Meet Our Experts
Road Scholar's expert lecturers and group leaders create exceptional educational opportunities for you by contributing their extensive knowledge about the culture, heritage and history of the places you're visiting. They are both authorities on your destination and lifelong learners themselves who are excited to answer your questions, hear your opinions and share your experience.
On our educational programs you will be led by people such as:
Mr. Ronald Roybal
Ronald Roybal is a professional musician who performs in the New Mexico area. A descendant of Spanish Colonial and Pueblo (Tewa) peoples, he has been nominated for four Native American Music Awards for his flute and Spanish guitar recordings. Ronald has been featured twice on NPR’s “Performance Today” program and has performed live at concert venues such as the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Colorado Music Festival. He holds bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and psychology.
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Santa Fe and Taos: A Tale Of Two Cities Paul Christie
Paul Christie graduated with a degree in economics at University College London, then took up Japanese graduate studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He first went to Japan in 1987, and lived between Tokyo and London until 2002. Paul's varied career includes working as an analyst for the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and as a freelance documentary director for Japanese television. A yearning for rural life led him to a quiet village in west Japan, where he enjoys life with his family.
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Japan: An Exploration of History, Culture and Society Mervyn Sparks
A dual citizen of England and South Africa, Mervyn Sparks left the field of financial management in 1995 to devote himself full time to helping visitors explore his adopted home of Cape Town. Since then, Mervyn has gained extensive experience of South Africa’s diverse peoples and environments during a period of historic transformation. He enjoys giving Road Scholar participants a thorough picture of modern-day life in Cape Town and the history behind it.
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South Africa Wildlife Safari and the Garden Route Mark Allen McCoy
Mark Allen McCoy is the music director and conductor of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra in Leesburg, Va. A dynamic American conductor who has enjoyed success on the national and international scale, he has been lauded by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as “conducting with the broad, sweeping gestures typical of the old Central European tradition.” Mark holds degrees from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City and the University of Illinois, and furthered his studies at the Peabody Institute.
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The Impact of Recording Technology on Great 20th Century Composers and Their MusicMs. Ruth Miller
Ruth Miller, a graduate of Duke University, has lived all over America and journeyed throughout the world. As a Charleston historian and excursion leader, she enjoys tying local history into the American story and worldwide events. Ruth is the author and co-author of numerous books, including “Charleston Charlie — A Family Activity Book for Kids of All Ages,” “Touring the Tombstones,” and “The Angel Oak Story.” She is a member of the South Carolina Historical Society and the National Trust.
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Coastal Culinary History & Delectable Flavors of the Lowcountry in Florida, Georgia & South Carolina