Anna Maria Trofaier

Physicist, Specialist in Earth Observation (Cryosphere), Girls on Ice Austria

Pronouns: she / her / hers

I am a physicist at the European Space Agency (ESA), working as a technical manager on projects that use satellite data to study snow and ice in our climate system. After high school in Vienna, I spent a few years commuting between the UK and Austria. I have a Master of Physics (MPhys) in Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh, an interdisciplinary Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Technology and International Affairs, a collaborative program between the Vienna University of Technology and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, and a Doctorate (PhD) in Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere from the University of Cambridge, funded by a DOC-fForte [Women in Research and Technology] grant from the Austrian Academy of Sciences.Even as a Viennese, the mountains are hugely important to me. Even in the UK, I probably spend most of my time in the north in the Scottish Highlands and the English Lake District - although of course I mostly miss skiing here.After a postdoctoral position at ESA, I moved to Spitsbergen, where I worked at the University Centre in Svalbard as an Earth Observation Advisor. Life in the Arctic is unique and deepened my passion for snow and ice. After just under 1.5years, I was drawn back to ESA, where I have been stationed back in the UK since 2018. In my technical profession, women are still in the minority and this needs to change. I hope Girls On Ice Austria inspires not only a yearning for adventure, but also an enthusiasm for the natural sciences. This usually goes hand in hand, because what I find most exciting is to unite the desire for knowledge with the desire for adventure. So get inspired to achieve great things!