Daniel Pringle

I was a 16 year old kid dropped into this high-minded, high-energy, idealistic, international environment.

Daniel Pringle graduated from UWC-USA in 1993 and is a research scientist at the University of Alaska, in Fairbanks. His work on sea ice has taken him to Antarctica and the Arctic.

Equally drawn by the incredible people, wilderness and animals of the polar regions, Daniel is actively involved in the International Polar Year 2007-2009. He co-founded the University of Alaska Young Researchers' Network for Education and Outreach activities, and is working to establish the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, an international organization to promote education and outreach, and career development.

Sea ice fieldwork in Barrow - the northern-most town in the US, jutting up into the Artic Ocean - has provided an unexpected connection back to New Zealand. "The Inupiaq (Eskimo) people in Barrow actually have strong ties with New Zealand - visiting and hosting Maori delegations to discuss language and cultural preservation as well as resource management". Daniel recently helped co-ordinate a visit from Maori academic and former colleague Dr. Ocean Mercier, researching traditional knowledge and western science.

A personal highlight is working with the local field and science support staff. "Those guys travel and hunt on the ice. Spending time on the ice with them is just an incredible way to get to know them personally, talk about the local traditions, animals, changes - and, of course, the ice."

After UWC, Daniel returned to New Zealand, working in a shearing crew before studying at Victoria University, New Zealand and at Cornell University, USA, leading to a Ph.D. in Physics from Victoria University - involving his first trips to Antarctica and Alaska. "It's been a fantastic to combine science, my love of the outdoors and working in a diverse, international environment".

That mix was fostered at UWC, which has had a long-lasting effect on Daniel. "A fireball with a lasting glow perhaps. At the time it's so intense - I was a 16 year old kid from Masterton dropped into this high-minded, high-energy, idealistic, international environment. Roommates from Uruguay and Kenya, friends from all over, talking all night, learning to ski and climb, calculus, music, world literature, social service - and trying to figure ourselves out in all of that!" Close friendships and the passion for climbing are still strong. Lingering too is a steady little voice recalling the ideals of international understanding and stewardship. And the lasting inspiration of wonderful teachers and classmates.”