Alaska

Reporter Michelle Nijhuis and photographer Jeffrey Barbee spent 10 days on the Juneau Icefield following a research team led by veteran glaciologist Maynard Miller. Miller's half-century commitment to research and teaching on the icefield has given him a rare first-hand perspective on climate change. He has watched the Juneau glaciers retreat for decades, and has spoken publicly about global warming for some 20 years. But this is much more than a "melting glacier" story: By introducing more than 2,000 students to the theory and practice of glacier research, Miller has helped create a new generation of polar and climate scientists.