The Archives at The Ohio State University has announced the 2025-2026 recipient of the $6,000 Archives Research Award. Pier Paolo Alfei, Italian polar historian, is the winner of the award. Dr. Alfei was selected from a pool of competitive applicants.
Dr. Alfei will visit the Archives to conduct his research during the academic year 2025-2026. As he stated in his application, Dr. Alfei will use the Admiral Richard E. Byrd collection to write a “transnational political-military history of Operation Highjump with a focus on the US strategic interests in Antarctica and the contribution of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd.” Dr. Alfei noted in his application that by visiting the Archives he will have access to the extensive correspondence, policy documents, articles, and speeches related to Operation Highjump.
"One of the reasons we chose Dr. Alfei is because his research will build off previous work while providing an updated history to a significant time in polar exploration,” said University Archivist Tamar Chute. “We are excited to have him use the Byrd collection to further his research goals."
The Archives Research Award was established in 2022 and is given annually. It is available to graduate students, faculty and independent scholars who demonstrate a need to utilize the collections onsite. Visit the award page to learn more about the award and how to apply.