Dr. Albrecht Classen is University Distinguished Professor of German Studies at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Dr. Classen has published 114 scholarly books on German and European medieval and early modern literature and serves on many different boards of international journals dedicated to the Humanities. In 2021 he won the Tulliola Renato Filippelli World Award for his prose narratives. Dr. Classen, a dedicated member of the Arizona Speaks program at AZ Humanities, has given presentations statewide on the Middle Ages, German and European history and culture, and the contributions of German Jesuits to the early Sonoran region. He has served for over two decades as the President of the Arizona Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and on the boards of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association and national AATG. Dr. Classen has received numerous teaching awards, including the Five Star Faculty Award (2009), and for his service as Director of Undergraduate Studies (2014 and 2015).In 2012, he was awarded the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Arizona Professor of the Year Award.

Chris Boyer is Dean of Arts and Letters and Professor of History at Northern Arizona University. A specialist on the social and environmental history of Modern Mexico and Latin America, Boyer has published and taught widely in English, Spanish and Portuguese. His most recent book, Political Landscapes: Forests, Conservation, and Community in Mexico (Duke University Press) investigates social history of forest management in between 1880 and 2000, with special emphasis on the experiences of Chihuahua and Michoacán. He has won three book awards, including honorable mention for the Bolton-Johnson Award. Boyer has published a volume of environmental histories of modern Mexico, A Land Between Waters, that represents the first binational reflection on Mexican environmental history. He co-edits a University of Arizona Press book series on Latin American environmental history. Boyer was a visiting scholar at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 2017, where he taught and continued work on his current research project entitled McMexico: Green Revolution, Industrial Foodways, and the Future of Humanity that traces the how green revolution technologies pioneered in Mexico such as the improvement of cultivars and the application of agrochemicals, are linked with the industrialization of foodways in Mexico and beyond.

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Natalia Ronceria Ceballos has studied and worked throughout the U.S. and internationally. Ceballos comes from a diverse family of artists and entrepreneurs, and believes in the importance of hard work, creativity, giving back, and staying true to what makes you passionately curious – while of course having fun. In 2016 Ceballos founded La NRC to fulfill her true calling as a Facilitator of Knowledge. Through La NRC she connects nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals to resources and education via bilingual facilitation, coaching, and training. Ceballos’s expertise includes Intercultural Competency, Strategic Planning, Community Engagement & Outreach, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, & Leadership Development. Ceballos was recognized for her community contributions as one of 2014's 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40. In 2015 she received the Sparxx Fly Pillar of Strength Award, and in 2020 was an Athena Award Nominee. Ceballos is a proud member of Valley Leadership Class 40. Ceballos is good humored, open minded and believes in creating positive change locally, nationally, and globally. Ceballos received her B.A. in Communication & Culture from Clark University, and MBA from Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business.

Joe Ray is Creative Director/President of Maximo Branding in Scottsdale, a creative collective and consultancy specializing in branding and strategic design with expertise in engaging multicultural audiences. Ray has spearheaded the development of many successful and award-winning projects and integrated campaigns for U.S. Latino and mainstream audiences. Ray is a visual artist and has been actively involved in the Phoenix arts scene for over 30 years, including as an artist member of Xico: arte y cultura, an arts organization focused on nourishing a greater appreciation of the cultural and spiritual heritage of Latinx and Indigenous people of the Americas through the arts. Ray’s artwork evokes color and passion, lust, and emotion, and has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Ray is a board member of Phoenix One Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting the needs of the students and families in Phoenix Elementary School District #1 beyond the classroom. Ray is a proud alumnus of Arizona State University, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.

Regi Adams is Director of Information Development at ADP where he oversees the Knowledge Management program that supports service teams and clients. Adams is ADP’s Tempe campus president of Cultivate, a volunteer employee group that focuses on professional development of African American businesses and allies. He has worked across multiple industries spanning government, education, and the business services sector. As a Knowledge Management leader, his career has been dedicated to helping others find empowerment through knowledge and information. Adams believes that when people know more, they do more, and organizations serious about empowerment must use methods that allow them to preserve knowledge in useful ways for the use of people. Adams serves on the board of the Sonoran Science Academy, a K- 12 school system that places an emphasis on STEM education across diverse communities. Adams has a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership from Wilberforce University and a Master's in Education from the University of Phoenix. He is a Certified Information Professional (CIP).