute, edited by Gert Lange (2001), 'Year of Geoscience', nationwide year-round contribution and individual large scale event 'Ice and Ocean' (2002), 'Expedition into the ice: Why polar bears do not eat penguins' – media and school project (2003), and a one year programme celebrating the 125th birthday of Alfred Wegener and the 25th anniversary of the Alfred Wegener Institute. Ms. Pauls also served as Co-Chair of the International IPY Sub Committee on Education Outreach and Communication.
Sandy Shan
Sandy worked at the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), where she formed an interest in public education and outreach in the polar science field. She has great affection and admiration of the severe and pure beauty of both the Arctic and Antarctic. As one of the organizers of the Chinese IPY Education and Outreach program, she went to Ny-Ålesund, Arctic with 10 undergraduate students, journalists, artists and writers in the spring of 2008. From 2006 to 2009, she enjoyed serving as the Executive Secretary of Pacific Arctic Group (PAG), which is a group of institutes and individuals with a Pacific perspective on Arctic science. She is currently studying for her master degree in Public Management at the George Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University.
Mare Pit, IASC
Mare is currently the Executive Officer at the Secretariat of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). She handles most of the IASC publications and strive to set-up more outreach activities including live connections to the poles. Last June, it was Mare had the pleasure to chairthe PolarCINEMA, which showcased and celebrated polar audiovisual productions at the IPY Oslo Science Conference.
Before Mare came to IASC in 2009, she worked as a newspaper and magazine journalist and taught journalsim theory and writing skills to teenagers. Her fascination with the Arctic began with an exchange study program in Iceland and Greenland and shortly after finishing her Master in Contemporary History and Journalism, she was given the unique opportunity to shoot a documentary in Alaska. With her current workplace she enjoys the privilige to combine her love for the polar regions with her ambitions in communicating science.
Kristin Timm, 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.
Kristen Ulstein, Research Council of Norway
Kristen is a Senior Communication Adviser in Division for Strategic Priorities at the Research Council of Norway. He holds a Masters in Media and Communication Studies from The University of Zimbabwe and Cand. Polit. from The University of Oslo. His professional background is from communication (and management) in development aid, the environmental movement, international and national youth cooperation and policy - and national NGO politics. Kristen is a founding member and former executive director of "Grønn Hverdag" (Green Living) - the Norwegian green consumers movement as well as the President of the Norwegian organic farmers association. He initiated Frivillighet Norge - the umbrella organisation for all NGO's in Norway and served as chairman and first executive manager for the group. He started his career as journalist employed by Norwegian Church Aid and has since authored several books on the management of NGO's and communication. Kristen Ulstein has had IPY as part of his portfolio since January 2006, and has been responsible for media relations and EOC-activities in the IPY Norway secretariat.
Sandra Zicus, IMAS
Over the course of Sandra's professional career, she has worked with researchers, teachers, students, nongovernmental organizations and resource management agencies in Australia, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bolivia, Costa Rica and Mexico. After receiving a PhD in geography from the University of Hawaii, she moved to Australia and worked as a lecturer at the University of Queensland for three years before relocating to Tasmania.
She have been involved in Antarctic research and education for the past five years through positions with the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC) and the International Antarctic Institute (IAI). She also served as co-chair of the IPY Education, Outreach, and Communications subcommittee from 2006-2010, and am currently an Honorary Associate with the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania.
