P. Darrell Neufer is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, attended West Virginia Wesleyan College as an undergraduate, received a M.S. degree in Exercise Physiology from Ball State University (1986), a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from East Carolina University (93), and completed postdoctoral training in Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (1993-1996). 

Dr. “Tony” Hackney is a full professor at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in the Department of Exercise & Sport Science, with a joint appointment in the Department of Nutrition-School of Public Health and several adjunct appointments in the UNC School of Medicine. He also holds faculty appointments in several universities in Latin America.

Kevin Spencer is a Teaching Artist, Researcher, Speaker, Consultant, and Film Producer. He is also a world-renowned Illusionist with dozens of accolades to his credit. He and his wife, Cindy, were the recipients of the Merlin Award for International Magicians of the Year (2009) and six-time recipients of Performing Arts Entertainer of the Year. Most recently, the Milbourne Christopher Foundation honored them as Illusionists of the Year (2015) for their contributions to the art of magic.

Mindy Millard-Stafford, PhD, is Professor and Associate Chair in the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Institute of Technology where she directs the Exercise Physiology Laboratory. Drawing from her previous experience as a former athlete and collegiate swimming coach, her research has focused primarily on optimal strategies for athletes to effectively utilize training and nutrition to increase both performance and safety in challenging environments.

Claude Bouchard is Professor and Director of the Human Genomics Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He holds the John W. Barton Sr. Endowed Chair in Genetics and Nutrition. His research deals with the genetics of adaptation to exercise and nutritional challenges, as well as the genetics of obesity. He has authored or coauthored more than 1100 scientific papers and has written or edited 35 books. He is a foreign member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of...

Ms. Christie Aschwanden currently covers science issues for the website FiveThirtyEight.com which is dedicated to looking at issues ranging from politics to sports with a statistical eye.  Ms. Aschwanden is based in Colorado and in the past has written for a variety of media outlets including the Washington Post, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and the New York Times.  Further, she has written for more than 60 other publications, including Slate, Discover, Popular Science, Smithsonian, Men’s Journa...

Mr. Gerald Veasley is well regarded as a musician, composer, recording artist, and educator.  He has been voted best electric bassist by Jazziz Magazine and has been recognized in Downbeat Magazine's Critic's and Reader's Polls. Mr. Veasley is considered one of the leading players of the six string bass guitar.  His unique sound can be heard on the nine CDs he’s released, including, On The Fast Track, which featured the top ten jazz single, Do I Do (R&R).  His recordings also featur...

Dr. Chong’s roots are in Oakville, Ontario Canada, where piano lessons began at age 3 and advanced to the Royal Conservatory in Toronto with Clifford Poole on scholarship. After an injury to his right hand from practicing the Wanderer Fantasy when he was 14, he went on to study electronic music and composition with Samuel Dolin. He completed the ARCT in Piano Performance at age 17.  His prize-winning composition Continuum was performed by the Toronto Symphony the same year.

Dr. Kris Chesky is a Professor in the University of North Texas’ College of Music and Director of the Texas Center of Music & Medicine. He oversees and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music medicine and has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Grammy Foundation, and others to study health issues related to learning and performing music.  Dr. Chesky was granted the 2010 Safe-in-Sound Award by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Healt...

Mr. Randy Dick, M.S., FACSM, is a past member of the American College of Sports Medicine Board of Trustees. He is the co-founder and developer of the national Athletes and the Arts initiative that is supported by the American College of Sports Medicine, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and Loyola University, New Orleans.