The PEI Executive Committee is responsible for guiding the organisation and helping to set priorities while working closely with partners to help our members. The Executive Committee under advisement of a Council, manages the affairs of PEI. The role of the Executive Committee is to ensure that the mission and goals of PEI are pursued in a responsible, accountable, and transparent manner.
You can contact the executive committee at polareducators@gmail.com
Sophie is an Institute Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge UK, researching the role of education in polar research, and science outreach and communication since 4th IPY. She works with colleagues in the Institutes remote sensing and geoinformatics team to plan research impact through polar education and community science in Arctic Norway.
She is a co-founder of the Polar Educators International network, launched at IPY2012-Montreal ‘From Knowledge to Action’.Read More In her role as president she offers expertise on the IPY2032-33 Planning Committee, the SCAR CBET Committee and the ICARPIV RPT6 Committee representing the interests of the global community of practising polar educators. As a museum and gallery educator (including The Polar Museum, Cambridge, the British Library and Kettle’s Yard museum and gallery) she represented the UKs Eastern Region on ENGAGE (the National Association for Gallery Education) and GEM (the Group for Education in Museums). She worked for the London Borough of Camden as Learning Programmes Developer and coordinated interdisciplinary Holiday Festivals of Learning for children ages 6-14 across Camden’s extraordinary cultural institutions and collections. She is a freelance arts project manager and sci-artist, trained at Central St Martins School of Art and Design, London and produces the Art and Science Soirée in Cambridge, The Colour Institute, and Neural Knitworks (UK representative). She continues to co-produce collaborative art and science events and projects whenever and wherever possible. At POLAR2018, Davos (the last ‘bi-polar Open Science Meeting) Sophie helped initiate a polar science-education collaboration to publish the IPY2007-2008 Polar Resource Book (Kaiser, B. et al Eds., 2010, Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach, Pearson Education). She helps coordinate the PEI input for the new ‘IPY5 Polar Resource Book online’ to bring together global polar education output since IPY4. As a member of PEI Ex Comm she has advocated for polar educators participation ‘upstream’, in polar science research planning, helped co-produce deliverables for the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, ICARPIV process and the forthcoming 5th International Polar Year (IPY2032-33). She was elected PEI President in 2023. Her goal is to establish a PEI secretariat, providing much needed administrative support and online opportunities for a growing global polar educator community.
As a museum and gallery educator (including The Polar Museum, Cambridge, the British Library and Kettle’s Yard museum and gallery) she represented the UKs Eastern Region on ENGAGE (the National Association for Gallery Education) and GEM (the Group for Education in Museums). She worked for the London Borough of Camden as Learning Programmes Developer and coordinated interdisciplinary Holiday Festivals of Learning for children ages 6-14 across Camden’s extraordinary cultural institutions and collections. She is a freelance arts project manager and sci-artist, trained at Central St Martins School of Art and Design, London and produces the Art and Science Soirée in Cambridge, The Colour Institute, and Neural Knitworks (UK representative).
She continues to co-produce collaborative art and science events and projects whenever and wherever possible.
At POLAR2018, Davos (the last ‘bi-polar Open Science Meeting) Sophie helped initiate a polar science-education collaboration to publish the IPY2007-2008 Polar Resource Book (Kaiser, B. et al Eds., 2010, Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach, Pearson Education). She helps coordinate the PEI input for the new ‘IPY5 Polar Resource Book online’ to bring together global polar education output since IPY4.
As a member of PEI Ex Comm she has advocated for polar educators participation ‘upstream’, in polar science research planning, helped co-produce deliverables for the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, ICARPIV process and the forthcoming 5th International Polar Year (IPY2032-33).
She was elected PEI President in 2023. Her goal is to establish a PEI secretariat, providing much needed administrative support and online opportunities for a growing global polar educator community.
Maria Pia Casarini, PEI Past President 2022-2023, Coordinator of the Polar Resource Book project, has two degrees from Milan Cattolica University (Modern Languages and Italian Letters); M.Phil. in Polar Studies, Cambridge University, UK. Carried on research in Polar History at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge and has done 10 polar field trips (8 to the Arctic, 2 to the Antarctic). Read More
Marta is a science and mathematics teacher in the second cycle of basic education in Agrupamento de Escolas Professor Ruy Luís Gomes (Almada, Portugal), where she is also coordinator of the School Science Club, mentor of Etwinning Projects and partner in ERASMUS + projects. Read More She has a master’s degree in Science Education and is also a teacher at the University Instituto Superior de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (Lisboa, Portugal). She co-coordinates the Polar Educators Portugal group and develops activities to promote polar science and STEAM in the Portuguese curriculum. She has participated in national, European, and international science education projects in different contexts, empowering students to make decisions and solve problems related to socioscientific and socio-environmental issues, working with the integration of ICT in science education.
Ram has been in the field of education and skill development for over two decades leading content creation and managing a portfolio of education programs including those of environment, climate change and the polar regions.Read More Having traveled to over a 100 countries, and observed pedagogy, nature and climate change across regions, his focus has been on contextual learning, indigenous knowledge systems, and effective use of innovation and technology. His passion for nature and wildlife and the need to observe/document them has taken him to the Arctic and sub-Arctic (Greenland, Svalbard, the North Pole, Arctic Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands), the Antarctic and Southern Ocean (the peninsula, South Georgia, Falklands and the Ross Sea region) as well as the third pole (Indian Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet). Apart from sharing first hand narratives, he uses visual media and contributes his photos to various websites (SCAR , Antarctic Environments Portal , WWRP-PCAPS, etc. ) With an Engineering degree in Computer Science and a Masters’ in Business, his interdisciplinary experiences have varied from Arctic Studies / Ecology of the Polar bears(Canada) and Endangered Species Recovery(UK) to Antarctic Studies (New Zealand). His recent projects have been on ‘Geography through Tintin’, ‘Polar Research using Lego’ and currently ‘Outside In’ – a photo narrative using Bjorn a polar bear minifigure who travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic doing a compare and contrast. He’s an active member of the Research Priority Team 6 of the ICARPIV process, in preparation for the International Polar Year 2032-33 (IPY-5).
Having traveled to over a 100 countries, and observed pedagogy, nature and climate change across regions, his focus has been on contextual learning, indigenous knowledge systems, and effective use of innovation and technology. His passion for nature and wildlife and the need to observe/document them has taken him to the Arctic and sub-Arctic (Greenland, Svalbard, the North Pole, Arctic Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands), the Antarctic and Southern Ocean (the peninsula, South Georgia, Falklands and the Ross Sea region) as well as the third pole (Indian Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet). Apart from sharing first hand narratives, he uses visual media and contributes his photos to various websites (SCAR , Antarctic Environments Portal , WWRP-PCAPS, etc. )
With an Engineering degree in Computer Science and a Masters’ in Business, his interdisciplinary experiences have varied from Arctic Studies / Ecology of the Polar bears(Canada) and Endangered Species Recovery(UK) to Antarctic Studies (New Zealand). His recent projects have been on ‘Geography through Tintin’, ‘Polar Research using Lego’ and currently ‘Outside In’ – a photo narrative using Bjorn a polar bear minifigure who travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic doing a compare and contrast. He’s an active member of the Research Priority Team 6 of the ICARPIV process, in preparation for the International Polar Year 2032-33 (IPY-5).
Deniz is a highly skilled researcher who possesses a deep passion for permafrost research. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the renowned Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. Read More Prior to her doctoral studies, Deniz worked as a researcher at the Polar Research Institute in Türkiye, where she actively contributed to the education and outreach department, focusing on polar regions and climate change. With a solid educational background that includes a Master’s degree in Geological Engineering, Deniz’s research for her PhD centers around the intricate dynamics of shorefaces along the western Canadian Arctic permafrost coasts. Deniz’s dedication to Arctic and Antarctic science is evident through her involvement in numerous projects, grants, and presentations related to these regions. She has also published several articles and abstracts on the subject matter. Furthermore, Deniz’s commitment extends beyond her research endeavors, as she has actively participated in volunteer activities, led projects, and organized conferences, not only in the environmental sphere but also in leadership and project management domains. Known for her meticulousness and motivation, Deniz excels as a researcher. Her excellent communication and interpersonal skills allow her to thrive in team-oriented environments. Deniz eagerly looks forward to connecting with new colleagues within the polar community, as she seeks to make a positive impact on our environment through her work.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Deniz worked as a researcher at the Polar Research Institute in Türkiye, where she actively contributed to the education and outreach department, focusing on polar regions and climate change. With a solid educational background that includes a Master’s degree in Geological Engineering, Deniz’s research for her PhD centers around the intricate dynamics of shorefaces along the western Canadian Arctic permafrost coasts. Deniz’s dedication to Arctic and Antarctic science is evident through her involvement in numerous projects, grants, and presentations related to these regions. She has also published several articles and abstracts on the subject matter. Furthermore, Deniz’s commitment extends beyond her research endeavors, as she has actively participated in volunteer activities, led projects, and organized conferences, not only in the environmental sphere but also in leadership and project management domains. Known for her meticulousness and motivation, Deniz excels as a researcher. Her excellent communication and interpersonal skills allow her to thrive in team-oriented environments. Deniz eagerly looks forward to connecting with new colleagues within the polar community, as she seeks to make a positive impact on our environment through her work.
Jill studied anthropology at the universities of Frankfurt (Germany) and Uppsala (Arkhangelsk). She did a semester abroad at the University of Alberta (Canada) and the Northern Arctic Federal University (Russia). Jill focused on the Arctic and sustainable development. Read More During her studies she also did research in Northern Russia about contemporary and former ecological practices in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Here Jill focused on educational activities where artists and environmentalists merged their efforts to teach citizens about the importance of recycling (which is basically non-existent in Northern Russia). After university she worked for two years in the environmental field in Switzerland and Luxembourg, where she mostly conducted educational workshops in schools. Jill recognised that she is more interested in teaching and took up her teacher training in September 2020 – which will end this academic year. She will teach sociology and education for sustainable development. Since 2018 she has also been the secretary of polar.lu – an NPO gathering all the polar researchers and enthusiasts in Luxembourg. They hold a spot in the EPB (where the president and vice president represent Luxembourg). They are also part of APECS – where Jill is the national representative. She has been involved in creating the “Frozen Ground Cartoons” – even though not being the main project manager. Jill is also the person responsible for the Antarctica Day in Luxembourg and also sometimes worked with APECS Benelux to organise it.
During her studies she also did research in Northern Russia about contemporary and former ecological practices in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Here Jill focused on educational activities where artists and environmentalists merged their efforts to teach citizens about the importance of recycling (which is basically non-existent in Northern Russia). After university she worked for two years in the environmental field in Switzerland and Luxembourg, where she mostly conducted educational workshops in schools. Jill recognised that she is more interested in teaching and took up her teacher training in September 2020 – which will end this academic year. She will teach sociology and education for sustainable development. Since 2018 she has also been the secretary of polar.lu – an NPO gathering all the polar researchers and enthusiasts in Luxembourg. They hold a spot in the EPB (where the president and vice president represent Luxembourg). They are also part of APECS – where Jill is the national representative. She has been involved in creating the “Frozen Ground Cartoons” – even though not being the main project manager. Jill is also the person responsible for the Antarctica Day in Luxembourg and also sometimes worked with APECS Benelux to organise it.
