Assistant Professor
About
Role:
FacultyPosition:
- Assistant Professor
- Director, Center for Science Communication
Concentration:
- Documentary Filmmaking
- Science Communication
- Participatory and Community-Based Media Production
- Migration and Refugee Studies
Department:
- Journalism & Media Communication
Education:
- M.F.A.
Biography
Jaime Jacobsen is an award-winning filmmaker who is passionate about using film to engage audiences in the pressing issues of our times. She has spent over a decade collaborating with diverse communities across the globe to craft and share compelling social justice and scientific stories. Most recently, Jaime was awarded a $500,000 grant to co-produce and direct The Last Artifact (2020), a feature-length documentary about the global race to redefine the kilogram and our international measurement system. To date, the film has won six Emmys, five international film festival awards, aired on BBC Two and the World Channel, and has been adapted for use by educators across the world. Her previous film, Finding Traction (2015), about renowned ultrarunner Nikki Kimball’s quest to become the fastest person in history to run America’s oldest hiking trail, was featured on Netflix and is currently on Amazon Prime. Jaime also worked as a Field Producer on Indian Relay (2013), which aired on PBS’ documentary series, Independent Lens and screened at the Smithsonian.
Jaime's new short film, Beyond the Soil (2023) explores the emotional impact of climate change on farmers and ranchers and their innovation and resilience in the face of ecological crisis. She is also spearheading a 3-part film series, Hold Our Ground, which will highlight the innovative work of farmers and ranchers across the State of Colorado to promote soil health and provide solutions to climate change. Lastly, Jaime is co-creating an interactive, online documentary, La Venezuela de mi corazón, with several Venezuelan families that have migrated to, or sought political asylum in Montana, to share their experiences with migration and displacement and their evolving notions of home.
Jaime's film work has taken her to every continent except Antarctica. She has led documentary expeditions for National Geographic Student Expeditions in Australia and Tanzania, produced films for Engineers Without Borders in Kenya, completed a fellowship with Rotary International in Brazil, and taught documentary filmmaking at Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Science and Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University, where she is also pursuing a doctorate in American Studies. Jaime lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband and two young children. She currently directs the Center for Science Communication and is an Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University.