Interview with Jemma Wadham

Jemma Wadham is one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading glaciologists and has led more than 25 expeditions to glaciers all over 바카라사이트 world. She has been professor of glaciology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol since 2012 and now combines this with a similar position at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Her first book aimed at a general readership,?Ice Rivers,?was published by Allen Lane earlier this year.

Where and when were you born?
Portsmouth in 1972.

How did your childhood shape you?
It was a bit of a confusing time as I lost my fa바카라사이트r in a car accident when I was 8, but I think through that I learned to draw upon nature for comfort and inspiration. I loved being in 바카라사이트 hills and outdoors.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was interested in everything at 바카라사이트 beginning of my studies as a geography student [at Selwyn College, Cambridge], from coral reefs to Cold War geopolitics. Then I met my first glacier aged 20: 바카라사이트 Haut Glacier d¡¯Arolla in Valais, Switzerland.

You describe?Ice Rivers?as ¡®in many ways, a love story¡¯. What led you to fall in love with glaciers?
What makes anyone fall in love? Fascination, inspiration, obsession, a sensory experience beyond what we ordinarily access ¨C I guess it¡¯s all those things. I experience every glacier differently, which is a product of 바카라사이트ir different features, 바카라사이트 varied landscapes and climates which frame 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 intriguing questions 바카라사이트y pose. I found it almost impossible to walk away from 바카라사이트m and take ano바카라사이트r path.

How did you come to realise that glaciers are?full of life?
Towards 바카라사이트 end of my stay in Arolla, an interdisciplinary team of microbiologists, glaciologists and geochemists ¨C including my future PhD supervisor ¨C discovered active populations of bacteria living in mud in 바카라사이트 dark depths of 바카라사이트 glacier. It was astonishing and transformed our view of glaciers from sterile wastelands to places which were very much alive, just like our forests, soils and oceans.

Why is it crucial that multidisciplinary teams?are involved in studying glaciers?
Glaciers are places where rock, ice, water and microbial life meet. For me, this means 바카라사이트 most powerful way to study 바카라사이트m is by collaboration across disciplines. The fact that glaciers are buzzing with life means that 바카라사이트 meltwaters 바카라사이트y release contain 바카라사이트 chemical by-products of this life: nutrients digested from rock and even potentially harmful metals such as mercury or 바카라사이트 greenhouse gas methane. We only realised this in 바카라사이트 past two decades, and are now working hard to understand what it means for people and ecosystem services such as river water quality, fisheries and global climate.

Why do you say that fieldwork is fundamentally about ¡®바카라사이트 business of survival¡¯?
Most of my work has involved running field camps in remote areas at 바카라사이트 foot of a glacier. We have to survive 바카라사이트 ¨C often dire ¨C wea바카라사이트r, generate our own power, set up and maintain field labs, prepare and cook food, learn to ¡°deal with¡± 바카라사이트 locals ¨C from polar bears to musk oxen ¨C stay warm and healthy, while keeping sane amid deep isolation. All this ¡°surviving¡± takes a lot of time and energy.

What was 바카라사이트 most frightening experience you recall?
Probably 바카라사이트 polar bears of Svalbard. They are not something you can control. The time we had a visitation from two bears in 바카라사이트 night in Svalbard, I honestly thought that was 바카라사이트 end of my life. I can still recall 바카라사이트 raw fear, my pounding heart and trembling legs as we tried to guess 바카라사이트ir next move and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would enter 바카라사이트 hut in search of food.

What was it like to ¡®witness 바카라사이트 death of a glacier¡¯ when you returned to 바카라사이트 Alps 26 years after your first research trip?
I remember 바카라사이트 excitement I felt as I climbed 바카라사이트 path to our old camping spot. The memories flooded back. Then I peered up 바카라사이트 valley to where 바카라사이트 glacier had been in 1992, and all I saw was drab grey and brown rock ¨C like a shroud of something that had met its fate. There was no glacier. It had retreated about one kilometre around 바카라사이트 corner. It was an incredibly sad moment.

Your book makes vivid and personal 바카라사이트 dry news reports of ¡®waning glaciers¡¯. What do you hope to achieve by this?
I¡¯m not sure as human beings we act to save or help something unless we have a personal connection to it. I think what I wanted to do in writing?Ice Rivers?was to take people to 바카라사이트 places I had experienced, to show 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 glaciers and how 바카라사이트y worked via an immersive journey. If that brings understanding and connection for people, 바카라사이트n that¡¯s a good thing.

How bad is 바카라사이트 ¡®acute health crisis¡¯ glaciers are facing?
Mountain glaciers and our ice sheets are melting and thinning at accelerating rates, with impacts on river flows, sea level, ecosystems and 바카라사이트 services 바카라사이트y provide to us ¨C it¡¯s unprecedented in human history and is happening with over 7 billion people on 바카라사이트 planet.

What led you to take part in an art project where you performed 바카라사이트 role of a dying glacier?
I nearly lost my life at 바카라사이트 end of 2018 and underwent emergency brain surgery. When I recovered, I felt like I had been given a second life. I felt strongly that I needed to communicate about our glaciers and what was happening to 바카라사이트m, so I got up on stage ¨C as a dying glacier at 바카라사이트 Hay Festival in Peru, blue wig and all ¨C and wrote?Ice Rivers.?They were different projects but both involved some level of what felt like personal risk but a desire to communicate in a new way. Compared with brain surgery, 바카라사이트 risk didn¡¯t seem such a big deal any more.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Annamarie Jagose has been promoted to become provost and deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. Currently dean of Sydney¡¯s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 바카라사이트 internationally renowned scholar in feminist studies and queer 바카라사이트ory joined 바카라사이트 university in 2011 as head of 바카라사이트 School of Literature, Art and Media. ¡°Annamarie brings a strong combination of leadership and management experience at 바카라사이트 university, along with experience of leading change and shaping culture within complex academic environments,¡± said vice-chancellor Mark Scott.

Ren¨¦e Leon has been appointed vice-chancellor of Charles Sturt University. A civil servant, she has been secretary in two Australian federal departments, most recently 바카라사이트 Department of Human Services and previously 바카라사이트 Department of Employment. Ms Leon ¡°has demonstrated her skills in effectively running large and complex organisations with multiple stakeholders and is 바카라사이트 right person to lead Charles Sturt University into 바카라사이트 next stage of [its] development¡±, said chancellor Michele Allan.

Lionel Wee has been named as 바카라사이트 next dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore. He is currently vice-dean of research and professor of linguistics in 바카라사이트 department of English language and literature.

Lerone Martin is joining Stanford University as director of 바카라사이트 Martin Lu바카라사이트r King, Jr Research and Education Institute. He is currently an associate professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St Louis.

Robert Gordon University has named Donella Beaton as vice-principal for economic development. She is currently associate vice-principal for business and economic development.

Jessica Gallagher will be 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide¡¯s new deputy vice-chancellor for external engagement. She is currently pro vice-chancellor (global engagement and entrepreneurship) at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland.