Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña's work at the intersection of science, exploration, climate change, and public engagement has been featured in television, documentary film, print, podcasts, and digital media.
PBS | 2026
Ulyana appears in the PBS documentary series Ages of Ice, filmed on location in New Zealand, in Episode 1: The Frozen Heart. The series explores Earth's frozen environments and the profound role ice has played in shaping our planet, its climate, and human history.
Learn more2023
Ulyana appears alongside her husband, mountain guide Ricardo Peña, and Flight 571 survivor Eduardo Strauch in this documentary revisiting the 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 and its extraordinary story of survival. The documentary follows a return expedition to the remote crash site and explores Ricardo's longstanding connection to the survivors and the discoveries he has made there.
View on IMDbUlyana speaks with young students at the Dale Oen Experience in Bergen, Norway, sharing stories from her scientific research and expeditions and encouraging the next generation to explore and engage with the world around them.
2026
A feature on Ulyana's polar research, science communication, and work aboard PONANT's expedition vessels, where she has served as an onboard scientist and guest speaker while conducting research in some of the world's most remote polar environments.
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2025
A feature on Ulyana's WINGS Flag #25 expedition aboard Le Commandant Charcot, documenting her research on the distribution and impacts of black carbon and other light-absorbing particles along the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in January 2024.
Read the featureNamed among 45 women recognized for pushing the boundaries of exploration and adventure.
Read the featureFeatured for her work teaching climate science and preparing students to understand and respond to a changing climate.
Read the feature2026
Ulyana joins geographer and explorer Dr. Karen Barton for a conversation about glaciers, exploration, climate change, and finding hope amid the profound environmental changes taking place across Earth's frozen landscapes. Drawing on her experiences as both a scientist and explorer, Ulyana reflects on what the ice can teach us and how firsthand encounters with a changing planet can inspire curiosity, connection, and action.
Listen on Spotify2025
Ulyana joins evolutionary biologist and science communicator Dr. Scott Solomon for a wide-ranging conversation about shrinking glaciers, climate change, and her experiences studying ice in mountain environments around the world. The episode explores her path into glaciology, creative approaches to conducting field research, and why the loss of Earth's glaciers matters far beyond the mountains.
Listen on Spotify2023
Actress and podcast host Candice King (The Vampire Diaries) talks with Ulyana about her journey as a geologist and glaciologist, the rapidly changing cryosphere, adventure tourism, climate action, and the unexpected story of meeting her husband, Ricardo Peña.
Watch on YouTube2020
In this Space Foundation interview, Ulyana discusses her Himalayan glacier research, citizen science and high-altitude fieldwork, as well as her experience commanding NASA's HERA XII simulated deep-space mission.
Watch on YouTubeUlyana at the Arctic Pole of Inaccessibility, the furthest point from land in the Arctic Ocean. She presented and ran workshops on science for passengers aboard PONANT's icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot.
Profile of Ulyana's journey from mountaineering and Earth science to serving as mission commander of NASA's HERA XII simulated deep-space mission.
Read the featureCoverage of Ulyana and colleagues conducting field research on the Penny Ice Cap in Canada's Baffin Island.
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