Uncovering Antarctica’s Frozen Time Capsule

The Alumni Travel Program is heading to Antarctica in October 2027! This 21-day voyage explores three iconic regions alongside a stellar roster of Canadian university study leaders, including Dr. Alison Criscitiello, Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at the University of Alberta.

Want a preview of what you’ll experience on this voyage—from the comfort of your own couch? Join Dr. Criscitiello for an engaging webinar that delves into one of Earth’s most vital climate archives. Drawing on deep ice cores she has personally drilled, Dr. Criscitiello will explain how major ions, trace elements, stable isotopes, and trapped gases are used to reconstruct Antarctica’s climate history.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Alison Criscitiello is a world-renowned ice core scientist, mountaineer, and advocate for gender equity. An Assistant Professor and Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at the University of Alberta, she earned MIT’s first PhD in glaciology. Her research reconstructs climate and contaminant histories from ice cores drilled across Antarctica, Greenland, and the Canadian High Arctic, documenting glaciers at risk from climate change. A co-founder of Girls on Ice Canada, she champions science education for young women. Her work bridges research, exploration, and storytelling to inspire curiosity about the polar world. Alison is a Fellow International of The Explorers Club.