Geoff York

Geoff York is vice president of science and policy at Polar Bears International. He has more than 33 years of Arctic field experience, including 14 consecutive years researching polar bears in Alaska’s Chukchi and Southern Beaufort seas. In addition, he’s conducted polar bear research projects in Canada, Russia, and Norway (Svalbard), from population surveys to den research and has co-authored 34 scientific publications to date. Geoff’s career with polar bears began as a biologist and program manager for the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Science Center, which conducts long-term studies on polar bears to inform local, national, and international policy. Later, he served as the Arctic Species and Polar Bear Lead for WWF’s Global Arctic Program, where he immersed himself in international policy issues while staying engaged on science.

Geoff joined PBI’s team in 2014, where he has continued his interest in policy and in field-based work across the Arctic, including a focus on reducing conflict between polar bears and people, a growing problem in a changing Arctic. He is a member of the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the U.S. Polar Bear Recovery Team, and a past chair and active member of the Polar Bear Range States Conflict Working Group. He also sits on the advisory board for the International Polar Bear Conservation Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He earned a M.S. in biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame — the perfect combination for communicating science. Geoff has dedicated his career to the conservation of polar bears and their Arctic home and has spent most of his adult life living in and working in the north.