Benedict H. (Dick) Gross stands as one of America's preeminent mathematicians, with groundbreaking contributions to number theory and representation theory. After completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard in 1971, he pursued music studies in Africa and Asia on a Sheldon fellowship before earning his MSc from Oxford as a Marshall Scholar in 1974 and his PhD from Harvard under John Tate in 1978. His most celebrated work includes the Gross-Zagier theorem on L-functions of elliptic curves, developed with collaborator Don Zagier. His illustrious career at Harvard began in 1985, where he served as Department Chair and Dean of Harvard College from 2003 to 2007. His exceptional contributions have earned him numerous prestigious honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 1986, the Cole Prize from the American Mathematical Society in 1987, and election to both the National Academy of Sciences and American Philosophical Society. Beyond research, he has made significant contributions to mathematics education, co-authoring "The Magic of Numbers" to introduce mathematical thinking to non-specialists. Now retired from Harvard, he continues his mathematical pursuits as a part-time professor at UC San Diego, where he maintains his lifelong dedication to advancing mathematical understanding.

Joseph Daniel Harris serves as the Higgins Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University, where he has made significant contributions to algebraic geometry since joining the faculty in 1988. After earning his PhD from Harvard in 1977 under Phillip Griffiths, he held positions at MIT and Brown University before returning to his alma mater. His research focuses on classical geometric approaches to algebraic geometry, particularly in areas such as algebraic curves, moduli spaces, and complex geometry. Beyond his research contributions, he has co-authored several influential textbooks including "Principles of Algebraic Geometry" with Phillip Griffiths and developed innovative courses like "Magic of Numbers" and "Fat Chance" with Benedict Gross to make mathematics accessible to non-specialists. As a dedicated educator, he has supervised 50 PhD students and has approximately 120 mathematical descendants. His excellence in research and teaching has earned him membership in the National Academy of Sciences, while his work continues to shape the field through his classical geometric perspective and commitment to mathematical education.

Dr. Emily Riehl serves as a Professor of Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University, where she has established herself as a leading authority in category theory and homotopy theory. After completing her AB at Harvard College in 2006, where she captained the rugby team and played viola in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, she earned her Masters at Cambridge University in 2007, where she first fell in love with category theory. She completed her PhD at the University of Chicago in 2011 under J. Peter May, followed by positions as Benjamin Peirce and NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University from 2011-2015. Her groundbreaking research focuses on developing foundational theory of infinity-categories and homotopy theory, resulting in over 30 research publications and three influential books: "Categorical Homotopy Theory," "Category Theory in Context," and "Elements of ∞-Category Theory." Beyond mathematics, she has represented the United States in Australian rules football seven times, played bass in the band Unstraight, and actively contributes to mathematical outreach through platforms like the n-Category Café blog and Numberphile videos. Her exceptional contributions have earned her numerous honors, including the 2021 AWM Joan & Joseph Birman Research Prize, fellowship in the American Mathematical Society, and the JHU President's Frontier Award.