Christopher Brennan

Christopher Brennan, lecturer at the London School of Economics and Political Science, is a historian of Central and Eastern Europe with a special interest in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, Germany and the history of the Czechs. Though British, he grew up in south-western France. He obtained a BA in Modern Languages (German and Russian, plus Czech) at the University of Bristol and a Master’s in Slavonic Studies from Oriel College at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Brennan studied for a PhD at the London School of Economics on the subject of the collapse of the Habsburg Empire and the responsibility therefore of its last monarch, Emperor Karl I. He taught undergraduates for four years, with a one year hiatus in Paris lecturing American undergraduates on French history and on the history of Eastern European Communism. He has  written on the memory of World War I in the former Habsburg Empire and on the Balkan Wars. He authored chapters to two volumes on the collapse of Austria-Hungary and its aftermath and is now working on a biography of Karl I.

Laurie Koloski

Laurie Koloski traveled to Poland for the first time in 1981, knowing little about the country and maybe a dozen words of the language. It didn’t take long to realize what a special place it was, and she lived there for four years before returning to the US. She has been traveling to and studying east central Europe ever since.

Currently an Associate Professor of History at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, she received her BA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan, an MA from Yale University, and a PhD in History from Stanford University. She also holds certificates from the Center for Polish Language and Culture in the World at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.

Her teaching interests include modern and contemporary Europe, communism and socialism, historical interpretation, world history since 1000, and material culture. Her research centers on post-1945 Poland, with a particular focus on social and cultural history in early-postwar Kraków. She served as director of William & Mary’s international studies center for several years, has led large and small groups of students on study abroad programs, and has enjoyed traveling with Smithsonian Journeys tours since 2016.

Hugh Agnew

Hugh Agnew has been fascinated by the lands and peoples of Russia and Eastern Europe since he first walked into a Russian language class in 10th grade. Having decided as an undergraduate to major in History and focus on the region, he pursued doctoral study at Stanford and became a history professor. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on the history of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the Russian Revolution, Europe from Cold War to Detente, the Habsburg Empire, and nationalism at Queen's University in Canada, the National University of Singapore, and (since 1988) at the George Washington University, where he is a member of the Institute for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs. He has also served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at the Elliott School. Agnew has published books on Czech history and many articles on aspects of East European history, the Habsburg Empire, and European history. His insightful talks on past Smithsonian Journeys throughout Eastern Europe have made him a favorite with Smithsonian travelers.

Carol Reynolds

Dr. Carol Reynolds weaves history, humor, and high energy into everything she does. A musicologist, pianist, and organist, she specializes in Russian, East European, and German cultural history. Carol was a professor of music history for more than 20 years at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In addition to music, she is well versed in the history and fine arts of western Europe and Russia. Before becoming a professor, she studied at the Leningrad Conservatory and lived in West Germany.

Dr. Reynolds is a frequent Smithsonian Journeys Expert and has led tours through Russia, the Baltic States, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Croatia. She is fluent in Russian and German.  

A staunch advocate of Arts Education at every stage of life, she works with organizations like The Dallas Symphony, Van Cliburn Concerts, Kimball Museum, Opera America, and Smithsonian Associates. Carol has turned her attention to public speaking and the creation of online arts curricula and educational programs for adult audiences and secondary-school students.

Under the moniker Professor Carol, she publishes courses in cultural history for adults and students, including Discovering Music: 300 Years of Interaction in Western Music, Arts, History, and Culture, Exploring America’s Artistic Heritage, Imperial Russia, and Early Sacred Music. She and her husband Hank maintain a second home in Weimar (former East Germany).