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University of Wisconsin–Madison

Q & A – Meet Hannah Zanowski

February 6, 2023

Picture of Hannah Zanowski in front of research cruise
Photo: J. Rohde

“If you have ever asked yourself the question ‘What’s really going on in the ocean,’ Assistant Professor Hannah Zanowski has the answers for you. Zanowski has studied just about every ocean on Earth and carries her curiosity and fun spirit with her on each of her many journeys.

Originally from the sunny state of Arizona, Zanowski obtained her undergraduate degree not too far from ‘home’ from the University of Arizona in math and physics before moving across the country to get her PhD in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at Princeton University. Following graduation in 2016, Zanowski went on to do some postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado–Boulder and the University of Washington.

When she’s not in the classroom, Zanowski mainly studies the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, giving herself the title of ‘polar oceanographer.’ She has recently been using climate models in attempts to answer broad questions about what will happen in the future or explain past oceanic events.”

Read the full Nelson Institute interview by Rachel Carrier, January 10, 2023