Mission
Through photography and science, we document glacial loss in the Himalayas and share research to advance understanding and inspire action.
What We Do
Scientific Research - Field expeditions and long-term observation to understand how and why Himalayan glaciers are changing.
Visual Documentation - Comparative photography of the same glaciers from the same vantage points over time, and the restoration of David's image archive as a lasting scientific record.
Education - Sharing our findings with the media, research partners, and the public, while honoring and learning from the local knowledge of mountain communities.
Supporting Informed Response - Providing clear, credible evidence that helps communities, researchers, and decision-makers respond to glacial change and water insecurity.
Looking Ahead
In the years ahead, GlacierWorks plans to expand into grant-making, supporting explorers, scientists, and visual storytellers working at the intersection of glacier science, water security, and public communication.
In memory of David Breashears
Our Team
Lisa Breashears
Executive Director
Lisa Breashears is the new Executive Director of GlacierWorks. Following the passing of the late David Breashears, Lisa has resurrected the organization and re-engaged partnerships with the scientific and climbing community. Her focus is on preserving the GlacierWorks archives, revitalizing the organization and continuing documentation of the melting glaciers of the Himalaya. A team expedition to Nepal planned in 2027 will be a first important step in the success of the newly formed GlacierWorks.
Lisa brings experience and knowledge in leading and owning a successful business for more than 30 years. Her ability to set vision, organize and drive action to accomplish goals will serve GlacierWorks. Raised in Colorado she has a passion and deep respect for mountains, nature and climate and is committed to demonstrating that in her leadership.
Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña
Lead Scientist
Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña is a glaciologist, mountaineer and science communicator whose work focuses on documenting and understanding change in the world’s frozen environments. She earned her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder, where her research examined glacier change and rapidly evolving glacial lakes in the Himalaya. Her fieldwork has since taken her across the Himalaya, Andes, Greenland, Svalbard, the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, and the Arctic Ocean to the Geographic North Pole. Ulyana’s current research combines field observations, remote sensing, repeat photography, and environmental sampling to investigate glacier change and the effects of pollutants such as black carbon and microplastics in snow and ice. She previously worked with GlacierWorks founder David Breashears, whose pioneering use of repeat photography to reveal Himalayan glacier change helped shape her own approach to connecting visual evidence with scientific measurement. As lead scientist for the renewed GlacierWorks initiative, Ulyana is helping extend that legacy by documenting glacier change through field science and repeat observations, and communicating those changes in ways that are accessible and meaningful to the public.
Ricardo Peña
Alpinist/Mountain Guide
Ricardo Peña is a Colorado-based mountaineer, expedition leader, musician, and photographer with decades of experience in mountain environments. He has led expeditions throughout the Andes, Rocky Mountains, Alaska Range, Himalaya, Alps, Caucasus, and Mexico, with experience ranging from climbing Colorado’s 100 highest peaks to Denali, Aconcagua, and Mount Everest. In 2005, Ricardo led a National Geographic expedition to retrace the escape route taken by survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash in Argentina, becoming the first to retrace their route.
He has returned to the region for 20 years, developing lasting relationships with all of the survivors, including Eduardo Strauch, whose coat and wallet he discovered high in a remote gully near the crash site. Over years of return expeditions, Ricardo has built an extensive photographic record of the surrounding Andean landscape, including repeat photographs of the nearby Lágrimas Glacier that reveal its retreat over time. He has also documented the disappearing glaciers of Mexico’s volcanoes and the few remaining glaciers in Colorado. His combination of mountaineering, photography, and decades of experience in high-altitude environments brings an important long-term perspective to GlacierWorks’ research documenting glacier change in the Himalaya.