Student Alumni Knowledge Team
JIRP is fortunate to have a network of fantastic alumni who donate their time to making JIRP better. The Student Alumni Knowledge Team, or SAKT, is comprised of alumni who are excited to answer questions for prospective or incoming students. Rather than using it as a place to get down to brass tacks or solve nitty gritty questions about season specifics, the SAKT are here to talk to you about what JIRP might feel like, and how their experience might be similar to what you might experience.
For season-specific questions, use the Contact Us page to find staff member emails. If you are an alumni who is interested in staying involved with JIRP, check out the Alumni page to learn more.
Student Alumni Knowledge Team Members
Joshua Bruns
he/him | 2025 Student
joshuaabruns@gmail.com
I'm happy to chat about anything, from what the traverse is like and the parts of it I found the most challenging, to how best to prepare for the program. If you’ve never spent much time traveling on skis or are wondering what the long field days are really like, I'm happy to share the things I learned along the way. I can also discuss what food is like on the Icefield and offer tips on writing a strong student application. I found JIRP to be an incredible experience, and I’m always happy to share my perspective on anything you’re curious about!
Is Chittimuri
she/her | 2024 Student
ichittumuri@gmail.com
Hi there! Feel free to reach out if you want advice on finding scholarships and budgeting for gear, or what it’s like navigating JIRP as a woman, person of color, or nontraditional (older) student. I'm happy to chat about cooking logistics, wearing contacts, or even personal hygiene tips. I’d also love to talk about managing mental health, building confidence with limited ski or outdoor skills, and navigating what comes next after this life-changing experience!
Xena Greco
she/they | 2023 Student, 2025 Town Staff
xena.q.greco@gmail.com
Hey there, I love talking about JIRP! I’ll take any questions you’ve got, though I can speak best to my own experiences, such as… being a trans, non-binary, and queer woman on the Icefield who was just starting HRT; coming to JIRP with a physics degree and leaving with a new-found love of alpine plant ecology (which I now study!); having chronic depression, anxiety, and ADHD. JIRP is remarkably experiential and interdisciplinary, and there is so much to learn, be it from teaching faculty, staff, your fellow “JIRPeers”, or the land itself.
Olivia Helinski
she/her | 2021 Student
okhelinski@gmail.com
I’d love to answer any questions you have and help you get excited for life on the icefield! I can especially speak to first-time skiers, anyone feeling anxious, or those unsure about their career or personal path. JIRP gave me the space to explore myself, find clarity, and build confidence in ways I never expected.
Olivia Truax
she/her | 2016 Student + 2018 Field Staff
oliviajtruax@gmail.com
Come for the glaciers, stay for the JIRPers. JIRP is much more than a field course—it’s a community that continues to support one another on and off the Icefield, across years and continents. The mentorship, skills, and shared experience I found through JIRP played a major role in shaping my path from future lawyer to earning a PhD in climate science. I’m now a faculty member at a university in New Zealand, where I study polar climate and teach environmental science. I’m always happy to chat about the Icefield, how to buy gear on Facebook marketplace, and share how JIRP helped me build both a career and a community (and some of the adventures along the way).
Bertie Miller
they/them | 2018 Student + 2020-23 JEDI Committee
rbcm96@gmail.com
Email me if you want to talk about the fine dining of the Icefield or gender neutral housing (and more!). Happy to talk to any prospective LGBTQ+ folks about my experience as a queer person at JIRP. I can chat about classroom accessibility in the program as a student with learning disabilities as well. I will also give you secret recipes to make legendary canned bean dishes up on the ice.
Cameron Stallcup
he/they | 2025 Student
stallcupcameron@gmail.com
Reach out to me if you have any questions about whether JIRP is for you, being a nontraditional college student, LGBTQ+, a beginner skier, someone who recharges from a lot of alone time, how to chef it up on the Icefield, and wondering if you're overpacking! I’d love to chat and alleviate some of the pre-JIRP anxieties!
Yueyi Che
she/her | 2019 Student
yueyiche@berkeley.edu
Hello there! Are you afraid your skiing skill from age 3 has gone because you haven't skied for years? Are you an international student from outside of the US? I would love to hear from you if you have concerns about not having a lot of outdoor or study abroad experience. I would also be glad to talk about how JIRP provided me the skills and confidence to design my own thesis research after the summer fieldwork.
Vivian Miller
she/they | 2024 Student
1vivianmiller1@gmail.com
I'm excited to talk about all things JIRP! I'm happy to share my experience as a queer person on the program, discuss the nitty gritty of daily life on the Icefield, and highlight how supportive the JIRP community is on and off the Icefield. JIRP inspired me to pursue ice research in undergrad and beyond, and to continue mountaineering in both personal and professional settings. If any of this resonates, don’t hesitate to reach out :)
Scott Lakeram
he/him | 2018 Student + 2020-21 JEDI Committee
lakeram2@illinois.edu
Feel free to email me if you would like to talk about staying vegan/vegetarian on the Icefield. I am happy to talk about skis or other gear and what it is like learning to ski on the icefield. I could go more into detail about personal hygiene and how to explain the value of a field course to parents who are apprehensive about the idea.