Greatest Classroom on Earth – A Students on Ice Podcast
Greatest Classroom on Earth - A Students on Ice Podcast
Podcast Description
Students on Ice founder and expedition leader Geoff Green in conversation with SOI alumni about how their polar youth expeditions inspired their lives and careers.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes related to educational expeditions in polar regions, personal growth, and environmental leadership. Episodes feature discussions about participants' transformative experiences, illustrated through examples like Trevor Wallace's journey in Antarctica, where he reflects on his awe and lessons learned during the expedition. Specific focuses include cultural connections, nature awareness, and storytelling aspects from alumni highlighting their adventurous paths.
Students on Ice founder and expedition leader Geoff Green in conversation with SOI alumni about how their polar youth expeditions inspired their lives and careers.
In this episode, host Geoff Green, founder and expedition leader of Students on Ice, interviews Irene Shivaei, one of the world’s leading astrophysicists. She took part in the SOI 2007 Antarctic Expedition as an eighteen-year-old student. Irene recounts her journey from growing up in Tehran with a passion for astronomy to becoming a leading researcher on the formation and evolution of distant galaxies. As they discuss the 2007 Antarctic expedition, Irene shares a pivotal moment: her first encounter with icebergs, which profoundly deepened her love for Earth. Irene describes the magical experience of seeing the icebergs up close and the inspiration she drew from that moment and how her joy also inspired musician Ian Tamblyn to write a song about it, Thrill To My Heart. Geoff and Irene also reflect on the spirit of exploration, the impact of the Students on Ice program, and the importance of youth connecting across borders. They discuss Irene’s subsequent academic and professional achievements, including her work with the NASA James Webb Space Telescope and her current project, Distant Dust. Irene emphasizes the educational value of science, her hopes for future generations, and her enduring connection to her Iranian roots.
You can see the official SOI video of that 2007 Antarctic expedition, including Irene’s first encounter with icebergs and Ian Tamblyn’s song here.
And here are Ian’s lyrics to Thrill To My Heart – Irene’s Song.
Thrill to My Heart
Thrill to my heart when I hear your laughter
Thrill to my heart when I see you smile
And it moves man to see your rapture
And it moves me – right to my soul.
Thrill to my heart to see you dancing
Thrill to my heart to see you spinning around
You could call this a dance, call this a chapter
It moves me man –right to my soul.
Thrill to my heart – your eye wide open
Takin’ it in – breath deep and be bold
Cuz it moves me man to see your passion
Over the moon to my soul.
Ian Tamblyn – Sea Lynx Music SOCAN. -Jan. 2008.
Many thanks to Ian, a regular musician in residence on SOI expeditions, for sharing the song for this podcast.
Our theme song is Lancaster Sound by Juno award-winning musician and SOI Alum, Sarah Harmer.
Greatest Classroom on Earth is produced by David McGuffin of ExploreProductions.ca
00:00 Introduction to Irene Shiva and Her Love for Earth
00:46 Meet Irene Shiva: From Tehran to the Stars
01:43 The Birth of Students on Ice
03:59 Irene’s Journey: From Tehran to Astronomy
07:23 The Antarctic Expedition Experience
10:38 Irene encounters Icebergs
20:57 Irene’s Career in Astrophysics
33:08 Hope for the Future and Final Thoughts
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