This is the fourth of five "Meet the Scientist" journal entries featuring the members of the intrepid Automatic Weather Station crew. Have you been wondering who is with me here in Antarctica? Have you wondered how these people became scientists and what kind of experience and qualifications they have in order to get here? "Meet the Scientist" should answer those questions and more.
David Mikolajczyk
Dave Mikolajczyk boards a Bell 212 with the AWS team on his way to service an AWS during the 2018 season in Antarctica.
David Mikolajczyk is here as an instrument technician for the group at the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He initially joined the AMRC group in the fall of 2010 as a student hourly. In May of 2012, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dave will be pursuing his Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dave Mikolajczyk explains to the team what work must be done to each AWS scheduled to be serviced during the 2018 season.
This is how the AMRC webpage describes Dave. David's meteorological interests include the interaction between mesoscale and large-scale atmospheric processes, severe weather prediction, and applied meteorology. His other interests include playing guitar, playing various sports like hockey, Frisbee, and basketball, spending time outdoors, and attending concerts. Dave Mikolajczyk walk among pressure ridges below Scott Base.
What it doesn't tell you is that Dave is my roommate while we are in McMurdo. It also doesn't tell you that he not just "plays" the guitar, he is REALLY good at it. It turns out that both he and Forbes Filip are good guitar players! The last thing that it doesn't tell you is that the main game played down here at American bases in Antarctica is cribbage. I'm not sure who is better, Dave or Lee, but they can often be found playing cribbage in the "coffee house" in McMurdo.
Comments