Ecology in Antarctica
Laci Gerhart-Barley
Laci Gerhart-Barley is an Assistant Professor of Teaching (LPSOE) in Evolution and Ecology. Her pedagogical research focuses on educational technology tools and supporting diverse student bodies. Her disciplinary research focuses on biogeochemistry of temperate forests over glacial time scales. This work relies on long term global climate data provided by ice cores from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which inspired Laci’s interest in and travel to both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
A Message to Students and Parents
"For centuries, Antarctica has fascinated biologists, geologists, explorers, and adventurers. It is ecologically and geopolitically unique from any other habitat on Earth, and serves as a critical bellwether for our understanding of global climatic change. This experience will introduce students to the history and future of Earth’s most remote habitat and its role in exploration, art, and scientific research."