Matthew Larsen

Matthew C. Larsen is the director emeritus of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama City, Panama. His 90+ publications are in the fields of natural hazards, water resources, climate change, and marine geology. Dr. Larsen has led research projects in the United States, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was STRI director from 2014 to 2020. From 2005 to 2014, he served as Chair of the US National Committee for UNESCO International Hydrological Programme. 

To learn more about Dr. Larsen visit his page on the STRI website: https://stri.si.edu/scientist/matthew-larsen.

Read more: Smithsonian’s “Jurassic Park” Research Island

Ralph Nurnberger

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 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, where he has given presentations in East and West Berlin, Hamburg and Chemnitz. In addition to his public speaking and academic careers, Ralph has had positions in and related to the U.S. government, he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee task force dealing with the Panama Canal Treaties. In that capacity, he drafted the Committee’s official report on the history of the US involvement with Panama, including how the US obtained the rights to build the Canal. President Jimmy Carter recognized Dr. Nurnberger’s work on the Canal Treaties at an event held at The White House.