Captain Alfred McLaren, a retired Navy submariner, has explored beneath the Arctic ice on numerous expeditions, the last as commander of his own sub. After retiring from the Navy in 1981, he earned a Ph.D. in polar studies and focused his research on the Arctic's role in climate change. Captain McLaren is President of the American Polar Society and Honorary Director and President Emeritus of the Explorers Club. In 2000, he received the Explorers Club's Lowell Thomas Award for Ocean Exploration.