14 January 2024

Crampons for the glacier, dancing shoes for the smooth Viennese parquet. Austria's Scientist of the Year, glaciologist Andrea Fischer, is the guest of honor at the Science Ball (Wissenschaftsball)

This week, the Tyrolean glaciologist Andrea Fischer was elected 'Scientist of the Year 2023' by the Club of Education and Science Journalists for her exceptional communication skills in science and received an invitation to be the guest of honor at the Science Ball 2024, which will take place on January 27 at the City Hall. It will be the first ball of the scientist born in 1973. Well, she knows how to move on smooth, possibly slippery floors.

Andrea Fischer, a recognized expert on Austria's glaciers, has contributed significantly to raising awareness of the consequences of melting glaciers and to advocating for measures to combat global warming. Fischer studied geophysics, meteorology and environmental sciences and has dedicated her research to glaciers since 1999. She is deputy director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and heads the research group 'Humans and the Environment at High Altitudes' (see https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/igf/research/man-and-environment-highlands for details). The Club of Education and Science Journalists, which has been awarding the 'Scientist of the Year' prize since 1994, recognizes individuals who excel in clear dissemination of scientifically based facts. Fischer has reported on the state of the glaciers for television and daily news publications in such a way that the latest findings and their significance are understandable to a wide audience, as the club points out on http://www.wissenschaftsjournalisten.at/2024/01/08/andrea-fischer-ist-wissenschafterin-des-jahres-2023/.

Andrea Fischer's research focuses on long-term observations of glacier change, using methods such as measuring glacier length and analyzing ice cores. Fischer describes the current state of glaciers as 'precarious' and expresses her intention to explore ways to make a positive contribution in the midst of the crisis. At the upcoming Science Ball, Fischer will be the guest of the Austrian Minister of Science, Martin Polaschek, as announced on https://www.wissenschaftsball.at/en/from-the-glacier-to-the-ball-room/.

Image: Scientist of the Year 2023, geophysicist and glaciologist Andrea Fischer at work on a glacier. Photo: © Martin Stocker-Waldhuber/ÖAW.