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I'm a PhD-level Earth scientist, data analyst, and researcher with 15+ years of experience spanning glaciology, paleoclimate, environmental geochemistry, and remote field operations. Based in Chicago, I have published in Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Climate Dynamics, with NSF and NASA funding backing my work. I excel at structured analytical thinking, rigorous scientific writing, and translating cross-disciplinary findings for diverse audiences. I am actively expanding into AI/ML, with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, RLHF, and LLM output evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to high-impact remote expert roles on Mercor's platform serving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. My background blends advanced field science with data-driven analysis and communication, enabling me to evaluate and produce high-quality AI content, curate expert knowledge, and support research-to-application workflows in climate, geoscience, and environmental contexts.…I'm a PhD-level Earth scientist, data analyst, and researcher with 15+ years of experience spanning glaciology, paleoclimate, environmental geochemistry, and remote field operations. Based in Chicago, I have published in Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Climate Dynamics, with NSF and NASA funding backing my work. I excel at structured analytical thinking, rigorous scientific writing, and translating cross-disciplinary findings for diverse audiences. I am actively expanding into AI/ML, with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, RLHF, and LLM output evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to high-impact remote expert roles on Mercor's platform serving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. My background blends advanced field science with data-driven analysis and communication, enabling me to evaluate and produce high-quality AI content, curate expert knowledge, and support research-to-application workflows in climate, geoscience, and environmental contexts.

DANCAN KIRERA

Data Scientist, AI Engineer, Data Analyst, +1

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I'm a PhD-level Earth scientist, data analyst, and researcher with 15+ years of experience spanning glaciology, paleoclimate, environmental geochemistry, and remote field operations. Based in Chicago, I have published in Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Climate Dynamics, with NSF and NASA funding backing my work. I excel at structured analytical thinking, rigorous scientific writing, and translating cross-disciplinary findings for diverse audiences. I am actively expanding into AI/ML, with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, RLHF, and LLM output evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to high-impact remote expert roles on Mercor's platform serving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. My background blends advanced field science with data-driven analysis and communication, enabling me to evaluate and produce high-quality AI content, curate expert knowledge, and support research-to-application workflows in climate, geoscience, and environmental contexts.…I'm a PhD-level Earth scientist, data analyst, and researcher with 15+ years of experience spanning glaciology, paleoclimate, environmental geochemistry, and remote field operations. Based in Chicago, I have published in Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Climate Dynamics, with NSF and NASA funding backing my work. I excel at structured analytical thinking, rigorous scientific writing, and translating cross-disciplinary findings for diverse audiences. I am actively expanding into AI/ML, with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, RLHF, and LLM output evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to high-impact remote expert roles on Mercor's platform serving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. My background blends advanced field science with data-driven analysis and communication, enabling me to evaluate and produce high-quality AI content, curate expert knowledge, and support research-to-application workflows in climate, geoscience, and environmental contexts.

Available to hire

I’m a PhD-level Earth scientist, data analyst, and researcher with 15+ years of experience spanning glaciology, paleoclimate, environmental geochemistry, and remote field operations. Based in Chicago, I have published in Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Climate Dynamics, with NSF and NASA funding backing my work. I excel at structured analytical thinking, rigorous scientific writing, and translating cross-disciplinary findings for diverse audiences. I am actively expanding into AI/ML, with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, RLHF, and LLM output evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to high-impact remote expert roles on Mercor’s platform serving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.

My background blends advanced field science with data-driven analysis and communication, enabling me to evaluate and produce high-quality AI content, curate expert knowledge, and support research-to-application workflows in climate, geoscience, and environmental contexts.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Swahili

Fluent

Work Experience

Assistant Professor — Earth & Environmental Sciences at University of Minnesota

April 1, 2024 - Present

Lead a funded research group in glaciology and paleoclimate; design and execute complex multi-variable studies; supervise PhD and Masters students in research methods, data analysis (Python, R, MATLAB), and professional development; manage multi-year NSF- and NASA-funded budgets; oversee milestones, reporting, and compliance; co-author publications in high-profile journals and serve as a peer reviewer.

Co-Director, Knowledge Transfer at NSF COLDEX Center (National Science Foundation STC)

March 1, 2022 - Present

Co-lead knowledge dissemination strategy for a $25M+ NSF Science and Technology Center focused on discovering Earth's oldest ice core climate records; develop educational resources, media content, and outreach campaigns; coordinate distributed teams using async-first workflows; align knowledge transfer with program goals.

Assistant Research Professor at University of Minnesota

August 1, 2020 - April 30, 2024

Conducted independent NSF-funded research on West Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics and paleoclimate reconstruction; managed laboratory operations, cryogenic sample archives, and geochemical analysis workflows; trained junior staff and students; planned remote Antarctic field campaigns; published findings in leading journals.

Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Washington

January 1, 2018 - August 31, 2020

Developed Amundsen Sea coastal ice coring project; NASA Operation IceBridge radar analysis of snow accumulation; integrated remote sensing and in-situ geophysical data; published findings and presented at AGU, EGU, and SCAR conferences.

Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Rochester

August 1, 2015 - January 31, 2018

Led US/Australian collaboration using Carbon-14 of CO in Antarctic firn and ice to constrain past atmospheric oxidative capacity; operated SF-ICP-MS instruments for ultra-trace element analysis across 35+ elements.

PhD Candidate — Glaciology & Geochemistry at Victoria University of Wellington

March 1, 2012 - June 30, 2015

Doctoral research on rare earth element geochemistry of the Roosevelt Island ice core; applied atmospheric modelling to trace dust transport to Antarctica; assistant driller on deep ice core drilling; remote fieldwork in Antarctica.

Research Assistant / Graduate Student at University of Washington, IsoLab

September 1, 2006 - March 1, 2012

Operated and maintained high-precision mass spectrometers for water stable isotope analysis; planned and executed a 40+ day field campaign; WAIS Divide core handling and National Ice Core Laboratory processing; contributions acknowledged in Science and JGR.