The Institute of Arctic Studies is pleased to announce Zoe Johnson ’26 as inaugural recipient of the Ross Virginia Polar Legacy Internship Award.
The award honors Professor Ross Virginia, who directed the Institute of Arctic Studies from 2003 to 2021 and whose legacy continues to shape its mission. Each year, the award recognizes a student who embodies the values he brought to polar scholarship — deep curiosity about the natural world, generosity in mentorship, commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, and reciprocity with Arctic communities and Indigenous Knowledge holders. The award also reflects the Institute of Arctic Studies’ ongoing commitment to advancing his vision: learning from northern Peoples and building a more just, collaborative, and equitable future for polar research and education.
Zoe grew up in Monument, Colorado, where early experiences with horseback riding, hiking, and skiing cultivated a lasting love of the natural world. Now double-majoring in biology and environmental studies, she has pursued that passion across multiple dimensions: a community-led flood resiliency project with the Energy Justice Clinic, Arctic archival research in Dr. Virginia’s lab, and a Stefansson Fellowship through the Institute of Arctic Studies, during which she worked with researchers from the British Antarctic Survey to assess potential environmental impacts in Antarctica. She also participated in the first Arctic-Sustainability Immersion Trip in 2024 and was featured in an American Geophysical Union video spotlighting the Institute of Arctic Studies’ work in polar regions.
