Though the 2010 Polaris Project field course in Siberia doesn’t begin for over 3 months, preparations are ramping up quickly.  We have just finished selecting the 2010 undergraduate participants and are thrilled about the group, our largest yet.  Fourteen undergraduate students have been selected, 10 new and 4 returning students.  Things happen quickly now that the students have been selected, as it is necessary to purchase airline tickets for travel within Russia almost immediately (our group almost fills the plane that takes us from Yakutsk to Cherskiy, so in order to all get on the same flight – which only happens 2-3 times per week – we need to make reservations quickly).

The students, listed below, will soon be asked to make an introductory post to the blog.  Congratulations to all of them!

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NEW STUDENTS

Andrew Crowley – Holycross College

Ivan Dubinenkov – Moscow State University

Sam Dunn – St. Olaf College

Kate Lewis – Western Washington University

Mellisa Robbins – Univ. Nevada Reno

Lydia Russell-Roy – Carleton College

Emily Ulrich – University of Nevada Reno

Elliot Vaughan – Carleton College

Cassandra Volatile-Wood – Clark University

Max Wilbert – Western Washington University

RETURNING STUDENTS

Blaize Denfeld – Clark University

Travis Drake – Carleton College

Joanne Heslop – Univ. Nevada Reno

Erin Seybold – St. Olaf

In addition to the 14 undergraduate students and 7 faculty, we will also have 2 affiliated postdoctoral scientists this year; Paul Mann – an English postdoc working with Max Holmes at the Woods Hole Research Center, and Jorien Vonk – a Dutch graduate student just finishing her PhD at Stockholm University.  Both Paul and Jorien will work with Polaris Project students as well as undertake their own research projects.