Chris has spent many years working with the National Academies as a member of the Presidents’ Circle, on the division committee of the Division on Earth and Life Studies (DELS), and as an advisor to the Climate Communications Initiative. As the artist-in-residence, his work will focus on leveraging visual storytelling to celebrate the work of scientists, engineers, and medical professionals in the field and in the society they serve.

As a photographer, Chris has documented humans working in extreme locations including the North and South Poles, and the edge of space (aboard a U-2 Spy Plane). Chris’s images have appeared broadly in print and everything from Google screensavers to album covers. He has published a number of fine art books and is currently working on a book with travel writer, Pico Iyer. He also had the opportunity to photograph many global leaders, including as the photographer for the 14th Dalai Lama.

Previously, Chris founded and sold two technology companies and the seed venture fund Nautilus Ventures. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Chris flew for the Navy as a Navigator and Mission Commander aboard P-3C patrol aircraft.

Chris graduated from the University of Illinois and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and an honorary Doctorate from Tiffin University. He serves on the boards of Dale Carnegie and Catchlight, a nonprofit focused on supporting leaders in the field of visual storytelling. He is an advisor to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Crown Fellow at The Aspen Institute, a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a member of The Explorers Club.