From an early age, Cristina Galvan has loved nature. She grew up camping every summer in Yosemite with her family. Ms. Galvan received her bachelor’s degree in integrative biology from the University of California at Berkeley, and continued her graduate studies through the Stanford University Teacher Education Program. Since 2002, she has been a teacher at East Palo Alto Academy where she teaches physics, foundations of science, and biology. She works hard to provide a rigorous but supportive curriculum for her students, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from high school and attend college. In her spare time, Ms. Galvan enjoys cooking, yoga, hiking, reading, traveling, and, at times, playing video games. She is excited to be part of PolarTREC and looks forward to sharing her experiences with her class and other teachers.

Merav Ben-David is an associate professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology and the Ecology program at the University of Wyoming. After receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Tel-Aviv University in Israel, she received her PhD at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks in 1996. Dr. Merav Ben-David primarily studies carnivores and her research interest revolves around the interaction between animal behavioral ecology, population dynamics, and ecosystem function.

Henry "Hank" Harlow is a zoology and physiology professor at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Harlow’s research emphasis is on the physiological adaptations of animals living in stressful environments and the health of animals experiencing various states of hypothermia. These research interests have included studies on Komodo dragons in Indonesia, hibernating black bears in the near arctic and now, polar bears that may be expressing a form of “walking hibernation” during summer ice free months in the Arctic.

John Whiteman is a PhD student in ecology, zoology, and physiology at the University of Wyoming. He has a strong interest in how the environment and interactions between organisms influence the behavior and physiology of individuals, and ultimately, populations. In particular, he is interested in the fascinating adaptations animals have developed in response to the challenges of living in cold and snow. Mr. Whiteman is excited to participate in the PolarTREC program because scientific literacy, and an understanding of our environment, are fundamentals of education and allow all members of society to make informed decisions.

The polar bear research team, as well as other marine biologists and oceanographers, will live and work from the USCGC Polar Sea in the Beaufort Sea, tens to hundreds of kilometers north of Alaska. The team will travel via helicopter to and from the ship to approach and conduct sampling on ice-bound populations of polar bears living on thick multiyear sea ice.