OUR STUDENTS MEGAN JONES MS graduate Megan Jones, like so many others in her field, knew from childhood she wanted to be a meteorologist. She started her undergraduate career at Ohio University, where she was a research assistant for two years studying Antarctica. This led her to Ohio State, where she is part of both the Department of Geography and the Polar Meteorology Group at Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Jones focuses on Southern Hemisphere mid- and high-latitude temperature trends since 1957, specifically trying to put the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica into a larger spatial and temporal perspective. Her primary source of data is surface air temperatures recorded at staffed weather stations, along with observed sea surface temperatures and reanalysis sea level pressure. In addition, she is using indices from the Southern Annular Mode and the El NiĂąo Southern
Oscillation, two climate modes known to have a strong influence on the variability of the Southern Hemisphere. What’s captivating about Antarctica is how different areas of the continent behave; while East Antarctica has been relatively stable over the past few decades, West Antarctica and the Peninsula have seen significant warming, leading to the breakup of ice sheets and significant melt events. The lack of long-term data past 60 years can be problematic in considering extensive climate trends, and the amount of ice in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet could have a significant impact on sea level rise if there is ever strong warming. Although she has already defended her thesis, Jones is staying in Columbus for the summer to work on two separate publications involving her research before beginning a full-time job.
DEONDRE SMILES Boozhoo (Hello)! My name is Deondre Smiles and I am a PhD student in the Department of Geography at Ohio State. I am an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, a federally recognized tribe located in Minnesota. I earned my bachelor's degree in geography from St. Cloud State University (MN) and my master's degree in Global Indigenous Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth. My research focuses on the ways in which relations between indigenous
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peoples and the settler colonial state are formed through contestations over the proper treatment of deceased indigenous bodies and remains, with a particular focus on how this process has played out in Minnesota, both historically and in contemporary times. My future plans post-graduation are to seek employment as a faculty member and continue my research, in the hopes that it will provide both a resource for tribal nations and serve as an inspiration for indigenous students to enter and decolonize the discipline of geography.
