Ryan Vachon
Ryan Vachon is a Research Associate with the CIRES Education and Outreach. Ryan's expertise lies in film production and storytelling. He earned his BS in Geological Sciences from Tufts University and his PhD in Geological Sciences (with an emphasis on climate dynamics and stable isotope geochemistry) from University of Colorado Boulder. His time researching ancient climates awakened him to the need for effective communication of the science and, more importantly, the people affecting and affected differently by its patterns and progression. 10 years ago, Ryan stepped away from quantitative science to pursue filmmaking. His work has spanned examination of the deep past through ice cores in the Andes to citizens living on the frontlines of threatening weather hazards in Puerto Rico. His work has earned television's coveted Emmy Award nominations and awards at international film festivals. He has authored two books (through Springer Publishing and iBooks) on how to make science films. Ryan's professional goals include inspiring people to engage informed decision making, particularly around how each of us relate to natural systems, and we can mature broader conversations of sustainability and justice across diverse global communities.
- 2006 Ph.D. University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO (Geological Sciences).
- 1995 B.S. Tufts University, Medford, BS (Geological Sciences).
ADVANCEing FieldSafety Coursera Massive On-Line Class:
- Produced 28 films for Coursera MOOC with Center , educational program aimed at empowering field-based researchers with the agency to create and engender safety.
- University of Colorado Boulder’s CIRES Center for Education, Engagement and Evaluation.
- Funded by NSF.
- (2024).
Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic.
- Post-produced 40 films for Coursera MOOC, MOSAiC.
- University of Colorado Boulder’s CIRES Center for Education, Engagement and Evaluation. - Funded by NSF and University of Colorado, Boulder.
- (2020).
Vachon, R.W., D.W. Zietlow, A. Gold, and E. Leckey: Sharing Science with Film: A Guide to Student Productions: E-book co-authorship (2019).
Vachon R.W.: Science Videos: Springer Publications, 295 pp.: Invited book authorship of a user’s manual for scientific communication with film (2018).
Motivational Speaker: 49 talks in 2019, visiting schools to large businesses discussing how climate is affecting locations world-wide today, and how we can learn lessons to optimize personal performance (2017-2019).
Protect Our Winters and American Alpine Club, Climate Science Specialist: Speaking at public engagements about earth system dynamics affected by changing climate (2019).
Briones, F., et. al., Local responses to disasters: Recent lessons from Zero-Order Responders. Disaster Prevention and Management, DOI.org/10.1108/DPM-050208-0151 (2018).
The Nerd Heard: Hosted and produced the science-centric podcast found both on Stitcher and iTunes (2016-17).
Filmmaking Workshops. (2012-present). Co-leading 4-hour, 1-day and 4-day instructional courses on film pre-production, production and post-production.
Motivational Speaker, Lens on Climate: 130 presentations in Colorado middle and high schools (2013-16).
From the Frozen (in process)
- (Director and producer)
- A feature length documentary about ice climber’s perspectives on changing climate.
- Funded by Rab Equipment.
- (Picture lock: July, 2025)
Flow (in process)
- (Producer, director and editor)
- Production is finished on feature documentary observing Peruvian citizens' sense of empowerment to cope with the rapidly thawing glaciers downstream of the Peruvian Andes.
- Funded by National Science Foundation and in partnership with Columbia University, University of Utah and Utah State University.
- (Picture lock: June, 2026)
Fracture
- (Director, producer and editor)
- A feature length, made for PBS, documentary telling the harrowing tale of scientists seeking samples of bedrock from under the Greenland Icesheet. Funded by the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs and in partnership with Columbia University, University of Buffalo, Penn State University and University of Massachusetts.
- (Premier: April, 2025)
Icy River
- (Director, producer and editor)
- A half hour film made-for-PBS documentary, following a woman team of scientists to the northern slope of Alaska to monitor thawing permarfrost’s effects on polar rivers.
- Selections for Raw Science and Inheritance Film Festivals.
- Funded by NSF’s Office of Polar Programs.
- (Premiere: January, 2024)
Cloven-Path of the Caribou
- (Director, producer and editor)
- Award winning documentary examining Alaskan caribou migration including.
- Honorable mention at Best Shorts Competition and Selection at Rome Independent Prisma. Funded by National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs in partnership with University of Alaska Anchorage.
- (2021)
How to Grow an Island
- (Director, producer and editor)An inspirational story shadowing a team of scientists as they learn how a Caribbean Island grows, outpacing climate change-caused sea-level rise.
- Award winning film at Key Biscayne, Best in Shorts, Big Blue Film Festivals.
- Funded by the National Science Foundation’s GEO program.
- (2023)
One Community at a Time
- (Director and producer)
- Filmed, directed and edited a mini-documentary on Puerto Rico’s recovery from natural disasters.
- Funded by the American Geophysical Union.
- (2019)
Tomorrow-A Pandemic Story
- (Director and producer)
- Award winning feature length documentary about surviving the first 6 months of the COVID pandemic.
- Was winner of best documentary at Northwestern Canada Film Festival, official selection at the Markham (Canada) International Film Festival, and a semi-finalist for the New York City Film & Television Festival.
- (2021)
Adventures in Science – How Caribou Survive Alaskan Winters
- (Director and producer)
- 2018 Emmy Award nominated PBS television broadcast.
- Funded by the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs.
- (2018)
