Ellen Mosley-Thompson is a distinguished university professor emerita and senior research scientist at Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. She has worked for Ohio State since 1979 and has led 16 expeditions to Antarctica and Greenland, collecting ice cores and conducting research that has helped “to reconstruct Earth’s complex climate history,” according to her bio on the university’s website.
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She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, among numerous other affiliations. Mosley-Thompson says she is “very proud … to have been the first woman to lead a field team to a remote location (meaning no station present) to drill ice cores in central Antarctica.” Since her first Antarctic expedition in 1982, she has “worked diligently to increase the participation of women in Antarctic and Greenland field work.”
Mosley-Thompson is also active in education and outreach alongside her research partner and spouse, Lonnie Thompson. Their work has been widely recognized, including with the 2012 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science by the Franklin Institute.
Who or what have been career or personal influences? I am indebted to my parents, teachers, and mentors for their support and guidance as they encouraged me to work hard and make a positive difference in the world. Fortunately, I have had many people throughout my career who encouraged me to work to break down barriers and thereby provide opportunities for others who are motivated to make a difference and driven to succeed.
What is your greatest wish for 2026? That all the people with whom we share this planet would recognize that virtually all our resources are limited in quantity and quality, and it is incumbent upon us to work together to sustain them to support earth’s living inhabitants for generations to come.
This story appeared in the May 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Inspiring Women feature package. Read more stories of Inspiring Women from Columbus Monthly and Columbus CEO. Subscribe to Columbus Monthly here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Ellen Mosley-Thompson Defined Climate Research With Ice Core Sampling
Reporting by Linda Lee Baird, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
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