The Explorers 50 - 30 June 2022

124 Pages·2022·87.3 MB·English

THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
acknowledgements
CORPORATE PATRON OF EXPLORATION COMMITTEE FOR
THE EXPLORERS 50 PROJECT
Rolex
Joseph Rohde, Chairman
ADDITIONAL EC50 SUPPPORT
Jeff Blumenfeld
Marc Bryan-Brown
Fjällräven Kim Frank
Richard & Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux J.R. Harris
Daniel & Lois Kobal Alexandra Sutton Lawrence
Nancy Nenow
FOUNDING CORPORATE SPONSOR OF THE Nancy Rosenthal
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE Jalsa Urubshurow
Trevor Wallace
Richard Wiese
Discovery Communications
Gladys Kalema Zikusoka
MEMBERS NOMINATING AWARDEES
Bob Atwater Timothy Jacob Ann Passer
Kathryn Britnell Lisa Keating Milbry Polk
Gov. Doug Burgum Lee Langan Maureen Raymo
Greg Carr Alexandra Sutton Lawrence Buffy Redsecker
Julie Chase Damien Leloup Joe Rohde
Jack Daulton Rebecca Martin Faanya Rose
Matthew DeSantis Rob McCallum Travis Steffens
Jason Edmunds Kevin McCarey Arnella Trent
Scott C. Forsyth James Bruce McClintock Trevor Wallace
Kim Frank Nancy Nenow Richard Wiese
Joe Grabowski Kyle Obermann Mark Wood
K David Harrison Shawna Pandya
THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
contents
2021
the explorers club 50
INTRODUCTION FIFTY EXPLORERS EXPLORERS CHANGING THE EXPLORERS CLUB MAKING THE BOOK
Richard Wiese FN’89 TO KNOW THE WORLD FIFTY PROCESS Lee Langan MED’99
5 Joseph M. Rohde FN’10 J. Robert “J.R.” Harris ME’93 Kim N. Frank FN’18 120
7 10 16
awardees
RUBEN ALEMAN-LUCERO, 39 LATONIA HARTERY, 63 JAMES PRIGOFF, 32
MARGARET O’LEARY AMSLER, 88 JOHN HOUSTON, 47 SIAN PROCTOR, 92
JOEY ANGNATOK, 28 ANDERS JEPSEN, 104 LOSANG RABGEY, 72
CALLIE BROADDUS, 91 SHELTON JOHNSON, 64 SAMUEL E. SULEIMAN RAMOS, 95
BRANDI DECARLI, 52 AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, 67 MAMY RAZAFITSALAMA, 99
SUPRAJA DHARINI, 24 INIT KEITH, 107 MARIO RIGBY, 48
JUSTIN DUNNAVANT, 56 PETER LALAMPAA , 36 AVIJAHN SAHA, 60
SUSAN R. EATON, 96 CASUARINA MCKINNEY-LAMBERT, 112 FAWN SHARP, 100
KAARE SIKUAQ ERICKSON, 35 DANIELLE LEE, 23 MICHEL STROGOFF, 31
VICKI LYNN FERRINI, 103 JENERIA LEKILELEI, 111 CHIP THOMAS, 119
AYANA FLEWELLEN, 20 BINBIN LI, 108 SCOTT THOMPSON, 53
BILLY GAUTHIER, 51 ONKURI MAJUMDAR, 44 SATEESH VANKATESH, 40
DOMINQUE GONCALVES, 76 JUAN MARTINEZ-PINEDA, 115 DONALD WARNE, 71
MARC O GRIOFA, 87 CRAIG MATHIESON, 83 PAIGE WEST, 79
MARK HANNAFORD, 27 BOLORTSETSEG MINJIN, 43 DAWN WRIGHT, 80
K. DAVID HARRISON, 59 SONAM PHUNTSHO, 116 YU JIAHUA, 84
ROBBIE HART, 68 JOSHUA POWELL, 75
COVER: AWARDEE SATEESH VANKATESH WITH A YOUNG ELEPHANT IN THAILAND. PHOTO: C G VENKATESH
THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
membership
in
THE EXPLORERS CLUB
FOUNDED IN 1904 BY A GROUP OF AMERICA’S LEADING EXPLORERS, SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF LAND, SEA, AIR, AND SPACE, WITH
THE EXPLORERS CLUB IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PROFESSION- AN EMPHASIS ON THE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. AS
AL SOCIETY DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF FIELD RE- A PRIMARY AND PRESTIGIOUS CENTER FOR EXPLORATION AND EX-
SEARCH, SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION, AND THE IDEAL THAT IT IS PEDITION PLANNING, THE CLUB IS A FOCAL POINT AND UNIFYING
VITAL TO PRESERVE THE INSTINCT TO EXPLORE. THE CLUB’S FORCE FOR EXPLORERS AND SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE, WITH 33
STEADFAST MISSION HAS BEEN TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE CHAPTERS SPANNING THE GLOBE.
For information regarding categories of membership—Fellow, Mem- cation sets forth qualifications for all levels of membership. Additionally,
ber, Friend, Term, and Student—and the process of election to The inquiries pertaining to sponsorship and local chapters may be made di-
Explorers Club, visit us at www.explorers.org. The downloadable appli- rectly through the Club’s Membership Office, 212-628-8383, ext. 23.
2
THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
46 EAST 70TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021
WWW.EXPLORERS.ORG | 212-628-8383
PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS PATRONS & SPONSORS
Richard Wiese
HONORARY CHAIRMAN
CLASS OF 2021 VP, CHAPTERS LEADER OF EXPLORATION
Kathryn D. Sullivan, PhD
J.R. Harris Tim Radke ($500,000+)
HONORARY PRESIDENT
Stefan Kindberg Mabel Dorn Reeder*
VP, MEMBERSHIP
Bertrand Piccard, MD Martin Kraus
Nancy L. Nenow BENEFACTORS OF EXPLORATION
HONORARY DIRECTORS William J. Liss
($250,000+)
VP, RESEARCH & EDUCATION
HRH Albert II, Prince of Monaco CLASS OF 2022 Richard H. Olsen*
Trevor Wallace
Robert Ballard, PhD Marc Bryan-Brown Robert H. Rose*
Sylvia A. Earle, PhD Leon “Lee” V. Langan VP, FLAG & HONORS Michael W. Thoresen
Gilbert M. Grosvenor Donald C. Milbry C. Polk Robert J. Atwater
PATRONS OF EXPLORATION
Johanson, PhD Synnøve Marie Kvam VP, DEVELOPMENT ($100,000+)
Richard E. Leakey, DSc Strømsvåg Richard Garriott de Cayeux Daniel A. Bennett
Frederik D.A. Paulsen, PhD Janet L. Walsh, PhD
Roland R. Puton VP, CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE, Daniel and Lois Kobal
Johan Reinhard, PhD CLASS OF 2023 SUSTAINABILITY OceanX Foundation
Edward P. Roski, Jr. Constance Difede Mark J. Fowler Frederik D.A. Paulsen
Barbara Doran Donald L. Segur*
George B. Schaller, PhD TREASURER
Kellie Gerardi Margaret Segur*
Kathryn D. Sullivan, PhD Don Barbara Doran
David Isserman
Walsh, PhD CORPORATE PATRONS OF EXPLORATION
Brianna Rowe SECRETARY
HRH Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck Discovery Communications
Arnella Trent
APPOINTED DIRECTORS Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc.
Aida “Idee” Belau OMBUDSMAN
CORPORATE SUPPORTER OF EXPLORATION
Daniel A. Kobal, PhD Brian P. Hanson
National Geographic Society
Mead Treadwell
Steve Pigott * DECEASED
The Explorers Club 50© (ISBN: 978-0-578-84855-6) is published by The
Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021. Periodicals post-
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Exploration, and The Explorers Club Flag and Seal are registered trademarks of
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Explorers Club, Inc., in the United States and elsewhere. All rights reserved.
© The Explorers Club, 2021.
Lee Langan
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Printed in Canada
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COPY EDITOR 100%
Martha Shaw
3
RICHARD WIESE IN THE DANAKIL DEPRESSION, ETHIOPIA’S AFAR TRIANGLE; CONSIDERED THE HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH
THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
introduction
T H E E X PL OR E R S C LU B F I F T Y
RICHARD WIESE FN’89
PRESIDENT
People have reflected on the question of “who are we?” of exploration and inspire the greater understanding of
over centuries of introspection, and that question be- the world around us? Does their work impact the com-
came the jumping off point for this project: Who are we munities they live in, in innovative ways? Would this
as an institution? More importantly, who do we want to recognition help expand the definition of exploration
be? We have over 100 years of exploration legacy be- and further promote the Club’s mission? 
hind us, empowered by the most extraordinary accom- New projects may be difficult to get off the ground,
plishments: first to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, but The
first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest Explorers Club has had an incredible team behind this
point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all initiative. Thank you to Joe Rohde, EC50 Chair, who, in
successes by our members. With that in mind, the ques- his elegant and imaginative way, gave life to this idea.
tion became, what will the future of The Explorers Club J.R.Harris, chair of our Diversity and Inclusion initiative,
and the next 100 years of exploration look like?  helped us think critically about how to broaden our
To answer that question we are proud to launch, community and welcome the many faces of exploration
The Explorers 50: Fifty People Changing the World from around the globe. Richard Garriott and Dan Kobal,
that You Should Know About. Every honoree featured whose early support gave this initiative the momentum
here, as well as the hundreds of other nominees, are it needed to get off the ground. To our longest partner
exploring, inspiring, and creating the future – the future and the lead corporate patron of the EC50, Rolex - who
of the planet, the future of food security, of paleontol- realized the potential in this project and in these incred-
ogy, of biology, of what our communities should look ible individuals - thank you. Rolex, through its Perpetual
like, and so much more. The EC50 was established Planet initiative, supports organizations and individuals
not only to reflect the great diversity of exploration but devising solutions that will restore balance to our eco-
to give a voice to these trailblazing explorers, scien- systems, and fosters tomorrow’s explorers, scientists
tists, and activists and their incredible work. and conservationists. Most importantly, thank you to the
I could not be more pleased with the group selected EC50 honorees for their creativity, passion, bravery, for
to represent this first class. Over 400 nominations were pushing boundaries, and setting the bar so high.
received from 48 countries. Over 46 countries of work The EC50 will be transformative in the composition
are represented by the winners from 17 countries of of the Club, changing the face of our membership,
residence. The judges’ panel was composed of twelve challenging the way we have traditionally thought
esteemed international Explorers Club members who about exploration, and ultimately changing who we are
were tasked with thinking big. They were guided by for the better and bolstering our mission. I am proud
the following questions: Does this candidate’s work of this project, humbled by the winners, and excited
involve an outstanding, innovative, and impactful mode to see the future of exploration in the years to come.
5

THE EXPLORERS CLUB 50
fifty explorers
to know
JOSEPH M. ROHDE FN’10
CHAIR, EXPLORERS 50 COMMITTEE
Our freshly inaugurated Explorers 50 program is Explorers Club is, and of what it may become. We see
aimed at expanding frontiers. Exploration assumes a ourselves anew through these new eyes, and because
place that is known, from which we go forth into the of this our own habits and beliefs, the ideas, practices,
unknown. We do this in order to discover, to learn, to and places most familiar to us of all, can become undis-
teach, and frankly, because we are seized by curiosity. covered frontiers of new possibilities. And as explorers
But what is known and what is unknown depends in all, how could we resist the challenge of new frontiers?
part on who holds knowledge and where they stand. Judging the submissions was a thoughtful, provoc-
By reaching out and embracing new explorers, many ative, and inspiring. process. It was also difficult to
of whom are entirely new to The Explorers Club, we choose between so many who are so deserving. But
accomplish two things. difficulty is the price we pay for big rewards. These
First, we expand our own exposure to the world 50 explorers are not only here to be celebrated for
by including new eyes and all that they have seen. their accomplishments. They are here to engage and
We increase our common share of worlds to explore, transform us, to make The Explorers Club itself a
because these new explorers bring with them new world worthy of exploration and full of the promise of
fields and new perspectives on familiar fields. We new discovery. For that we not only welcome the re-
increase our common wisdom by embracing new cipients of the Explorers 50 awards, we thank them.
insights, new points of view, new areas of study, and
new experiences of the life of exploration.
But the second frontier is even more intriguing. By
welcoming new explorers into our midst, especially JOSEPH M. ROHDE PAINTING IN MONGOLIA PHOTO: LANE MERRIFIELD
those least expected, from regions or areas of study FROM THE LEOPARD IN THE LAND FLAG EXPEDITION 2013. ROHDE TRAVELED
we may be less familiar with, we expand our own BY CAMEL FOR A MONTH PAINTING LARGE LANDSCAPES OF SNOW LEOPARD
understanding of who we ourselves are, of what The HABITATS IN THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS OF MONGOLIA.
7
ACROPOLIS OF GHILING, MUSTANG, NEPAL 1992 | THIS ROHDE PAINTING WAS EXECUTED FROM THE ROOF OF A FAMILY HOME ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TOWN OF GHILING.