He’s currently stationed there for the austral summer season, which runs from August to March, making this a timely moment to spotlight his work and connection to home.

Keller’s role supports scientific research by maintaining infrastructure, clearing snow, transporting materials and operating specialized machinery in extreme conditions. While he’s not a scientist himself, his work is essential to the success of research projects focused on climate change, marine biology, glaciology and astronomy. Without skilled tradespeople like Keller, the station couldn’t function — and the science couldn’t happen.

But his journey from the Minnesota River Valley to the southernmost continent began with a simple internet search and a willingness to chase his dreams.

“For several years I did seasonal construction and winter snow removal,” Keller said. “After a while I decided that if I wanted to chase my dreams, I would need to start working full-time during the winter too. I just happened to come across a video about heavy equipment operators in Antarctica when I was searching for traveling construction jobs. I thought, why not give that a try?”

David Keller stands by the tractor that he drove to the South Pole Station

That decision led to a career few New Ulm residents could imagine — overseeing infrastructure projects in one of the most extreme environments on Earth, managing operations at a compacted snow runway that serves seven nations’ Antarctic programs and completing a 1,000-mile traverse from McMurdo to the South Pole using heavily modified agricultural tractors.

When the city of New Ulm replaced the purple Herman the German banners that once hung from downtown street poles, they ended up in an antique shop. Sue Keller, David’s mother, bought one for her son. When David traveled to the South Pole, he mounted it on his tractor for shade and later photographed himself holding it beside the ceremonial South Pole marker — a piece of New Ulm at the bottom of the world.

“I’m very proud of David,” Sue Keller said. “I believe he likes working in a place where he’s helping scientists. I know it’s far away, but he’s strong and capable, and this is something he really wants to do.”

Keller’s path to Antarctica started at technical school in Staples, where he earned a certificate in heavy equipment operation, followed by a two-year diesel technology degree in Watertown, South Dakota.

“He’s a hands-on guy, not really a book guy — which is funny, because I’m a book person,” Sue Keller said. “But he would sit and read equipment manuals cover to cover.”

David Keller is dressed for working in the Antarctica elements

That dedication to his craft, combined with the work ethic forged during Minnesota winters, prepared Keller for success in Antarctica.

“The experience and knowledge I gained from past jobs and technical training helped build a solid foundation to be successful down here,” he said. “It most likely helped me advance to higher positions swiftly. Of course, growing up with Minnesota’s winters helped out a lot too!”

McMurdo Station sits on the southern tip of Ross Island, roughly 2,415 miles south of New Zealand. During the austral summer — October through February — it houses approximately 1,000 scientists, skilled trades workers and support staff. The station operates like a small town, with dormitories, laboratories, a firehouse, a harbor, a heliport, a greenhouse and a power plant.

Keller’s typical day starts at 6:45 a.m.

“Get geared up for the day, stop by the Galley to get a small breakfast to go, morning meeting at Fleet Ops’ building at 7:30 a.m., work till lunch, back to work, complete daily report and emails, dinner, relax and repeat,” he said. “That’s six days a week at nine hours a day, or seven days a week at 12 hours a day — though 7-12s are not very common.”

David Keller on a snowmobile next to the wreckage of the Lockheed C-121J Super Constellation that crashed near McMurdo Station. Photo by Nick Chisari.

His responsibilities include planning and overseeing movements of materials for construction projects, estimating future project needs including procurements and schedules, ensuring safe and efficient use of all AIMS assets at McMurdo and surrounding areas and participating in project meetings both on-site and remotely.

In a previous season, Keller served as Phoenix Airfield Foreman, overseeing maintenance of the compacted snow runway that supported not just the U.S. Antarctic Program, but also the New Zealand, Australian, British, Italian, French and Korean Antarctic programs.

Perhaps his most memorable assignment was as part of a 12-person traverse team that hauled fuel and cargo over 1,000 miles of snow and ice from McMurdo to the South Pole and back.

“We used heavily modified agricultural tractors,” he said. When working at the South Pole, temperatures neared minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

What surprises Keller most about Antarctica?

An emperor penguin just outside the clearance zone of Phoenix runway. Photo taken by David Keller.

“How nice the weather is during the summer. It can get up to 40°F with blue skies and weeks of sunshine. And after getting used to -40°F ambient temperature, anything above 20°F feels like a heatwave.”

Antarctica is actually a desert — the driest continent on Earth, receiving the equivalent of only two to six inches of water per year.

“The snow there is very dry — more like small ice pellets,” Keller said. “When the Antarctic winds pick up, it feels like I’m being sandblasted.”

During summer, the sun never sets, circling the sky 24 hours a day. Workers rely on blackout shades in dorm rooms to maintain normal sleep routines, and most take vitamin D supplements despite the constant daylight.

Wildlife adds unexpected moments to daily life.

“That’s one of the great things about summers in McMurdo — you commonly get to see Emperor penguins, Adélie penguins and Weddell seals,” Keller said. “They will even venture into the station and near the airfields, which can cause problems from time to time. There are federal laws that strictly control how we interact with wildlife to prevent harm to the animals and the ecosystem. So it’s always a good idea to bring a camera with plenty of zoom when you’re out and about in Antarctica.”

Keller isn’t alone in bringing Minnesota sensibility to the ice.

“All the time!” he said when asked if he runs into other Minnesotans. “Even in the Fleet Ops department there are usually two to three Minnesotans. Minnesota happens to be one of many northern states that supplies a decent amount of people for the United States Antarctic Program. But if you spend enough time down here, you will eventually meet someone from every state, including Hawaii.”

When asked how his Antarctic experience has changed him, Keller quoted explorer Richard E. Byrd from the book Alone:

“Part of me remained forever at Latitude 80 degrees 08 minutes South: what survived of my youth, my vanity, perhaps, and certainly my skepticism. On the other hand, I did take away something that I had not fully possessed before: appreciation of the sheer beauty and miracle of being alive, and a humble set of values. All this happened four years ago. Civilization has not altered my ideas. I live more simply now, and with more peace.”

“I find myself living more simply now, and with more peace,” Keller said.

For a young man from New Ulm, the journey now stretches from the Minnesota River Valley to the southernmost point on the planet — where he helps maintain the infrastructure that allows scientists to push the boundaries of human knowledge in climate science, marine biology, glaciology and astronomy.

And when he works at the South Pole, a purple Herman the German banner waves in the Antarctic wind — a small piece of home in the most remote workplace on Earth.