Dr. Shelley MacDonell (38), a New Zealander from the School of Geography at the University of Otago, New Zealand, arrived in La Serena from her home country in 2009 to begin her postdoctoral research. At present, the glaciologist serves as the head of the Laboratory of Glaciology at the Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA). A cornerstone of the research line headed by Dr. MacDonell is understanding the connection between climate and glaciers, as well as their ice mass contribution. This work aims to generate interest within the general public—specifically in the Coquimbo region— by providing scientific certainty regarding a vital resource for life in this part of the world.
In honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Dr. Shelley MacDonell shared this inspiring interview regarding her career and her role as a woman in the scientific field.
Dr. Shelley, you are currently the leader of the Laboratory of Glaciology at the Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA) in La Serena. Could you tell us about your journey to your current position and what your biggest challenges have been in that position?
Shelley: My work as a scientist focuses on the field of glacier hydrology, an area of research that I have primarily developed in Antarctica and the Andes Mountains. I started to work in this field during my undergraduate studies at the School of Geography at the University of Otago, New Zealand, when I made my first trip to Antarctica with Professor Dr. Sean Fitzsimons to study the dynamics of a cold glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.
I arrived in La Serena from New Zealand in 2009, right when I was about to finish my PhD at the University of Otago, to take up a postgraduate position at the CEAZA Laboratory of Glaciology, which was then led by Dr. Christophe Kinnard. There, I could apply my knowledge to similar problems in the semi-arid Andes of Chile’s Norte Chico region.
After Dr. Kinnard returned to Canada, I applied to the vacant position in the CEAZA, and I was selected. Since then, I’ve worked as a researcher in charge of that laboratory in the CEAZA.
I think the biggest challenge has been dealing with society’s expectations, which are numerous and immense, in relation to water issues and glaciers in particular.
Specifically, because scientific processes are slow, and in most cases, we cannot rush the results, since our goal is to provide the most accurate information possible about natural phenomena that are slow. Even in most cases, there isn’t even baseline information to begin with.
In this context, we turn these challenges into opportunities. To do so, we actively collaborate with the public and private sectors, as well as the broader community, to collect data, share information, and develop new initiatives.
Could you briefly tell us about the path you traced to become a glaciologist? Is it something you’ve wanted since you were a child or came along accidentally?
Shelley: Before my older sister, not a single member of my family had finished high school. However, education at home and at school was fundamental for my parents, so they encouraged us to pursue our passions. In my childhood, my father really motivated my scientific curiosity, with analysis and experimentation in daily life situations. For example, every time we went fishing, we would always examine the contents of the fish’s stomach that we’d have for dinner, to determine what it was eating, so we could better choose where to fish and which flies to use. These stimuli inspired me from a young age to want to become a field scientist because I really liked it, and I still love the great outdoors and natural environment. In the same context, my interests were changing little by little, but a decisive moment occurred when I was 12 years old, my father took me to the International Antarctic Center in Christchurch, which completely changed my idea of what I wanted to do with my future.
When I started college, I didn’t have the confidence to head straight for the Antarctic ice, but I knew there was a way. After a year of studying Laws and Zoology, with a little bit of Geoscience (I also took geography courses at that time), I decided to switch to Geoscience, with a minor in mathematics.
At that time, my interests were divided among hydrology, climate, and geomorphology. Since the Department’s hydrologist was the most quantitatively oriented academic in the department, I wanted to do my undergraduate thesis with him, with the aim of arriving in Antarctica after this work. Unfortunately, he got sick and couldn’t continue in his position, but he himself recommended that I should talk with Professor Sean Fitzsimons to carry out my work. Finally, I was lucky enough to have Professor Fitzsimons accept me as a graduate student and take me to work on the Antarctic glaciers. Since then, I haven’t stopped working on glaciers and connecting my different passions in the field of Geoscience.
In the context of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, do you think this is a good initiative for promoting the participation of girls, young people, and women in science? How do you help encourage their participation in this field?
Shelley: For me, it’s a pretty good initiative because deep down, societies have to begin with a basic premise, which is to recognize the problem. In this aspect, we know there are various shortcomings in this regard, and as a society, we must explicitly acknowledge them in order to find solutions. International Day is only an official reminder, but this campaign must evolve into a systematic effort to support women and girls interested in learning. Not all of them will be formal scientists, but we must try to support and motivate curiosity and the desire to excel as human beings.
I wasn’t the first woman in glaciology at CEAZA, nor was I the first to lead the group. However, between 2009 and 2017, I was the only one, even though the group consisted of about 10 people. The day that I hired two women scientists, I noticed the change in the group. Having people with different experiences, mindsets, and skills improves the results of our work and provides us with innovative solutions to old and new problems. Truly, I don’t want to go back to situations without this diversity of perspectives, and I recognize that we can still diversify even further.
In 2018, we had the first Chilean woman with a PhD working in the laboratory, that is, 15 years after CEAZA was founded. I wouldn’t want to wait another 15 years for such a situation to happen again.
Under normal conditions (outside of the pandemic), we make efforts to include female practitioners in the group to show them the possibilities. In the future, we hope to continue this modality and incorporate more undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in developing their respective potentials in this subject.
On a communal level, we’ve had some successes and other ideas that are still in progress. Among these initiatives is the creation of a storybook titled “Andesita and the Ancient Water,” written by Paloma Núñez. The main character is a young girl who, through a rock, explores and learns about her surroundings from a scientific perspective. With her book, we hope to inspire girls living in mountain environments to pursue nature research.
UA pending goal is the campground program of glaciology in the mountains with teenage girls. We’ve completed the training to lead the international “Girls on Ice” program and have developed the necessary plans. Unfortunately, we’ve not yet been able to carry out the activity due to various logistical issues. Nevertheless, we are dedicated to this initiative and plan to implement it in the future, once the pandemic situation has stabilized.
Photos of the fieldwork conducted by glaciologist Shelley MacDonell.
Women in science account for only 30% of researchers worldwide, according to figures from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). Additionally, various studies support that gender stereotypes, among other reasons, are one of the main reasons why the presence of women in science is so low (Blickenstaff (2006); Goulden et al. (2011); Moss-Racusin et al. (2012)). The situation in Chile isn’t much different; although Latin America is recognized as a region where women’s representation in science has increased, figures show that Chile (33.1%) stills ranks as one of the nations with the lowest representativeness of women in science, along with other countries of South America like Ecuador and Perú (UNESCO, 2015, 2019). What is your opinion on this? Did you have to deal with any resistance because you’re a woman while pursuing a career in science?
Shelley: I believe the journey to becoming a scientist is a long one. Moreover, society is often not flexible enough to accommodate both the roles imposed on women and those they naturally hold. Due to this, prejudices related to the commitment level that we can obtain exist. For example, I’ve been in graduate program interviews where women were asked if they planned to become pregnant in the coming years or how they would manage household duties alongside the demands of their studies. In my opinion, this isn’t only inappropriate but can also serve as a deterrent for a woman to continue on this path. We won’t make any progress on how we see the contribution we can make as women to society until these types of attitudes change.
We know that the Laboratory of Glaciology at CEAZA, which you lead, is closely linked to generating knowledge regarding water resources in arid basins—particularly through the study of snow, how climate interacts with glaciers, and rock glaciers. This has undoubtedly taken you to field sites in various mountain areas at elevations above 4,000 meters in the Coquimbo Region. Could you tell us about your experience in the field and what has been the most challenging part of being a woman in that context?
Shelley: I’ve been going to fieldwork since 2002, in Antarctica and the Andes Mountains. I’ve made 10 research trips to Antarctica, with a maximum duration of up to 3 months. I’ve also done fieldwork in different parts of Chile and Perú.
My first trip to Antarctica was when I was 21 years old. The site motivated me in a powerful way, not only because of its beauty or how isolated it feels, but also because it was the first time that I did science as part of a team that eventually made an impact in the field of glacial geomorphology. During that year (2002) and the two subsequent years, we built, manually, a 40-meter tunnel that allowed us to visualize the interaction between a glacier and its bed. This demonstrated that cold glaciers erode their base and are capable of transporting the resulting debris.
I think that in practice, the most complex thing is to go to the bathroom when it’s too cold and windy. On the other hand, when I started going out to the field, there were only men, and I was the only woman. So, practical issues specific to women weren’t even considered, let alone addressed. For example, what do you do when you’re out in the field for months, and you get your period, along with all the associated challenges?
What advice would you give to girls and young people to encourage them to become scientists or engage with scientific knowledge?
Shelley: A good piece of advice would be that if they have scientific curiosities—or any other related to knowledge—they should nurture them by asking questions and seeking solutions. Do not let yourselves be intimidated by people who have no interest in answering or helping you; in the end, these vocational journeys are deeply personal. There will always be people who want to help or give you a small push; many will be indifferent. Therefore, self-motivation is essential, keep following your dreams until you reach the stars—and remember, we still don’t know what lies beyond them!
Photos of the fieldwork conducted by glaciologist Shelley MacDonell.
Featured Image:
- Personal archive of Dr. Shelley MacDonell, on one of her field trips in Antarctica.
