Hans Konrad Van Tilburg Ph.D
Pacific Islands Region Maritime Heritage Program Coordinator

Hans was originally introduced to the ocean on board his father's sloop Brunhilde at the age of eight. Since then he has worked as a carpenter and also a sport diving instructor and a science diver in California, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. He holds a geography B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters degree in maritime history and nautical archaeology from East Carolina University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Hawai`i, where he focused on the maritime history of Asia and the Pacific. For several years he headed the graduate certificate program in Maritime Archaeology and History at the University of Hawaii, teaching a number of field schools among the Hawaiian Islands. He has taught university courses in maritime history, world history, and European expansion. Currently he is the maritime heritage coordinator for NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program in the Pacific Islands region. In this role he serves on the executive committee of NOAA's Maritime Heritage Program; plans and conducts field research in the main Hawaiian Islands, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and American Samoa; conducts archival research; organizes education and outreach materials and presentations; and coordinates interagency preservation and protection efforts for the region. Hans also serves as the Unit Diving Supervisor for NOAA's Ocean Service in the Pacific Islands. He is married to Maria DaSilva, and has one daughter, Sabina (who dives). His vacation time is spent seeking drier ground.

 

Maritime Archaeologist
NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Coordinator
6600 Kalanianaole Hwy.
Suite 302
Honolulu, HI.
96825
Ph. (808) 397-2404
Hans.Vantilburg@noaa.gov