Nancy L. Pruitt received a bachelor's degree in biology from Gettysburg College, a master's degree in biology from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. from the zoology department at Arizona State University. For the past 17 years, she has taught in the biology department at Colgate University, where her courses include introductory biology, cell biology, and human physiology. Nancy has authored numerous research articles, several with undergraduate student coauthors, about the cellular adaptations of cold-blooded animals to changes in temperature. She has also written a student workbook to accompany a textbook on cell and molecular biology. In addition, she is an active member of the Council on Undergraduate Research and the National Association of Biology Teachers, and is director of the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Science Education program at Colgate University. She also organizes an annual program of off-campus study for undergraduate biology students at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Above all, however, Nancy is devoted to bringing the excitement  of biology to her students, who have twice nominated her for Professor of the Year at Colgate.

Nancy lives in Hamilton, New York, with her husband, Dr. Jonathan Jacobs, a professor of philosophy, and their two  young sons, Nathan and Danny.

Larry S. Underwood received a bachelor of arts degree in biology from the university of Kansas, a master's degree in science education from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in zoology from The Pennsylvania State University. He has taught biology at all levels, including middle school, high school, and college. For the past 15 years he taught undergraduate courses in introductory biology, environmental science, methods of field biology, teacher recertification courses in biology, and anatomy and physiology at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale. For 22 Years, Larry lived in Alaska where he held several administrative, research, and teaching positions, primarily with the University of Alaska. While there, his research interests centered on cold adaptation of Arctic homeotherms and Arctic human ecology. He has published numerous research papers and five books. Larry is a Passionate Birder and is Active in community affairs, especially those involving environmental concerns. In 1974 Larry was elected Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, and in 1975 he was elected Member of the New York Explorer's Club. In 1999, he received a NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award.

Larry lives in Manassas, Virginia, with his wife sally, a family therapist and gardener. Between them they have four children and six grandchildren.