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 Scripps College 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, Scripps is particularly honored to host her visit during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nielsen appears at Scripps as part of the Alexa Fullerton Hampton Distinguished Speaker Program and in celebration of Founder’s Day, commemorating Scripps College founder Ellen Browning Scripps and honoring outstanding women of excellence, leadership, and service.