Dr. Roman Dial is a pioneering biologist, National Geographic Explorer, and wilderness storyteller whose life’s work has reshaped how we understand climate change, ecology, and human endurance in the planet’s most remote frontiers. For over 40 years, Roman has trekked, paddled, skied, and biked across Alaska and the Arctic, not as a conqueror, but as a witness, documenting the shifting ecosystems of a rapidly warming North.

His journey began in the early 1980s when he fused math, ecology, and adventure into a singular approach to field science. A professor of mathematics at Alaska Pacific University, Roman became known for his groundbreaking research on everything from glacier mice to migrating trees.

But Roman’s story is more than scientific discovery. After the tragic loss of his son Cody on an expedition in Costa Rica, Roman’s pursuit of knowledge deepened into something more personal: a quest to understand both the resilience of nature and the fragility of life. His memoir, The Adventurer’s Son, is a powerful account of love, loss, and the landscapes that shape us.

Today, Roman continues to teach, write, and advocate for the Arctic’s disappearing wilds. His current film project, Arctic Alchemy, captures the urgency of this work—tracing decades of climate data and personal reflection in a place where change is measured in both melting ice and memory.