Andrea Fischer is deputy director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Her work focuses on Alpine glaciers, where Austria's uniquely long and consistent data records make it a global leader. The accessibility of these glaciers, just an hour from her office, allows for intensive, hands-on research rarely possible elsewhere. Fischer believes glacier scientists are “first and foremost adventurers,” drawn to rapid, dramatic change. Communicating these shifts clearly is essential, she says.