Gripped Magazine
Alison Criscitiello Receives Banff Summit of Excellence 2025
The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, marking its 50th anniversary, has named Dr. Alison Criscitiello as the recipient of the 2025 Summit of Excellence Award. Sponsored by Norseman Outdoor Specialist and the Town of Cochrane, the award recognizes individuals or groups for their contributions to Canada’s mountain culture community. The presentation will take place on Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Dr. Criscitiello, an Assistant Professor and Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at the University of Alberta, co-founded Girls* on Ice Canada and holds the distinction of earning the first PhD in glaciology from MIT. Her research involves ice core chemistry to study climate and glacier history in regions like Antarctica, Greenland, and the Canadian High Arctic, including an expedition to collect ice core samples near the summit of Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. “The glaciers I study are disappearing rapidly,” Criscitiello said. “Capturing their data is critical for understanding climate change.”
Her work extends beyond science. Criscitiello’s storytelling has been featured in film, print, and television, with her article Contraindications winning a 2018 Banff Mountain Book Competition award. Through Girls* on Ice Canada, she fosters leadership and curiosity in young women by combining science, art, and adventure. “I want to inspire the next generation to engage with science and the outdoors,” she said.
Criscitiello’s accolades include election to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society’s College of Fellows in 2021, a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, and multiple climbing awards from the American Alpine Club, as well as the John Lauchlan and Mugs Stump awards. She will speak at the Fire and Ice Symposium’s Ice session on November 4 at 9 a.m., joined by Jocelyn Hirose and Corinne Schuster-Wallace. The panel will discuss women in glaciology, storytelling, and programs supporting girls in climate research. For more information on the festival visit here.
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