Freeman A. Hrabowski III served as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 1992 to 2022 and as chair of the President's Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans under President Obama. He is the author of The Empowered University: Culture Change, Shared Leadership, and Academic Success. Peter H. Henderson has served as senior advisor to the president at UMBC and director of the Board on Higher Education and Workforce at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Lynne C. Schaefer was vice president for administration and finance at UMBC and is the past president of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Philip J. Rous is provost, senior vice president for academic affairs, and a professor of physics at UMBC.