Patagonian Explorer

Patrick Burkhart received his doctorate from Lehigh University and has been a professor of geology for several decades. His expertise lies in the science of groundwater, while he also holds a deep passion for geomorphology, the study of landscapes. He revels in the history of exploration, with particular focus upon the quests of Ernest Shackleton and Charles Darwin—the latter of whom he has written and lectured about extensively. He has an affinity for the cryosphere—frozen places at high latitude and high altitude. 

David Scott Silverberg is an expert in earth sciences, geography, and conservation biology. Beginning in 2000, he has spent time living and working in Patagonia and the Andes, directing research and education expeditions from Tierra del Fuego to Buenos Aires. Born in New York, David has lived most of his life in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, working in over 125 countries. He has been an active explorer and alpine mountaineer for 45 years. 

A fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, David is a passionate experiential educator who has designed and taught graduate and undergraduate field programs around the world for numerous universities. He served as executive director of Earthwatch Institute Center for Field Research, and helped launch Americorps as the associate director for environment programs at the White House.

David has researched the geographic variation of South American and Patagonian literature, art and architecture, as well as the natural history of the region’s food; and his lectures also encompass geopolitics and trade. His current research investigates the geographic determinants of culture and history as well as the effects of biodiversity loss and changes in climate, land cover, and oceans. He has published many articles and books about the Himalaya, Alps, and Apennines, covering topics ranging from ecology to bridge engineering to wine and cuisine. David received his PhD from MIT and his post-doc from Harvard University.

Carola Stearns is a field geologist and geophysicist with more than 40 years of experience enthusiastically sharing her fascination with the Earth and how it works. She earned a PhD at the University of Michigan, has worked in exploration for major oil companies, taught at universities, and maintains a research affiliation with the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan. Carola has worked with archaeologists on both prehistoric and classical sites around the Mediterranean and in the southwestern U.S. Her diverse research interests include tectonics as well as climatic geomorphology, especially as it relates to human history. She has lectured as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon, on trips for the UM Alumni Association, and in Ann Arbor training docents for the botanical gardens, arboretum and the public school’s environmental education program. Currently she works part-time as an interpretive guide in Santa Fe. 

Shanaka (Shan) de Silva is a geologist whose 35-year career brings together research, teaching, and public outreach in volcanic and planetary analog studies. Born in Sri Lanka and educated in the United Kingdom, he is now a professor emeritus of geology and geophysics at Oregon State University. He is honored to be a fellow of the Geological Society of America and a Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow.

Shan is best known for decades of field-based research in the high Andes of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina unraveling the volcanic and tectonic history of this geological wonderland. He has also conducted expeditions in Japan, Indonesia, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and across Europe. He uses this experience to convey how landscapes can be connected to the forces that shape our planet and inform processes on other planets like Mars, the Moon, and Venus.

Now mostly a spectator, Shan retains a deep love of sport—especially cricket, football (the original), and tennis. He is an enthusiastic cook who enjoys exploring cuisines inspired by his travels, capturing landscapes through photography, and exploring the night sky. Rarely without a soundtrack, Shan is an avid fan of classic rock.

Allen Glazner is a geologist, educator and author with expertise in volcanoes, tectonics, geochemistry, and mountain building. He believes strongly that understanding how geology shapes the planet greatly enhances one’s enjoyment of the landscape and everything that lives on it. A native Southern Californian, Allen earned geology degrees from Pomona College and UCLA before embarking on a 38-year career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Field studies have taken Allen to geologic sites all over the world, including Iceland, Alaska, Japan, the Caribbean, South Africa, Mexico, the Canadian Rockies, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Sicily, Scotland, Switzerland, Patagonia, and the high Andes. An award-winning teacher, he has led dozens of field trips for groups ranging from the general public to academic specialists, and has trained astronauts and national park personnel in the field and classroom. In addition to over 150 academic papers and the 2025 textbook Petrology and Plate Tectonics, he has coauthored several books for the public including Geology Underfoot books on Death Valley, Yosemite National Park, and Southern California. 

Allen was a runner and now is an avid cyclist and hiker. He enjoys photography, especially landscape, aerial, and 3D-reconstructive. Reading, especially fiction, is one of his sedentary pursuits. See landscape photos and more at allenglazner.com.