David R. Contosta is originally from Lancaster, Ohio, and has been a resident of Whitemarsh Township for nearly three decades. He is a Professor of History at nearby Chestnut Hill College and is the author of some 15 books, many of them about the Philadelphia region. He also speaks frequently before neighborhood and civic groups. At present, he is writing a book, with Carol Franklin of the University of Pennsylvania, about the Wissahickon Valley. This book stems from his interests in photography, historic landscapes, social history, and environmental protection.