writ ers ▁from ▁Alabama ▁Category : Mus icians ▁from ▁B irmingham , ▁Alabama ▁Category : 1 9 4 3 ▁birth s ▁Category : 2 0 0 2 ▁death s ▁Category : 2 0 th - century ▁American ▁sing ers ▁Category : Pe ople ▁from ▁Ens ley , ▁Alabama <0x0A> </s> ▁Kon rad ▁" K oni " ▁Ste ffen ▁( born ▁ 1 9 5 2 ) ▁is ▁a ▁gla ci ologist ▁and ▁the ▁former ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Cooper ative ▁Institute ▁for ▁Research ▁in ▁Environment al ▁Sciences ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado ▁B ould er , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁until ▁he ▁took ▁office ▁as ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Swiss ▁Federal ▁Institute ▁for ▁Forest , ▁Snow ▁and ▁Land s cape ▁Research ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁He ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁research ▁into ▁Ar ctic ▁sea ▁ice ▁and ▁the ▁gla ci ers ▁of ▁Green land , ▁and ▁how ▁they ▁are ▁affected ▁by ▁global ▁war ming . ▁He ▁has ▁often ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Green land ▁to ▁study ▁these ▁gla ci ers ▁first hand ; ▁for ▁example , ▁when ▁studying ▁Pet ermann ▁Gla cier ▁for ▁three ▁weeks ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Ste ffen ▁did ▁so ▁from ▁a ▁camp ▁set ▁up ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁feet ▁up ▁the ▁fl anks ▁of ▁the ▁gla cier ' s ▁ice ▁cap . ▁He ▁also ▁oper ates ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁weather ▁stations ▁on ▁the ▁Green land ▁ice ▁sheet , ▁the