 s part of a three-month research expedition to Antarctica in 1998, Bob Glover repositioned the South Pole marker. His name, along with other team members, is engraved on the marker, and will remain there forever. Glover, a 1991 RU graduate, explains that the South Pole is on an ice sheet that is more than 9,300 feet above sea level. The ice sheet moves about 10 meters per year, therefore the marker is moved yearly to reflect the true position of the Pole. “All of the previous markers are left in the ice,” says Glover. “This leaves a line of old markers until the windblown ice and snow covers them.”As a cartographer with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Glover was involved in many projects using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), including tracking the movement of the Transantarctic Mountains and Ross Island, gathering information used for satellite imagery and collecting GPS data to provide coordinates for aerial photography to map the Allen Hills region of the continent. Glover has also been involved with installing a new computer for the Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS), which records data 24 hours a day and serves as a base station for local surveys and other computations. “The continent is a pristine lab that can be used to conduct scientific experiments that could not be done elsewhere in the world,” he says. “There are numerous experiments that are studying climate change over the last several million years. Scientists are also conducting astronomy, biology, geology and glaciology studies, to name a few, that are playing an important role in how we understand this planet. A perfect example of the significance of these studies is that the ozone hole was discovered at the South Pole.” Glover has crawled in blue-hued ice caves, seen Antarctic wildlife such as penguins, seals and orca whales and walked around the world in just a few strides at the South Pole.   “It is an awesome feeling to go places where a handful of people, if any, have been,” he says. Glover’s two stints in Antarctica -- he just returned from another three-month expedition earlier this year -- have had quite an impact on his life. He took the first step in his journey to the bottom of the world when he decided during his sophomore year at RU to major in geography. That same day, he fortuitously learned of a co-op opportunity with the USGS from then geography chair Steve Pontius. Glover applied for the co-op, was hired, and got his foot in the door that spring. He worked full time for the USGS during the summers between his sophomore and junior years. Four months after he graduated from RU, he began a permanent position with the USGS. “The whole reason that I am working at the U.S. Geological Survey is because of a co-op program between them and Radford University,” says Glover. “By the time I graduated I had real world experience that helped to reaffirm that this was what I wanted to do.” Glover chose geography as a major because he “wanted to do something that is different from the status quo,” he says. “Going to Antarctica with the USGS is a real honor because of the variety of our work and the unique areas that we get to work in throughout the Transantarctic Mountains. A day does not go by that I do not realize how lucky and grateful I am to be part of this program.” But the work is hard and the days are long. “The work is never-ending and intense,” says Glover. “On Sunday, your ‘day off,’ you work six to eight hours. Most days are over 12 hours. Some days you get off the helicopter at 3 a.m. and are on another one by noon. Between flights, you have to deal with the data, maintain the equipment, sleep and eat.” When not traveling, Glover is based in Reston and is usually getting ready for another project, performing data collection, unpacking and analyzing data. Glover praises RU’s emphasis on helping students get practical education, training and experience that would allow graduates to enter the job market well prepared. “The geography department was very good because all of the professors took time for the students,” says Glover. “There was quite a bit of personal attention. The professors also had a broad background of experiences, so the students were exposed to a variety of classes and topics covering the spectrum.” The technology used in RU’s geography department also impressed Glover. He recalls that RU was one of the first state universities to use Geographical Information Systems. In fact, while he was co-oping, the class used USGS digital products similar to what he created while working at the government agency. Recently, Glover discovered that RU has some of the latest GPS technology as well. By providing the opportunity to work with new technology, the university is giving students an advantage in the workplace, says Glover. “Since the professors expose the students to the latest technology and applications it makes a difference with getting a job after graduation.” Although Glover hesitates to give advice to students because he says that what worked for him may not always work for others, he does advise students to major in a subject that they enjoy and that comes naturally to them, as well as something that has a future. Persistence makes the difference, he contends, “It is the only way anything can get accomplished. It is how I got the opportunity to go to Antarctica. I was accepted as an alternate in this program, but was able to prove myself through my work habits. Soon after that, I was on my way.” |