Rob Nelson

Rob Nelson is a biologist and multiple Emmy award winning science communicator who currently acts as the director of the non-profit, Untamed Science. He is the lead creative director and producer for the video content developed through the US branch of the company. He also writes and coordinates much of the content for the website. Rob’s real passion lies in educating people about the natural world and helping people tell their own stories about it. These passions have led him to take Untamed Science into classrooms via Pearson Publishing (reaching nearly 6 million students a year), on Youtube via their science channel and via science filmmaking tutorials.

Education

Rob began his career as a marine scientist. He earned a bachelors degree in Marine Science from the University of Miami. He spent a year studying in Australia at James Cook University in 1999 where he met fellow producer and co-host Jonas Stenstrom. He later got a masters degree at the University of Hawaii where he studied the behavioral and population ecology of the Hawaiian Shrimp Goby and how they interact with predators like hammerhead sharks.

Rob’s time in Hawaii was spent doing research and making films of both his and his colleagues findings. Since he enjoyed science and filmmaking he decided to mold both passions together and got accepted to do a masters in Science Filmmaking at Montana State University’s Science and Natural History Filmmaking Program.

Rob on TV

Rob debuted his hosting career with the hit show on Animal Planet: Life After – Chernobyl. From there he hosted 2 seasons of Science Channel’s Secrets of the Underground and Discovery Channel’s Man-eating Python of Sulawesi. He was also an on-camera expert for What on Earth (5 seasons), Strange Evidence, the Nat Geo Wild show Worlds Weirdest, and National Geographic’s Animals Gone Wild. Rob has also co-hosted DNews with Julia Wilde.

As a director/host, Rob got his first Emmy for his work on Mysteries of the Driftless in 2014 and the sequel Decording the Driftless won another Emmy and won best picture at the Los Angeles Film festival in 2019.

Rob in Education

Besides being one of the faces for the 2008-2013 Untamed Science series in the Pearson Science textbooks, Rob has made a name for himself in the world of outdoor education. If you take a boating, hunting, archery, skydiving, ATV, snowmobile or paddle-sports course in the US, you’ll see Rob presenting the material via his work with Kalkomey and Skydive Chicago.

Rob is also the lead director for the StoneAgeMan and the Science Filmmaking tips and Tricks Youtube series. Here are a few snippets from that.

Rob and Science Communication

Rob is a huge advocate for increasing science education in the world. He gives talks about the importance of increasing the storytelling to the public by scientists. Here is a talk he gave at the UNC Climate Change Symposium.

Rob Nelson: Sports, and Sport Science

Early on Rob worked hard to combine extreme sports with science. This was primarily to reach the kids at the back of the class – the kids that aren’t already interested in science. He has skills in multiple sports that the team has used to tell the science stories including whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, SCUBA diving, hang gliding, skydiving, wake-boarding, cross-country skiing, slalom skiing, bare-footing, open ocean swimming, parkor, road cycling and mountain biking.

In 2015, Rob started a successful doc series on youtube highlighting sport science for athletes. It is now called Sportology. Unfotunately, a parkor accident made it so that Rob couldn’t run anymore. This need to understand the science made him seek out and try to find solutions for other athletes.

Rob and Haley Nelson – A filmmaking and science team

In 2010 Rob got married to Haley Chamberlain (now Haley Chamberlain Nelson). They work together, creating science and nature videos everywhere they go. The have a new book together call Mother Nature is Not Trying to Kill You.

Rob’s Philosophy

As a father, husband, filmmaker, biologist and educator, there are certain things that Rob has learned along the way. This video encapsulates much of that philosophy

Rob’s Early Awards via Untamed Science

Midwest Regional Emmy: Mysteries of the Driftless (2014)
Jackson Hole Media Festival: Winner Special Jury Award (2014)
IWFF : Winner of Best Internet Program (2011)
JHWFF Finalist : Best Short Short (2011)
JHWFF Panelist : Contemporary Funding and Distribution (2011)
Wildscreen Panelist: Breaking out of the Box (2006)
Smithsonian Internship grantee (2007)
JHWFF Finalist Ecogeeks Podcasts (2007)
JHWFF Panelist: Science for the Next Generation (2007)
JHWFF Panelist: Video in the Classroom (2007)
Honorable Mention: Blue Film Festival – Untamed Science (2009)

Later Awards

Awards:
§ Emmy Award – Best Documentary – Topical, Upper Midwest Emmy Awards – Minneapolis, MN
(October 2021)
§ Award of Prestige – Best Cinematography, Vegas Film Awards (monthly) – Las Vegas, NV (April 2020)
§ Audience Award, Vegas Film Awards (monthly) – Las Vegas, NV (April 2020)
§ Silver Remi Award, Documentary Feature, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival – Houston,
TX (April 2020)
§ Titletown Jury Award, Green Bay Film Festival – Green Bay, WI, (March 2020)
§ Audience Choice Award, Green Bay Film Festival – Green Bay, WI, (March 2020)
§ Best Documentary, Beloit International Film Festival – Beloit, WI (February 2020)
§ Best Documentary, Los Angeles Cinematography AWARDS – Los Angeles, CA (January 2020)
§ Humanitarian Award of Distinction, IndieFEST Film Awards – La Jolla, CA (January 2020)
§ Award of Excellence – Special Mention, Documentary Feature, IndieFEST Film Awards – La Jolla, CA
(November 2019)
§ Award of Excellence – Nature/Environment/Wildlife, IndieFEST Film Awards – La Jolla, CA (November
2019)
§ Best Documentary Feature, Iowa Independent Film Festival – Mason City, IA (September 2019)
§ Best Documentary Feature, FilmCon Awards (monthly) – Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
§ Best Cinematography, FilmCon Awards (monthly) – Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
§ Best Cinematography, New York Film Awards (monthly) – New York, NY (September 2019)
§ 60 Best Films, Los Angeles Film Awards – Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
§ Best Documentary, Gold Movie Awards (monthly) – London, England (August 2019)
§ Best Documentary Feature, Festigious International Film Festival (monthly) – Los Angeles, CA (August
2019)
§ Best Picture, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival – Hollywood, CA (August 2019)
§ Best Cinematography, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival – Hollywood, CA (August 2019)
§ Copper Quill Award – Best Documentary Feature, Red Cedar Film Festival – Menomonie, WI (July
2019)
§ Outstanding Excellence – Docs Without Borders Film Festival – Nassau, DE (March 2019)
Finalist:
§ Florence Film Awards – Florence, Italy (November 2019)
Semi-Finalist:
§ Vegas Film Awards (monthly) – Las Vegas, NV (April 2020)
§ New York Film Awards (monthly) – New York, NY (September 2019)
§ Los Angeles Film Awards – Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
§ Gold Movie Awards – London, England (August 2019)
§ Los Angeles Independent Film Festival – Hollywood, CA (August 2019)
§ jellyFEST Film Festival – American Film Institute, Los Angeles, CA (June 2019)
Official Selections:
§ Mesa International Film Festival – Mesa, AZ (December 2021)
§ Depth of Field International Film Festival – Lewes, DE (June 2020)
§ WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival – Houston, TX (April 2020)
§ Vegas Film Awards – Las Vegas, NV (April 2020)
§ Fargo Film Festival – Fargo, ND (March 2020)
§ Green Bay Film Festival – Green Bay, WI (March 2020)
§ Accolade Global Film Competition – La Jolla, CA (March 202)
§ Beloit International Film Festival – Beloit, WI (February 2020)

§ Florence Film Awards – Florence, Italy (November 2019)
§ Weyauwega International Film Festival – Weyauwega, WI (November 2019)
§ Conserve Sauk Film Festival – Baraboo, WI (November 2019)
§ Eau Claire World Film Festival – Eau Claire, WI (November 2019)
§ IndieFEST Film Awards – La Jolla, CA (November 2019)
§ Wildlife Conservation Film Festival – New York, NY (October 2019)
§ Iowa Independent Film Festival – Mason City, IA (September 2019)
§ FilmCon Awards (monthly) – Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
§ New York Film Awards (monthly) – New York, NY (September 2019)
§ Gold Movie Awards (monthly) – London, England (August 2019)
§ Los Angeles Independent Film Festival – Hollywood, CA (August 2019)
§ Festigious International Film Festival (monthly) – Los Angeles, CA (August 2019)
§ Red Cedar Film Festival – Menomonie, WI (July 2019)
§ #Adventure MN Film Fest – Minneapolis, MN (May 2019)
§ Julien Dubuque International Film Festival – Dubuque, IA (April 2019)
§ Cape May Film Festival – Cape May, NJ (April 2019)
§ Indie Film Wisconsin Film Festival – Watertown, WI (April 2019)
§ Oneota Film Festival – Decorah, IA (March 2019)
§ Frozen River Film Festival – Winona, MN (February 2019)
§ Driftless Film Festival – Mineral Point, WI (November 2018)
§ Flyway Film Festival – Pepin, WI (October 2018)