Jesús De Loera received his Bachelor degree in Mathematics from the National University of Mexico in 1989, a M.A. in Mathematics from Western Michigan in 1990, and his Ph.D in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University in 1995. An expert in the field of Discrete Mathematics, his work approaches difficult computational problems in Applied Combinatorics and Optimization using tools from Algebra, Combinatorics, and Convex Geometry. He has held visiting positions at the University of Minnesota, the Swiss Federal Technology Institute (ETH Zürich), the Mathematical Science Institute at Berkeley (MSRI), Universität Magdeburg (Germany), the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at UCLA (IPAM), and the Technische Universität München. He arrived at UC Davis in 1999, where he is now a professor of Mathematics as well as a member of the Graduate groups in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.

His research has been recognized by an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, the 2010 INFORMS computer society prize, and a John von Neumann professorship at the Technical University of Munich. He is associate editor of the journals ``SIAM Journal of Discrete Mathematics'' and ``Discrete Optimization''. For his dedication to outstanding mentoring and teaching he received the 2003 UC Davis Chancellor's fellow award, the 2006 UC Davis award for diversity, the 2007 Award for excellence in Service to Graduate students by the UC Davis graduate student association and the 2013 Chancellor's award for mentoring undergraduate research. He has supervised eight Ph.D students, five postdocs, and over 20 undergraduate honors theses, with more than 40 undergraduates conducting and research with him.

Jennifer Quinn is a professor of mathematics and Associate Director for Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. She earned her BA, MS, and PhD from Williams College, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin, respectively. After twelve years teaching at Occidental College, rising to the rank of full professor and serving as Department Chair, Jenny left her tenured position to follow her husband to the Pacific Northwest. During that uncertain time, she had the privilege to serve as Executive Director for the Association for Women in Mathematics for two years while lecturing part-time at local Tacoma institutions. She was hired by UW Tacoma in 2007 to help create a non-existent mathematics curriculum in the newly expanded four-year institution and has thrived there ever since.

Jenny received one of MAA's 2007 Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching , the MAA's 2006 Beckenbach Book award for Proofs That Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof , co-authored with Arthur Benjamin, and had the honor to co-edit Math Horizons (also with Arthur Benjamin) from 2004-2008. Over the years she has served on the boards or steering committees of the Spectrum Book series, Mathematics Magazine, Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Alumni Association of California, and Oregon Public Broadcasting's production Mathematics Illuminated.

As a combinatorial scholar, Jenny thinks that beautiful proofs are as much art as science. Simplicity, elegance, and transparency should be the driving principles. She strives to bring this same ethic to her professional service and administrative work.

Ann Watkins is Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and specializes in statistics education. Beginning as co-chair of the joint committee of the American Statistical Association and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Ann has worked for many years with high school teachers and statisticians to develop materials for teaching statistics and probability in secondary schools and the introductory courses in colleges and to design opportunities for professional development for teachers. She is a co-author of textbooks published as a result of the Quantitative Literacy, Activity-Based Statistics, and Core-Plus Mathematics projects. She chaired the College Board's Development Committee for Advanced Placement Statistics, was exam leader at AP Statistics readings, and was primary author of the AP Statistics Teacher's Guide. She was a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Statistics Education. She served as president of the Mathematical Association of America from 2001 to 2003, and has been MAA second vice-president, sectional governor, co-editor of the College Mathematics Journal, and associate editor of the American Mathematical Monthly. She has won the following CSUN awards: Outstanding Professor, Advancement of Teaching Effectiveness, and Extraordinary Service. In 1999, she was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association “for innovative contributions to curriculum and pedagogy; for masterful teaching, and teaching of teachers; and for an extraordinary record of sustained and successful efforts to institutionalize reform in statistics education."