About
Dr. Heïdi Sevestre
Glaciologist, expedition leader and passionate science communicator
Heïdi was born in Haute Savoie in the French Alps. She was raised by parents who had a deep love for skiing, climbing, and mountaineering. Her upbringing involved spending a significant amount of time in the mountains and surrounded by nature. When she reached the age of 17, Heïdi found herself contemplating how to transform her passion into a viable career. It was during this period that she crossed paths with a Swiss mountain guide who introduced her to the idea that "some individuals actually get paid to study glaciers." This encounter prompted her to make a resolute decision: she was determined to devote her life to the study of glaciers.
About
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How It All Started
After spending a few years at an agricultural college, Heïdi decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in geography and urban planning at Université Lyon 3. Her three-year program included a semester abroad, which she chose to complete at the northernmost university in the world. For six months, Heïdi was a student at the university center in Svalbard, an experience that deepened her fascination with the Arctic environment.
Subsequently, she continued her studies at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. During this period, she participated in her first significant research expeditions, both in the Arctic and the Himalayas. Her path eventually led her back to Svalbard for her PhD research focused on the dynamics of surging glaciers.
Her PhD completed, Heidi joined the MIDAS project in Antarctica, before starting a new position as postgraduate researcher at the university of St Andrews in Scotland. The groundbreaking work conducted by Heïdi and her research teams gained prominent recognition, even making it to the cover of Science Magazine, and resulted in several prestigious publications. In parallel to her research, Heïdi was invited to host science documentaries for public french TV. The series “Extreme Earth” took her around the world to shed a light the men and women who have learned to live in lands where nature is hostile.
Next Step
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Today
Heïdi shares her time between science communications through international conferences and speaking engagements, films, books and science outreach, and expeditions on glaciers around the world.
Her outreach work and field expeditions were rewarded by a Shackleton Medal in 2022, and the “Prix du Rayonnement Français environnement" in 2023.
She recently released three books, all in french: “Découvre les glaciers avec Heidi Sevestre” Editions Plume de Carotte for kids, “Demain C’est Nous” Editions du Faubourg, “Sentinelle du Climat” Edition HarperCollins France.
Two series of documentaries she took part in will be released in the next few months: Arctic Ascent for National Geographic/Disney+, and Heidi’s Ice for TV5 Monde / LCP.