About Our Experts and Trip Leaders

Our Experts

Our National Geographic experts are photographers, writers, anthropologists, archaeologists, explorers, naturalists, and filmmakers who are intrepid leaders in their fields. On each expedition, a National Geographic expert will accompany the group for four to eight days to share an insider's perspective, give you guidance in crafting your On Assignment project, and inspire you with passion and enthusiasm for the places we visit. Meet the National Geographic experts who will join our expeditions.

MASSIMO BASSANO

Born and raised in Italy, photojournalist Massimo Bassano has been photographing his country for many years. His work has been published in National Geographic Traveler and on nationalgeographic.com and he has taught many National Geographic Photography Workshops in Tuscany and Venice. His acclaimed photography book, The Color of Silence, detailed the 12 weeks he spent in a little-known Italian monastery. Massimo will join our expedition to Rome and Greece in Rome.

BIRGIT BUHLEIER

Researcher and filmmaker Birgit Buhleier has lived and worked in some of the world's most remote places — from the Pacific islands to Antarctica. She has produced numerous documentaries for National Geographic, including Masters of the Arctic Ice and Tiger Shark, as well as the Crittercam television series. As a key member of the Crittercam team, Birgit has also deployed more than a hundred of the devices on animals such as great white sharks and hawksbill sea turtles. Birgit will join our On Campus program in Bar Harbor, Maine.

FORD COCHRAN

Environmental scientist, writer, and web producer Ford Cochran descended into ice caves and an active volcano on his first visit to Iceland while on assignment for National Geographic Television. He has led climate-oriented research projects on volcanoes from Hawaii to Mount St. Helens. Ford was the principal writer for the Society's Historical Atlas of the United States and has written for National Geographic magazine. He helped launch nationalgeographic.com in 1996 and is now an editorial director. Ford will join our Iceland expedition in Höfn.

KITTY COLEY

Kitty Coley is a geologist, naturalist, and avid birder who serves as a consultant to National Geographic magazine for articles related to her expertise. She has led expeditions for National Geographic for over 8 years including many to the Galápagos. Through her work as a geologist, she has spent time in remote rain forests and rugged geologic settings around the world. Kitty will join our expedition to Ecuador and the Galápagos on the July 19 departure in the Galápagos.

MICHAEL DAVIE

Born in Zimbabwe, documentary filmmaker Michael Davie grew up in rural Australia. As a filmmaker for National Geographic, he has produced numerous works, including the World Diaries series, Death on Denali, and the Emmy® Award-winning film War Child about Albanian refugees. Mick's documentary Liberia: American Dream won the Edward R. Murrow award, the Columbia-DuPont award, a New York Film Festival gold medal, and was nominated for an Emmy. Mick will join our Australia expedition in the outback.

PETER DUNHAM

Archaeologist Peter Dunham, a specialist on Belize, has received nine major research grants from National Geographic to study the ancient Maya and their relationship with their environment. A professor at Cleveland State University, Peter has been featured on two National Geographic Television programs about ancient Maya civilization. Peter will join our expedition to Belize at Las Cuevas Research Station in Chiquibul National Park.

CHRISTINA ELSON

While living and studying in Mexico as an undergraduate student, Christina Elson became fascinated with archaeology. A curatorial associate at the American Museum of Natural History, she specializes in the ancient cultures of the Americas and currently investigates Aztec, Zapotec, and Maya culture. As a contributor to National Geographic magazine, Christina also keeps track of National Geographic–funded archaeological projects worldwide. Christina will join our expedition to Mexico's Yucátan in the southern Maya lowlands.

PETER FROST

Peter Frost is a writer, photographer, and National Geographic grantee who has spent most of his life exploring Peru. His published works include a guide to the Cusco region and a well-known book on Machu Picchu. Peter has led National Geographic archaeological expeditions into the remote region of Vilcabamba, where he discovered the Inca and pre-Inca site of Qoriwayrachina (National Geographic magazine, February 2004). Peter lives in Cusco and will join our expedition to Peru in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

ED KASHI

Ed Kashi is a photojournalist, filmmaker, and educator dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times. A sensitive eye and an intimate relationship to his subjects are the signatures of his work. Ed's images have been published and exhibited worldwide, and have appeared in National Geographic magazine, the New York Times Magazine, Time, and Newsweek. Ed lived in San Francisco for 25 years. Ed will join our On Campus program in Monterey Bay, California.

KRIS LEBOUTILLIER

Photographer Kris LeBoutillier has worked for magazines and newspapers throughout Asia and the United States. A contributor to National Geographic Traveler magazine, Kris has been on assignment in Rajasthan, India; Singapore; Vietnam; and Tasmania. His most recent book, Iron Rails of the Orient, was published in 2007 and covers the people and places encountered on his train journey through Asia. Kris will join the June 28 departure of our India expedition in Rajasthan and the July 22 departure in Ladakh.

GREG MARSHALL

Greg Marshall is a biologist and filmmaker, and an executive producer for National Geographic Television. Greg invented the Crittercam, a camera that is attached to an animal to capture images of the world through the animal's eyes. The devices have provided valuable insight into the behavior and daily life of more than 40 species, including blue whales, black turtles, and manta rays. The Crittercam has enabled Greg to study and document marine and terrestrial life around the world—from Costa Rica and Kenya to Antarctica. Greg will join our expedition to Costa Rica in Tortuguero.

STEPHANIE ROMANACH

Stephanie Romanach is a conservation biologist. She earned her doctorate in ecology from the University of California Santa Barbara and has been conducting field research for the past ten years. Stephanie has studied predators in East and southern Africa. Her current fieldwork includes conservation projects on endangered African wild dogs and lions. Stephanie will join our expedition to Tanzania in the village in northern Tanzania.

TINO SORIANO

Born and raised in Barcelona, Tino Soriano divides his work between photojournalism and travel photography. A frequent contributor to National Geographic Traveler magazine, he has also photographed National Geographic Traveler guidebooks: Madrid, Sicily, Portugal, and Naples and Southern Italy. Tino received a first prize from the World Press Photo Foundation and, in 2006, played the lead role in a documentary—Andalusia: The Awakening of the Senses—for the National Geographic Channel in Spain. Tino will join our expedition to Spain in Granada.

TIERNEY THYS

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and filmmaker who studies some of the ocean's largest animals. From giant ocean sunfish, or molas, in Baja, California, to whale sharks in Taiwan, she has led and participated in numerous research expeditions around the world. Long-time resident of Monterey Bay, Tierney is currently compiling a book on molas. Tierney will join our On Campus program in Monterey Bay, California.

AMY TOENSING

Photojournalist Amy Toensing has been on assignments around the world, producing stories that reflect the lives of ordinary people. A graduate of College of the Atlantic, Amy has photographed nine stories for National Geographic magazine, including a March 2003 article on the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico and a November 2007 piece on the kingdom of Tonga. Her story on Monhegan Island, a winter lobstering and artist community off the Maine coast, was featured in the July 2001 issue. Amy will join our On Campus program in Bar Harbor, Maine.

ALISON WRIGHT

Documentary photographer Alison Wright has spent her career capturing the universal spirit of humanity through her photographs. Her work documents the traditions of and changes in endangered cultures and people in remote areas around the world. Alison's photographs have been published in many National Geographic publications, and she has received top awards for both her writing and photography. Alison will join our expedition to China during our time in the Guilin area.

Our Trip Leaders

Heading up each expedition is a team of talented, dynamic trip leaders. They have extensive experience in the field—and they love working with high school students. With no more than nine students to every trip leader, we'll have the freedom to break into teams to pursue our On Assignment projects. Here are a few of our outstanding trip leaders who may accompany you on a National Geographic Student Expedition.

HIMALI SINGH SOIN

Middlebury College, BA. Himali grew up in north India and has explored many corners of her native country. At Middlebury, she majored in English and theater, and undertook an expedition to India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, where she studied local performing arts. She speaks Hindi and has volunteered for an NGO dedicated to tiger conservation in the Indian Himalaya. Himali is an accomplished writer and actress. She currently interns at National Geographic Adventure magazine in New York City.

CHARLES DYE

University of Arizona, BA; Montana State University, MFA candidate. Charles is an independent filmmaker and photographer based in Bozeman, Montana. His films include Saving the Snow Leopards of Mongolia, which appeared on National Geographic Wild Chronicles in 2002; and Last of the Gum Men, about the chicle harvesters in the jungles of Guatemala, which aired on PBS. Formerly a professional cyclist—and still a cycling enthusiast—Charles spent six years racing cyclo-cross and mountain bikes in Europe, Japan, and North America.

ALEX VERRON

St. Lawrence University, BA, fine arts and Asian studies. Alex received the Jeanne Scribner Cashin Endowment for Fine Arts after his six-month photo documentary on textile production in India was a featured exhibition in the Brush Art Gallery. His most recent work has been published by several international outdoor magazines.

BRENNA CASEY

Boston College, BA; University of Notre Dame, MFA. Brenna is a nonfiction writer based in Washington, D.C. While pursuing her masters in creative writing, Brenna served as managing editor for the Notre Dame Review. Brenna's love for travel and writing flourished during college when she studied in Ecuador. She has traveled extensively throughout Latin America, including a trek along the Inca Trail. Brenna is currently at work on a cartographic themed book of nonfiction.

MIKE KAUTZ

Middlebury College, BA; University of Montana, MFA candidate. A photographer, writer, and avid outdoorsman, Mike taught kids from underserved communities at a National Geographic Photo Camp in Maine, completed a photojournalism internship at the Salt Lake Tribune, and worked as a publications photographer for Overland Adventures. As a huts manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire, Mike managed the high-mountain search-and-rescue operations.

HOPE THORNTON

St. Lawrence University, BA; School for International Training, MA. Hope spent her junior year of college in Kenya, where she lived in a farming community and studied trade beads on the spice route in Mombasa. She later spent a year in Malawi working on wildlife-conservation and sustainable-agriculture projects. Hope has led student programs in Tanzania for the past four years and is now back in Malawi working as a food and nutrition security advisor.

MARK POMMER

Butler University, BA, English; Columbia University, EdM, school psychology. Mark's love for travel began in high school when he spent a summer playing soccer throughout Europe. In college, he led high school students on backpacking trips in the Appalachian Mountains. Mark has spent several months working in public schools in Costa Rica and currently works as a school psychologist in Jackson, Wyoming. In his free time, he can be found skiing, snowboarding, or backpacking. Mark is fluent in Spanish.

BRITT BASEL

University of Colorado, BA. A freelance and fine-art photographer, Britt has traveled and photographed around the world. She studied photography and art history at the Aegean Center for Fine Arts in Greece, worked as a scuba instructor and translator in Costa Rica, and conducted fieldwork with the Guaraní people of Paraguay. Britt is an emergency first-response instructor and a wilderness first responder.