ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES: FIELD- AND LAB-BASED POLAR AND GLOBAL CHANGE EDUCATION

Polar marine science cruises conducted over the past 17 years have provided undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to conduct field- and laboratory-based research on the Antarctic cryosphere. Our past and present marine science programs have been conducted aboard the RV Polar Duke, RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and RV Laurence M. Gould. We work with international partners from Australia, Canada, England, France, Italy, and Spain. Students interact with a diverse group of faculty and graduate students, and participate in all aspects of gear deployment, sample collection, and data processing. All students participate in the shipboard program with the understanding that they will complete a thesis project or independent study project based on the cruise materials. Here we present a summary of our educational program and technical training encompassing shipboard activities, individual thesis work, and classroom projects derived from the research.