STEM students explore Norway
For the second year in a row, students from the U.S. Naval Academy’s LREC (Language & Cultural Exchange) Program visited CAGE scientists at UiT The Arctic University of Norway to learn about the centre and discuss some of our most exciting projects.
The visit was part of a larger educational trip to Norway in late May/early June, organized and executed by the Academy. It is expected to be an annual event with a threefold objective: to explore topics within Polar RTD&E (research, development, test & evaluation), to become acquainted with the government and military of the host country, and to enjoy new cultural experiences.
This year, four lucky students were chosen to accompany military officers and instructors Commander Keith Thompson and Commander Russ Ingersoll to various cities around Norway, including Tromsø, Oslo, Bergen, and Longyearbyen in Svalbard. While oceanography majors at the Naval Academy were prioritized in selecting candidates for the trip, those with other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) backgrounds and Polar RTD&E interests were also encouraged to apply. Ultimately, four of the students in attendance were oceanography majors (Abby Ebersole, Emily Doyle, and Ian Bramblett) while one was a robotics and engineering major (Luke Marino).
CAGE shares multidisciplinary perspectives
The agenda at CAGE was straightforward; after a warm welcome and introduction to the centre by assistant director Stefan Bünz, four of our scientists gave presentations and answered questions on some of our ongoing projects. These included:
- How does tectonic stress affect gas hydrate stability and methane release on Arctic continental margins?
Andreia Plaza-Faverola, Researcher - Reconstructing past glaciations of the Arctic
Henry Patton, Researcher - How microbes are mitigating the release of methane from the sub-seabed to the atmosphere
Dimitri Kalenitchenko, Post Doc - Bubble-derived methane in the water column
Pär Jansson, Researcher
There was time after the presentations for a quick lunch and tour of the lab, provided by research engineer Matteus Lindgren, after which the attendees were whisked away to their next appointment. Other places in Tromsø that the group planned to visit were the Centre for Sami Studies and the Department of Engineering and Safety (and its Ship Navigation Simulator) at UiT, as well as the Arctic Institute and the Arctic Council at Framsenteret.
It was a treat for everyone involved to meet such friendly and inquisitive people as our visitors from the U.S. Naval Academy. We appreciate their interest and hope to welcome them again in the future!
Text: Jessica Green
