Samantha (Sammie) Buzzard
Dr Sammie Buzzard (Cardiff University) has made significant contributions to the field of supraglacial hydrology and outstanding contributions to outreach and efforts to improve the diversity of polar science.
Dr Buzzard defended her dissertation at the University of Reading in 2017, where she was selected among a crowded field to deliver the prestigious Fairchild lecture on her PhD research to the general public.
Dr Buzzard’s research programme seeks to develop a community model that represents the supraglacial transport of meltwater over ice shelves. In this endeavour, Dr Buzzard has worked collaboratively to build a supraglacial hydrology model that is useful, usable and accessible to the wider glaciological community. In this work Dr Buzzard has solicited feedback from the broader community to add features of interest.
Dr Buzzard’s commitment to outreach and diversity has been stellar and has led to tangible improvements to diversity, equity and inclusion across the polar sciences. For example, Dr Buzzard was on the steering committee for the Diversity in Polar Sciences Initiative. Through this initiative Dr Buzzard led efforts to enhance Antarctic science opportunities for under-represented groups, including women, people from racial and ethnic minorities in the UK, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with a disability. Dr Buzzard also spearheaded efforts to promote maths and climate science communication, presenting at the Maths Educators International conference.
Dr Buzzard has received NERC funding for a project to improve access to nature and environmental awareness in a diverse but historically deprived community in Cardiff. Dr Buzzard co-chairs the UK’s Diversity in Polar Sciences Initiative steering committee and was the lead organizer of the Arctic Sciences Summit Week 2023 workshop on Race and Systemic Bias.
Dr Buzzard’s commitment to diversity, community, communication and mentoring provides clear examples of the core values of IGS in action that are worthy of recognition.
On behalf of the Awards Committee of the International Glaciological Society
Jeremy Bassis, Chair.
