Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Ralph Nurnberger is an acclaimed speaker who brings humor, historical background and current political insights to his presentations. He has spoken on a number of Smithsonian Journeys as well as at the Smithsonian Associates program in Washington D.C., where his presentations frequently sell out. He has also appeared on radio and television programs as an analyst on political and international issues.

Ralph earned his PhD in History from Georgetown University and subsequently taught as an adjunct at Georgetown for 38 years. He was named Professor of the Year by the Graduate School of Liberal Studies in 2003.  He currently lectures on a wide range of historical and political subjects at Florida Atlantic University’s Life Long Learning Programs. Ralph has spoken at a number of universities and other venues in Europe, including in the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Austria, France, Denmark and especially in Germany.

In addition to his public speaking and academic careers, Ralph has had positions in and related to the U.S. government: as staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and at the Department of Commerce; and as director of Builders for Peace, which was established to assist the Arab-Israeli peace process. He has also served as a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and as senior partner in a government relations firm for over 25 years.