Lauren Vargo
Dr. Lauren Vargo (Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka) is an exceptional early-career scientist who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to glaciology, combining innovative research with a passion for science communication and community service.
Dr. Vargo’s most impactful research contribution to date has been the development of an attribution framework linking extreme individual glacier melt events to human-driven climate change. She demonstrated that extreme melting on glaciers – the years when the highest ice loss occurs – were far more likely in a human-influenced climate. This research was a key citation in demonstrating the human fingerprint on glacier retreat in the 6th Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Dr. Vargo has also been instrumental in maintaining and updating long-term records of mass balance in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Using historical photographic sources and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, Dr. Vargo created precise models of glacier change. This innovation has transformed the long-standing ‘End of Summer Snowline’ project, which uses snowlines as a proxy for mass balance, to include direct observations of geodetic mass balance changes, enhancing the program’s value in the 21st century. She has also been a key researcher in the now 20-year long record of mass balance from Brewster Glacier.
Dr. Vargo’s contributions extend far beyond her research. She co-founded the Girls* on Ice programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, leading the first expedition in January 2024. She also serves as Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Delegate to the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), is a member of the Scientific Steering Group for Climate and Cryosphere (CliC), and holds leadership roles in the International Association for Cryospheric Science (IACS). She has demonstrated enormous aptitude for communicating science to more general audiences. She regularly visits primary and secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, bringing glaciers and climate science to life for students, and communicates her work through public engagement via popular science writing, direct engagement with decision makers, public talks, and media interviews.
Dr. Vargo’s research has made an invaluable contribution to understanding the effects of human-driven climate change on mountain glaciers, and her ability to present complex glaciological phenomena in a clear and assured manner has earned her respect both in the scientific community and in public discourse.
On behalf of the Awards Committee of the International Glaciological Society
Sue Cooke, Chair.
