Smithsonian Journeys Experts

David Scott Silverberg is an expert in Alpine geology, geography, and conservation biology. Born in New York, David has lived most of his life abroad, working in more than 125 countries—including seven years in Germany and 10 years in northern Italy. He is an active mountaineer and has explored the Swiss, Italian, French, Austrian, German, and Slovenian Alps extensively.

David is a fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society and a passionate experiential educator, designing and teaching 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 received his Ph.D. from MIT and his post-Doc from Harvard University.

With support from the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society and the American Alpine Club, David has produced numerous peer-reviewed papers on the formation of the Alps and Himalaya. His 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 numerous articles and books about the Alps, covering topics ranging from Alpine Stradivarius forests to road and bridge engineering to wine and cuisine.