Congratulations to Jenny Heinzen, MREA’s Curriculum Director, on an Amazing New Adventure to Antarctica! 

We are pleased to announce that Jenny Heinzen, MREA’s dedicated Curriculum Director, has been selected for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as an electrician at the South Pole. Starting December 1, Jenny will be taking a temporary leave from the MREA to join the drill team with UW-Madison at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. 

To help keep the generators and electrical equipment running, and safely drill through the ice to install strings of sensors that will allow physicists to collect groundbreaking cosmic data. We’re very proud of Jenny for being chosen to play such an important role in this project. 

What makes this announcement even more special is its serendipitous backstory. Jeanne Edwards, a UW-Madison electrical engineer with the IceCube Project, approached Jenny during The Energy Fair in June because she recognized her voice from an online course she had recently taken, Navigating the NEC (G110). The two talked at length about their backgrounds and experiences in the electrical world under the solar pergola. After a few follow-up emails and a Zoom meeting, Jenny was offered the job. It’s exciting to see how MREA’s educational programs continue to open doors and new opportunities for our staff, students, and supporters.

While Jenny will be missed at MREA during her leave, our students will be in good hands thanks to our instructor network that will be filling in while Jenny is away. She’ll be sending us regular updates, pictures, and reports from the Pole, so stay tuned for glimpses into her unique journey, the fascinating work she’s doing, and what life is like at the bottom of the globe.  

Follow Jenny’s Journey: Join us in congratulating Jenny on this amazing adventure to the other side of the world!