If you have had a look at my Education and Experience page, then you may be wondering how a cello performance major comes to be a scientist.
It’s an excellent question. Upon completing my music degree in 2012, I knew that the life of a musician was not for me. It seemed harsh that one could spend years practicing a piece of music and in an instant a performance could go wrong. And I wanted something more tangible. At the time I was spending around 70 days per year backpacking around the beautiful mountains of New Zealand. I was fascinated by the landscape- the steepness of the mountains, the timelessness and serenity of the glaciers, the rapid transition from coastal rainforest to frigid alpine to sheep pasture. I wanted to understand what makes mountain environments the special places that they are. I decided to pursue graduate studies in climate and cryospheric sciences. It is said that the more you understand something, the more you are able to appreciate it. For me and mountains this is certainly true.
I like to spend my free time outside, particularly trail running with my dogs, cycle touring, backpacking, skiing, and gardening.
Contact Me
Feel free to contact me at al7723@princeton.edu.
abby lute 