About Robert Hicks, PhD :

 A prolific author, lecturer, and modern “Indiana Jones,” Robert Hicks specializes in highly interactive and situational presentations, making use of case studies and role-plays. With a background as a naval officer, historian, and police officer, Hicks draws on his varied experiences when discussing maritime and criminal justice themes. Hicks’ newest book, Navigation in the Era of Jamestown, explores the world of a ship’s navigator at the founding of English-speaking America. With the style of an explorer and adventurer, Hicks is a memorable and insightful presenter.

 Hicks strives to illustrate the relationship between history, science, and technology with the goal of stimulating reflection on the present. His history presentations aim to convey the mental world of the past, exploring people’s motivations and beliefs. Having presented dozens of papers and published dozens of articles, book chapters and books, Hicks has contributed to the studies of anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, navigation, crime and justice, and historic preservation. 

 His varied and multidisciplinary background make him a authoritative source on numerous topics, as evidenced by his approximately 50 interviews for radio, television and pod-casts. His recent appearances have included filming a planetarium program for the Science Museum of Virginia and interviews about alchemy for National Public Radio and a pod-cast on archaeology for New Scientist magazine.

Speaking Topics
• This Art of Arts: How the Jamestown Ships Navigated to Virginia
• A Global Mystery: An Art History Search for the Meaning of Alchemy
• Colonial Neighborhood Watch in America
• The Jewel of Arts: A Renaissance Laptop (workshop on using an astrolabe, the most beautiful astronomical instrument in history)
• Time Crime: A Simulation of a Criminal Investigation of the Looting of History
• How They Fought: Arms, Armor, and Warfare During the Renaissance
• Witch Trial! A Simulation of the Most Important Witch Trial in English History
• The Muslim World… As Seen by Elizabethans
• Moll Cutpurse and the Abraham Men: Crime and Justice in the 17th Century England
• Firmness, Commodity and Delight: The Development of Scottish Castles
• Sin of All Sorts Swarmeth: Rogues, Vagabonds and the Poor in Elizabethan England
• Birth of American Science and Technology: Chemistry at Jamestown
• Customized Presentations