Shawn Doyle, biological sciences graduate student, left the sticky Baton Rouge climate last month for the tip of the South Pole — Antarctica. Doyle is researching the geomicrobiology of the Taylor Glacier and is blogging his findings for science students at Sulphur High School, his alma mater in Sulphur.”My experience so far has been great,” he said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille. “This is my second time to come to Antarctica. I first came down in 2007 as an undergraduate and ended up enjoying the research so much I continued on the project into graduate school.” Doyle’s blog, www.glacialmicrobes.blogspot.com, includes video tours of the glacier, pictures of his research findings and daily updates. “My junior year at LSU, I, like many other students, had no idea what I wanted to do as a career,” Doyle said. “Long story short, once I found research to be so entertaining and rewarding, I felt that many students would benefit if they were informed about becoming involved in research and how much fun it can be.” Kevin Carman, College of Basic Sciences dean, said hundreds of students and faculty members do research like Doyle, often in exotic places like Antarctica. “Doyle’s research in Antarctica is the quintessential definition of what it means to be a student at a major research university like LSU,” Carman said in an e-mail. “The experience that he is gaining will undoubtedly have a profound impact on his career, and it will open doors for future career opportunities.”Carman said he admires Doyle’s blog efforts with students in Sulphur High School science classes. “What better way to illustrate that an LSU science degree can involve much more than listening to pundits in a controlled setting?” Carman said. “You can do science at the highest level.” Doyle is currently analyzing samples in McMurdo Station, an American Antarctic research center. He said sample collection took a shorter time than expected, and, if all goes as scheduled, he should be back in Louisiana by Dec. 1 — nearly a month ahead of schedule. “The scenery is amazing both in McMurdo and especially the Dry Valleys where our field camp was located,” he said. But Doyle said he misses home. “I miss the warmth of Louisiana’s climate and Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium,” he said.- – – -Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]