Dr. Jerri Nielsen, veteran emergency room physician and author of Ice Bound, A Doctor’s Struggle for Survival at the South Pole, will give a lecture based on her personal experiences as part of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole team on Wednesday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m in Janet Jacks Balch Auditorium on the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» campus. This event is free and open to the public; seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In 1999 Nielsen quickly rose to international notoriety when her harrowing adventure in the South Pole became public. Serving a year’s term as the sole medical officer in a team of 41 research scientists and support staffers at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Nielsen discovered a tumor in her breast but could not be evacuated for eight months due to weather conditions. By combining an extraordinary array of email instructions, jury-rigged equipment, air dropped supplies, and the help and courage of her Amundsen-Scott colleagues, Nielsen performed a biopsy on herself, diagnosed her aggressive-form of cancer, and began chemotherapy to ensure her survival while waiting out the Antarctic winter.
As Dr. Nielsen is one of the premiere spokeswomen for Breast Cancer Awareness, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»is particularly honored to host her visit during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nielsen appears at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»as part of the Alexa Fullerton Hampton Distinguished Speaker Program and in celebration of Founder’s Day, commemorating Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» founder Ellen Browning Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»and honoring outstanding women of excellence, leadership, and service.