Upper St. Clair resident tapped as consultant for Discovery Channel
When Philip Reeder was in 10th grade, he told his mother he wanted to travel the world and have adventures.
And now Reeder, the dean of Duquesne University’s Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, is doing just that. He’s a consultant for the Discovery Science Channel’s “What on Earth?” program that examines Earth’s phenomenons, whether they be natural or man made.
“In 2009, I worked on a research project in Donana, Spain, which is a World Heritage site,” said Reeder, 56, explaining how he became involved in the popular science show. “There is a theory that Atlantis exists beneath the marsh land there in Spain. I worked on the project. That body of work became a National Geographic special. The producers at Discovery found me through that.”
The Upper St. Clair resident’s area of expertise is environmental change, paleo-climate and landscape evolution; environmental education, sustainability and the human role in environmental change; and paleo-environments, geoarchaeology and cultural landscape evolution. He is also an expert in the use of high-tech equipment to collect data and produce underground maps.
The producers told Reeder they, too, wanted to do a story on Atlantis. Because the program examines phenomenons as seen from a satellite 250 miles above the Earth’s atmosphere, Reeder was a perfect fit.
“They (the show’s producers) came to me in June of last year and asked me if I would be willing to talk about Atlantis,” Reeder said.
Reeder agreed and was filmed. The segment that he appears on is called Secrets of Genghis Khan’s tomb and is currently on the air.
Reeder said the producers we so pleased how that filming went that they asked if he would appear on more shows. He agreed again. He was filmed last month in Pittsburgh, but is prohibited to disclose what he spoke about until the show is aired.
As a researcher with an expertise in geoarchaeology, Reeder has had the opportunity to travel the world and work on various research projects. Last year he worked a site in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the Great Synagogue once stood. He said he is considering returning to the site later this year to help locate unidentified mass graves of Jews and other Lithuanians who were killed by the Nazis. Other projects Reeder has worked on include the discovery of a mosaic floor in Nazareth, Israel, at the Church of the Annunication. The church dates back to the origins of what became Christianity. He also worked on the Cave of Letters, a cave in Israel that contained letters from the Roman Empire and from Simon bar Kokhba, a Jewish leader who led a revolt against Rome.
Reeder said he is getting used to seeing himself on television and likes to critique himself. But his wife, Kathleen, and their sons, Will, 17; Sam, 15; and Joe, 12, are his toughest critics.
“They think it is pretty neat I am on TV and want to come with me on one of the trips,” he said.
“Even though I don’t teach anymore, there is still teaching I can do,” he said. “When I am on TV explaining something, I try to be as clear and concise as possible.”