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| El Paso-owned and proud |
Jul. 25 - Jul. 31
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Polar express: UTEP students, faculty head to Antarctica
By Jean Schlitzkus |
  The forecast for the second half of December is snowy, extremely cold, and incredibly memorable for 20 El Pasoans embarking on a three-week research expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula.
This Thursday, 14 University of Texas at El Paso students, four UTEP faculty, and two local teachers will depart on a once-in-a-lifetime research trip to the tip of the world. They return Jan. 6.
As part of a UTEP program known as IPY-ROAM: International Polar Year – Research Opportunities for Minorities, the team will be conducting research on the polar regions as a changing system. They will also explore the impact of ecotourism in the most remote location on earth.
Just as valuable as the research being conducted, the program also seeks to challenge the under representation of minorities in the sciences.
The group is led by ecologist and polar science expert Craig Tweedie, aquatic ecologist Vanessa Lougheed, science education specialist Bill Robertson, and seismologist Aaron Velasco.
The IPY-ROAM program was principally designed by Tweedie, director of UTEP's Systems Ecology Laboratory, and is funded by a $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
However, even that amount of funding required diverse local support from both UTEP and local businesses.
Getting to Antarctica
Mitzel Aveytia is no stranger to challenges. The college senior is president of the UTEP student chapter of the National Communication Association, works in UTEP's purchasing department, is a member of GO TEAM!, the UTEP motivational performance team, and has completed academic research trips to Costa Rica and Creel, Chihuahua.
The expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, however, seemed overwhelming even to an overachiever like Aveytia.
"It is like a fantasy trip to go to Antarctica," said Aveytia. "The applications were sent out nationwide, so I felt like I had a very minimal chance. I ended up submitting my application the day it was due."
Aveytia admits that although she was thrilled about being accepted into the program, she had reservations when she envisioned the price tag for the trip.
"I waited to tell my parents because I wasn't sure, monetarily wise, how that was going to be. Luckily, the National Science Foundation funded International Polar Year and that money is being used to pay for about 95 percent of what we are spending. I had to come up with the money for my trip from El Paso to Argentina," said Aveytia.
Another expense for the students and teachers is the unusual gear required for such an extreme journey.
Lougheed, assistant professor of biology and IPY-ROAM leader, applauds the local community for being supportive of the project.
"Everyone has been very encouraging and helpful. We got funding from a couple of local companies who helped us buy clothing for our group. Valcent Products and GECU have both donated to the project," she said.
Valcent Products CEO Glen Kurtz said he wanted to help the students with clothing because, "it is very important for students to understand what is happening on a global scale."
Kurtz points to the participation of local students as one reason he wanted to participate in the project.
"El Pasoans are going on this trip. Travel changes your perspective on your local living conditions. I try to be very supportive of these programs that get students out to travel," said Kurtz.
Lougheed hopes others will be encouraged to help support future projects.
"We only got funding for this one time and we are really trying to make the most of it. Maybe in a couple of years, we can offer more opportunities for students at UTEP. It is going to be amazing for the local kids to do this and we want to give other people the opportunity."
Eco-outreach
Reaching out to non-participating students is one of the cornerstones of the IPY-ROAM program.
Aveytia, whose research will focus on ecotourism and the interrelationships between tourists, tour operators, and environmental impact, says she is excited to share her experiences back home.
"I hope to use this experience when I come back and go to middle schools. I want to give those kids a look at what they can achieve as well. That's my connection to the community."
Once the ROAMers reach Antarctica, part of their focus will be on immediate educational outreach.
In an effort to connect more people with the project Lougheed says participants hope to begin posting blogs and podcasts as soon as next weekend, "as long as things work out with our satellite phone."
To read IPY-ROAM participant blogs and listen to podcasts, visit the group's Web site at www.ipyroam.org.
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail news@elpasoinc.com
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