Troy Van Voorhis is the Haslam and Dewey professor of chemistry at MIT, where he currently serves as department head. Troy is an expert in quantum chemistry whose research focuses on using computers to understand and predict the electronic properties of molecules. In particular, his work addresses questions of how solar energy can be efficiently captured and stored. He is the author of numerous scholarly publications and a fellow of the David & Lucille Packard foundation. He enjoys spending time with his wife and his four children, and riding his skateboard to work when the weather cooperates.

Wendy Parker is Professor of Philosophy at Virginia Tech. She earned undergraduate degrees in both Meteorology and Philosophy, followed by a PhD in the field of History & Philosophy of Science. Her research addresses philosophical questions about scientific modeling and computer simulation, scientific evidence, and values in science, with a particular focus on climate science. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and published in a wide range of philosophical and scientific journals. In addition to contemplating how science works, she enjoys playing tennis, running, and watching sports of all sorts.

Kevin Pitts serves as a Professor of Physics, Lay Nam Chang Dean’s Chair, and Dean of the College of Science at Virginia Tech. Previously, he was Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he also served in a number of administrative capacities including Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Associate Dean in the College of Engineering. He carries out research in experimental high energy physics at large particle accelerator facilities and served as Chief Research Officer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.