Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University, Cornel West has worked with numerous political and social organizations. He has been a long-time member, and now serves as an honorary Chair, of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is author of several books including The Future of the Race and Race Matters .

Niall Ferguson specializes in financial and economic history as well as the history of empire and is best known for his views on imperialism and colonialism. He is Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard and William Ziegler Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is author of The War of the World, a book about the causes and consequences of war and genocide in the first half of the 20th century.

Patrick Lee is a professional speaker, actor and writer. Since 1990, he has delivered authentic keynote presentations as Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone and William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. His writing includes the book, Mosquitoes, Gnats & Prickly Pear Cactus: The Lewis & Clark Review.

Sol Gittleman is the Alice and Nathan Gantcher University Professor at Tufts University -- one of three current "university professors" at the school. He has been a celebrated lecturer on the Tufts campus since he started teaching there in 1966. From 1981 until 2002 he was the school's provost, and today he continues to teach on German Civilization and the rise of Nazism, immigration, and American baseball history.