Jan Nijman is the founding director of the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University (GSU) where he holds the position of Distinguished University Professor, Geosciences. A native of the Netherlands, Nijman received his M.A. degree in geography from the University of Amsterdam, and his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before joining GSU, he spearheaded urban research and teaching programs at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Miami. He presently holds a secondary appointment as Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Amsterdam.

Peter O. Muller was born in England and grew up in New York City. He received his B.A. from City College of New York, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University. After 14 years on the faculties of Villanova and Temple Universities, in 1980 he moved from the Philadelphia area to become Professor (and Department Chair for the next 20 years) of Geography and Regional Studies at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He became Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2016, a year that also marked the 40^th anniversary of his still unfolding career as a Wiley author.

Harm J. de Blij, The late John A. Hannah Professor of Geography, Michigan State University.