CHRIS PALMER
[email protected]
www.ChrisPalmerOnline.com
(202) 716-6160

Chris Palmer is an author, speaker, wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, professor, and grandfather. He
dedicated his professional career to conservation but now devotes his life to death and dying issues. His
10th book, Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, will be published by Rowman
& Littlefield in 2024. He is a trained hospice volunteer and founded and runs an aging, death, and dying
group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village.
Education:
B.S. with First Class Honors in Mechanical Engineering,
M.S. in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture from University College London
M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Employment prior to being a Film maker
Officer in the Royal Navy, engineer, business consultant, energy analyst,
Chief energy advisor to a senior U.S. senator,
Political appointee in the EPA under President Jimmy Carter.
Film maker (over 35 years)
Over 300 hours of original programming for prime-time television and the IMAX film industry
Many awards, including two Emmys and an Oscar nomination
His IMAX films include Whales, Wolves, Dolphins, Bears, Coral Reef Adventure, and Grand
Canyon Adventure
Books:
He has written nine books, the latest of which is Finding Meaning and Success: Living a Fulfilled
and Productive Life, published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2021. All proceeds from Chris’s
books go to fund scholarships for students at American University.
Teaching:
2004-2018 , Chris served on American University’s full-time faculty as Distinguished Film
Producer in Residence. While at AU, he founded and directed the Center for Environmental
Filmmaking at the School of Communication. He also created and taught a popular class called
Design Your Life for Success.
Awards
2009 Frank G. Wells Award from the Environmental Media Association and Lifetime
Achievement Award for Media International Wildlife Film Festival.
2010, Green Globe Awards - Environmental Film Educator of the Decade award.
2011, IWFF Wildlife Hero of the Year
2012, Ronald B. Tobias Award for Achievement in Science and Natural History Filmmaking
Education.
2014 University Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching at AU,
2015 University Film and Video Association Teaching Award
2015 Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Wildlife Film Festival.
Chris and his wife, Gail Shearer, have created and funded the “Finishing Strong Award” with the

Washington Area Village Exchange (WAVE) to encourage villages to hold more discussions about end-
of-life issues. WAVE is the largest regional village organization in the nation.

He frequently gives presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues.
Chris and his wife Gail have lived in Bethesda, Maryland, for nearly 50 years and raised three daughters.
They now have nine grandchildren. Chris was a stand-up comic for five years. He has jumped out of
helicopters, worked on an Israeli kibbutz, and was a high school boxing champion. Chris is currently
learning to juggle, draw, dance, play tennis, and play the piano. He loves standing on his hands for
exercise and keeps a daily gratitude journal.