On the job in Antarctica

As a “winterover scientist” at a U.S.-run Antarctic research station in 2020, Allen Foster, PhD ’23, helped operate the South Pole Telescope, which measures cosmic rays from the early Universe.

Every day, he and colleague Aman Chokshi of Australia walked 1,000 or so yards across the frozen landscape from the Amundsen–Scott South Pole station to the giant radio telescope. In temperatures of between -50 to -95 degrees F, they would clear the dish of snow and sometimes grease its gears to enable it to continue to sweep the cosmos.

One day, Chokshi set up a tripod to take a photo as the young researchers waved. Nature chose it as a finalist in its 2025 #ScientistAtWork photo competition, published in May.

“I’m sure we were working and noticed that the auroras were popping off so we decided to stop for a quick selfie!” Foster explained via email.

Foster earned his doctorate in physics from Case and today is doing postdoctoral research for Princeton University in connection with a mountaintop observatory in Chile. The South Pole remains vivid in his memory.

“Even now, a few years later, I have these ‘flash backs’ to being in Antarctica,” he continued. “It’s just such a beautiful but unworldly place that really sticks with you.”