welcome to connecting with, a series highlighting the incredible faculty and staff that make planet forward tick. learn about the unique culture at planet forward, the expertise of our staff, and what makes our community #planetfwd proud. 

this week, we’re connecting with aaron dye, multimedia producer and editor at planet forward. 

aaron dye is the multimedia producer and editor on the planet forward team. he earned his b.a. in visual media arts at emerson college in boston. aaron’s lifelong passion for filmmaking inspired him to fully focus on documentary filmmaking, digital media, and teaching, earning a master’s of fine arts in documentary production and studies from the university of north texas. he’s focused on experimental and environmental documentaries, is passionate about using film to raise awareness of land use and management issues, and explores communities’ relationships with nature.

a former educator in philadelphia, indonesia, and a lecturer of film production at the university of north texas, aaron’s love of nature was shaped by childhood trips to the pine barrens in southern new jersey.

for the past two years as a staff member at planet forward, aaron has led the planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 ’s program, and led experiential learning trips to an electric vehicle manufacturing center in michigan and an agricultural research station in arizona. he’s also accompanied winners of the planet forward storyfest contest on lindblad expeditions to iceland and to the galápagos.

q: how would you describe your role at planet forward to someone who doesn’t know anything about working at the nexus of education, media, and the environment?

aaron: i do a lot of different things here! mainly, my job is to help students through the process of constructing and refining stories on the environment for publication on the planet forward site. beyond developing compelling stories that accurately inform readers of environmental issues and innovations, i also focus on helping students make their stories more visually engaging through the use of multimedia tools. 

we know that attention spans on the internet are fleeting, and so if we want to create consensus and impact in the realm of environmental protections, the communications around that topic need to be relatable, understandable, and striking to the average reader. 

creating stories that capture that balance can be a learning curve for new writers, podcasters, and filmmakers, so teaching that process is something i absolutely love doing.

q: what’s your favorite project you’ve worked on at planet forward? or, your proudest career development here?

a: i was hired at a very interesting time for planet forward; when we were revamping and debuting our new website. the new design for the website was built with multimedia storytelling in mind (and is also just a much cooler viewing experience in general!)

so the proudest aspect of my work here has been to push students to really take advantage of the site’s new capabilities, and to push themselves to make more creative, ambitious, and visually engaging work. 

i love scrolling through the site and seeing it filled with a motley of videos, art, photo essays, and podcasts. it speaks to the diversity of the student community we work with, and to the various ways that young people can communicate with each other about this topic that so fundamentally affects our future on this planet.

q: what advice can you give to students, faculty, and staff from across the country (or world!) looking to get involved with planet forward?

a: my advice is to send us an email! we offer direct submissions of story drafts through the planet forward website, but i guarantee that you will have the best experience learning and publishing with us if you reach out directly. explain a bit about yourself; what your passions are, where you’re going to school, and what kinds of stories get you excited to take action. 

our team of editors can then help you pitch, craft, or refine your story, no matter where you are already in the process. publishing is an amazing way to beef up your resumé, demonstrate communication skills, and spread awareness of an issue you care about. 

you can reach us at editor@planetforward.org

q: what is the one thing people don’t know about you? 

a: i own a 4-year-old australian cattle dog named marcy. she loves going on hikes in washington, d.c.’s rock creek park almost every weekend and her favorite game is fetch.