Adanin’s participation in glacier research enhancing students’ classroom experience

A Northwest Missouri State University faculty member spent her summer adventuring through Washington’s North Cascade Mountains, participating in one of the longest-running glacier monitoring efforts in the world – and she’s using her experience to enhance what she teaches in the classroom.

Dr. Nina Adanin, associate professor in Northwest’s School of Health Science and Wellness, whose research explores the effects of climate change on sport management, tourism and recreation, witnessed climate change effects firsthand through the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project (NCGCP). Adanin also conducted a study examining what motivates participants to join a physically demanding study such as NCGCP.

Dr. Nina Adanin joined a team with the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project during the summer to conduct glacier mapping, mass balance measurement, terminus observations and glacier runoff monitoring. (Submitted photo)

NCGCP was founded in 1984 by Dr. Mauri Pelto, who serves as science director of the project. His daughter, Jill Pelto, serves as art director. Adanin said she followed the project for many years before joining.

“It’s one of the longest-running glacier monitoring efforts in the world, and what has always drawn me to it is the combination of rigorous science and art,” Adanin said. “Dr. Mauri Pelto and Jill Pelto have built a team where measurement and creative work happen side by side, and that idea – that art and science together can connect people to climate change on an emotional level – fits closely with my own interest in immersive experiences and education.”

NCGCP’s annual three-week field season focuses on glacier mapping, mass balance measurement, terminus observations and glacier runoff monitoring. The team uses no permanent camps or equipment, accessing all glaciers by backpack with no helicopter support.

This year’s team completed detailed measurements on 10 glaciers, three of which belong to the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s global reference network. It followed a series of significant glacier loss driven by historic heat waves from 2021 to 2025.

“There were several moments when talking with Dr. Pelto really hit me, especially when he described how much ice has been lost in just the last few years,” Adanin said. “Hearing that from someone who has measured these glaciers for more than four decades, while standing on the ice yourself, is very different from reading it in a report. It reinforced my belief that immersive experiences create a deeper personal connection to climate change than data alone, and that is at the heart of my research.”

As an educator at Northwest, Adanin hopes her students see the realities of climate change through NCGCP’s work. She also emphasizes to her students that there are many innovative ways to help others care about the changing world.

“In my classes, we use existing data on the impact of climate change on sport tourism and national parks,” Adanin said. “Students analyze real examples of how changing conditions affect destinations, visitors and the industries that depend on them. Sharing my own field experiences from the North Cascades helps bring that data to life and shows students how these issues connect to the careers they’re preparing for.”

Adanin is now processing data from her individual study and expects to have results next spring.

Dr. Nina Adanin, third from left, is pictured with the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project team. (Submitted photo)

Adanin joined the Northwest faculty in 2021. She has a Ph.D. in innovative learning design and technology with master’s degrees in educational research and evaluation and outdoor recreation and education, all from Ohio University. She also has bachelor’s degrees in sports management and sports coaching. Her academic interests include sports recreation management and technology.

In August, Adanin received a Northwest Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching, in recognition of her approaches to enhance student learning.