BOZEMAN, MT, December 03, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Olivia Andrus-Drennan has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Hailing from a career defined by her commitment to scientific communication and environmental storytelling, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan has established herself as an expert in documentary filmmaking. Since 2019, she has served as the owner of Big Sky Genesis Productions LLC, where she is responsible for seeking new stories, studying the latest research in environmental fields and supporting clients — particularly Montana Voices and Montana State University — through editing, filming and project management. Inspired by renowned biologists and conservationists such as Sir David Attenborough, Steve Irwin and Bill Nye, she is deeply devoted to producing impactful science-based documentaries and assisting others in bringing their projects to fruition.

In 2022, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan began her tenure as a cinematographer and video producer aboard the Okeanos Explorer with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration. Over approximately three years, she traveled extensively on the vessel, capturing scientific discoveries from the ocean's depths and producing content that has brought marine research to public audiences. Her research has resulted in important discoveries about the deep sea, the species that live within it and methods for securing the long-term protection of these crucial environments.

During this period, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan also produced "Game-Changer," a film about the USS Yorktown shipwreck located 6,000 meters deep after being sunk in the Battle of Midway. The project was marked by significant challenges due to adverse weather conditions and limited access — her team was only the third group in nearly 30 years to visit the site, managing to film there twice. This endeavor involved collaboration with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, NOAA's Ocean Exploration and Research team, and marine archaeologists worldwide, utilizing remotely operated vehicles to explore the wreck and uncover artifacts, including a notable car.

Mrs. Andrus-Drennan's earlier achievements include producing "The Dolphin Dilemma," a film that premiered at the Cannes Film Market and significantly elevated her profile in the industry. The documentary was featured at nearly 100 film festivals and garnered a remarkable 64 awards, including Best Documentary at the Athens Marathon International Film Festival, the Go Pro Prize at the Blue Water Film Festival and Best Documentary Short Spring 2024 at the Cinema Carnival in Pisa, Italy. Reflecting on the film's storied success, she acknowledges the collaborative efforts of The Marine Mammal Center and the Marine Mammal Foundation, both nonprofit organizations whose support was invaluable to the project's completion.

Before pivoting to focus entirely on her filmmaking endeavors, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan held the position of floor manager for TEDxBozeman, overseeing event logistics and supporting live PowerPoint presentations. From 2018 to 2019, she served as a shift supervisor and coffee master at Starbucks, where she demonstrated leadership and expanded her knowledge of customer service and team management.

Mrs. Andrus-Drennan's background in environmental education is reflected in her roles as a watershed watchers associate at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge from 2016 to 2018 and as an operations coordinator there from 2017 to 2018. Through each of these roles, she gained invaluable hands-on experience in environmental conservation efforts, project management and volunteer support for clean-up efforts throughout California. She also served as a homeschool lead instructor at Guadalupe River Park Conservancy in San Jose during this period.

Mrs. Andrus-Drennan's early career included positions such as public relations chair for Purdue Musical Organizations from 2014 to 2015, during which she enhanced the brand's social media presence and engaged in concert filming and editing. As a communications intern with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 2013, she deepened her filmmaking and production experience by working on projects about animal species, property highlight reels and cooking shows.

Much of Mrs. Andrus-Drennan's success stems from her equally impactful educational background. She earned a master's degree in science and natural history filmmaking from Montana State University-Bozeman in 2022, equipping her with many of the advanced skills necessary for producing high-quality science documentaries. She also obtained a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology, film and video studies from Purdue University in 2015, which provided her with a strong foundation in scientific inquiry and visual storytelling.

Determined to make an impact outside the classroom as well, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan served as a student assistant coordinator at Montana State University-Bozeman for three years, during which she supported academic programming for graduate students in filmmaking. She also worked at the school as a chemistry teaching assistant from 2019 to 2020, while in the middle of completing her own graduate degree. Her outstanding contributions saw her recognized with the Scholarship Excellence Award, the Dean's Excellence Award, and School of Film and Photography's Director's Award from Montana State in 2022 as well as dean's list and semester honors from Purdue in 2010.

Inspired by her mother's career as an organic chemist, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan developed an early appreciation for scientific communication. Having been surrounded by scientists throughout her upbringing, she became passionate about finding techniques to make complex scientific concepts more accessible to broader audiences. As such, during her time with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration she created a workshop with National Geographic Explorer Caitlin Bailey, training scientists how to communicate their subjects on camera.

Also known for her contributions as a civic-minded citizen, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan served as activities officer with Purdue Silver Wings during her time at Purdue, through which she helped support the local community in tandem with Purdue's air force cadets through trash clean-ups, winterization and fundraising events in the community earning her the Member of the Year award in 2015. Equally passionate about animal welfare, she has served as a cat caretaker with Valley Humane Society before going off to Purdue and today supports the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter. She has also contributed her expertise as a pre-screener for Independent Documentary Awards from 2018 to 2019, further demonstrating her influence and desire to help others within the documentary filmmaking community.

Looking to the future with determination, Mrs. Andrus-Drennan intends to expand Big Sky Genesis Productions by producing feature-length science documentaries that further bridge the gaps between scientific communities and public audiences. She remains dedicated to advancing science communication through innovative storytelling, reflecting her longstanding legacy of advocacy, animal welfare, environmental conservation and filmmaking excellence.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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