Mary R. Albert

Mary R. Albert is a Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering and serves as Executive Director of the US Ice Drilling Program. She holds a BS in Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University (1975), BE and MS in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth (1983), and a PhD in Applied Mechanics from UC San Diego (1991). Her research focuses on snow/firn physics, ice core analysis, climate adaptation, and polar engineering. She has pioneered innovations in ice drilling technologies and led major Antarctic and Greenland expeditions. Dr. Albert has received prestigious awards including the National Research Council's Lifetime National Associate designation and the IEEE Best Journal Paper Award.

Her work bridges engineering and climate science, addressing challenges like energy transitions in Arctic communities and climate adaptation strategies for coastal regions. She chairs key committees such as the US National Committee for the International Polar Year and serves on the National Science Foundation's Polar Programs Advisory Committee. Notable projects include the Norwegian-US Antarctic Traverse and the WAIS Divide Ice Core Project.

Dr. Albert's contributions extend to education and policy, co-leading the Joint Science Education Project and developing decision-making tools for federal climate adaptation initiatives. She actively collaborates across disciplines, integrating technical innovation with environmental stewardship in polar regions.