Peter Bobrowsky

Peter Bobrowsky is a professional archaeologist and geologist with 40 years of experience working as a consultant, scholar, teacher and researcher across the globe. His academic achievements include almost 500 publications - 20 technical books such as the Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards, Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology and The Landslide Handbook - the latter written for the general public has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Japanese; induction as an International Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York and Fellow of the Geological Society of America. He is the recipient of numerous awards including most notably the Eugene Shoemaker Communications Award for Best Book (2009), the Edward B. Burwell Jr. Award for Engineering Geology (2011), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) and the James Harrison Outstanding Achievement Award (2020).

Dr. Bobrowsky has a prominent history of international positions and appointments in particular Secretary General of the International Union of Geological Sciences an NGO representing some 1 million earth scientists around the world, President of the Canadian Quaternary Association, President of the Geological Association of Canada and President of the International Consortium on Landslides.

A popular global public speaker for the past 25 years he remains a much sought after and well-liked lecturer for the Smithsonian since 2004. His multi-disciplinary background and extensive travel to over 110 countries contribute to his unique, informative and enthusiastic speaking style. A born extrovert, with an easy going manner, Peter strives to understand and explain the crucial links between a diverse and dynamically changing Earth and the evolution of changing societies through history.

He divides his time between travel adventures and home life near Sidney by the Sea on Vancouver Island.

Terje Leiren

Terje Leiren is Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Studies and History at the University of Washington, Seattle.  He was the first holder of the Sverre Arestad Endowed Chair in Norwegian Studies.  Terje earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of North Texas and taught at the University of Oslo before joining the UW in 1977.  He served as co-general editor of the University of Washington book series, “New Directions in Scandinavian Studies,” which published eleven books during his tenure.  He served as Chair of the Department of Scandinavian Studies from 1995 to 2010.   Terje has published extensively in Norwegian and Scandinavian-American history and culture, most recently a new revised edition of the “Historical Dictionary of Norway.”   He has traveled extensively in northern Europe and appeared on several television documentary programs about Scandinavia from the Vikings to World War II broadcast on PBS as well as the History Channel.

Scott Burns

Scott Burns is a Professor Emeritus of Geology and Past-Chair of the Dept. of Geology at Portland State University where he just completed his 34th year of teaching. He was also Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at P.S.U. from 1997-1999. Scott has been teaching for 53 years, with past positions in Switzerland, New Zealand, Washington, Colorado and Louisiana. Dr. Burns specializes in environmental and engineering geology, geomorphology, soils, and Quaternary geology. Scott has won many awards for outstanding teaching, the most significant being the Faculty Senate Chair Award at Louisiana Tech University in 1987, the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Portland State Alumni Association in 2001, and the George Hoffmann Award from PSU in 2007. Based on his national leadership performance Scott was chosen to be a fellow of the Geological Society of America (2004) and a fellow with the Kellogg National Fellowship Program (1990 – 1993). He was president of the Downtown Rotary Club of Portland, Oregon’s oldest and largest Rotary club in 2009. Scott is a 6th generation Oregonian who grew up in Beaverton and is very happy to be "home" after a 25 year hiatus! He actively helps local TV, radio stations and newspapers bring important geological news to the public. Scott enjoys all sports, especially basketball, running, skiing, hiking, swimming, tennis, and golf.

Scott Mellor

Smithsonian Journeys Expert Scott Mellor, is professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the current president of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study, the national society for Scandinavian Studies academics. For the past 25 years he has taught courses on the Vikings, Sagas, and medieval Scandinavia as well as Scandinavian folklore, a course called Nordic Storyteller, and History of Scandinavia to 1815. His primary research is on the oral tradition in the medieval Icelandic poetic edda.  Since 2000 he has also been collecting ship narratives from Åland, a Swedish speaking island in Finland, as part of a folklore oral history project. His interest in storytelling is reflected in his academic articles on the Poetic Eddaand on the writings of Hans Christian Andersen. Scott has brought his research interest and expertise to several TV shows on the History channel on the Vikings and medieval mythology, including Clash of the Gods: Thor (2009), Clash of the Gods: Tolkien’s Monsters (2009), Ancient Aliens: The Viking Gods (2013), Unexplained: Mysteries of the Vikings (2023), and a new series called Extreme Warriors: The Vikings (2024).