PGC Updates & Insights
Share Your 2025-26 Antarctic Field Season Experience
PGC is inviting all active participants in the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) to share feedback on the 2025-26 Antarctic field season. Your insights – whether from the field or stateside – will help inform future support, planning, and coordination across the USAP community.
The survey is open April 1-April 30 and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Responses are confidential and will be summarized for the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs.
Your perspective matters—thank you for helping shape the future of Antarctic science support.
Advancing Global Glacier Mapping
The manuscript “Global Mapping of Lake-Terminating Glaciers” has been accepted for publication in the Earth System Science Data journal. The study identifies lake-terminating glaciers worldwide using the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) database. At the PGC, User Services Support Coordinator Mike Cloutier and geospatial student assistant Miles Sterner contributed by refining glacier data across Antarctica, including the manual review of more than 2,000 polygons using multiple data sources.
Online Accessibility Updates
PGC is collaborating with the University of Minnesota accesibility team and utilizing university-provided scanning tools to identify and correct online accessbility issues. Following ititial scans conducted by the College of Science and Engineering IT manager Shawn Golley, PGC software engineer Rory Johnson is leading efforts to analyze the PGC site archive and implement improvements. This work includes adding meaningful text alternatives, when missing, for images, videos, and forms. Johnson and team have also corrected all discovered contrast issues. PGC aims to streamline and further enhance keyboard navigation in the coming year.
Aurora Viewers
PGC recently updated its web-based mapping applications for viewing polar regions in appropriate map projections. The Aurora Viewers are composed of hundreds of terabytes of othorectified satellite imagery from Vantor. Access to the licensed layers is limited to NSF Office of Polar Programs grantees. Access to open layers —lower resolution satellite imagery basemaps, placenames, and aerial photography— do not require funding or a PGC User account.
PGC Student Spotlight
PGC holds an important focus in fostering support and growth for GIS and computer science students. Get to know two of our graduate student geospatial support assistants behind the data processing, map-making, and general awesomeness at PGC.
Miles Sterner
1. Tell us about your academic career and how you got into your research/studies.
Thanks to very dedicated high school science teachers I developed a passion for learning about earth and environmental science. When I arrived at the University of Minnesota in 2021, it seemed like a no brainer to pursue a BS in Environmental Geosciences. An intro-level GIS course inspired me to add a GIS minor (along with Computer Science and Insect Science!). I began working at PGC in my undergrad in 2023, which led me to undertake a Master’s in GIS – and that’s where I am today!
2. What is your favorite PGC product, app, or service?
Recency bias maybe – but I’m a big fan of the new Aurora website. Exploring the different regions is a perfect boredom killer.
3. What kinds of problems or places would you most like to work with using GIS after your time at PGC?
I’ve always seen a future for myself in local/state government (ideally in my home state – there’s nowhere else like Minnesota!). More specifically, I think I would be most fulfilled in a branch of government which aims to address environmental justice issues and provide clean air and water for its constituents (EPA, PCA, aspects of the DOT).
4. Outside of your academic studies, what other interests do you enjoy?
My bike! Especially with the trails in the Twin Cities, I <3 the greenway. I’m always working on writing something, usually a script, and I’ve shot some short films with friends that are far more artistically talented than I am. Other than that, I love finding a new album or book to talk about endlessly and I know way too much about video games.
5. What is one interesting fact you want people to know about you?
I have a mostly sweet and highly energetic kitten named Cricket who has run across my keyboard 5+ times while I was writing my responses to these questions.
Alaina Portoghese
1. Tell us about your academic career and how you got into your research/studies.
I graduated from the University of Denver in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and minors in Geography, GIS, and Music. I have been interested in GIS and creating fun maps since my first GIS undergraduate classes, and I began the Master’s in GIS program at the University of Minnesota in fall of 2025.
2. What is your favorite PGC product, app, or service?
I really like the PGC Map Catalog! It is very fun and inspirational to look through all of the maps collected there.
3. What kinds of problems or places would you most like to work with using GIS after your time at PGC?
I would love to work in the conservation or management of public lands, such as parks or wilderness areas. I am also very interested in sustainable development and planning to create livable and ecologically sound urban areas. Mostly, I just hope to work in the environmental realm in some capacity.
4. Outside of your academic studies, what other interests do you enjoy?
I like to get outside whenever I can to do activities like camping, hiking, canoeing, or running. I also enjoy getting cozy at home and knitting or reading a good book.
5. What is one interesting fact you want people to know about you?
This is not very interesting, but my favorite vegetable is a radish. I think that they are so delicious and refreshing, and are overall underrated vegetables.
In Other News
The Polar Science Early Career Community Office needs your support! Current funding runs out in the middle of spring but with your contributions, they can extend functions. Donate to the PSECCO’s fundraising campaign, closing May 2, 2026.
PBS premiere of Life Unearthed with Ariel Waldman on April 1, 2026 on streaming, broadcast, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. PGC assisted Ariel with some data and advice while deployed in Antarctica. Very cool to see her vision for this series come together!
The SCAR Open Science Conference, organised by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), is being held from 8-19 August, 2026 in Oslo, Norway and brings together polar researchers in all disciplines from around the world to present their work, network, and participate in SCAR’s scientific activities.
Check out the original PGC Newsletter post here.