Danielle Allen is a scholar whose intellectual scope spans the fields of the classics, philosophy, and political theory. Her book The World of Prometheus: The Politics of Punishing in Democratic Athens examines the theory and practice of punishment in classical Athens as it affected both the intellectual elite and ordinary citizens. Allen weaves evidence from legal statutes and court speeches with contemporaneous literary and philosophical documents to explore the challenges posed by punishment to democratic Athenian politics and society.

Lee C. Bollinger is a renowned legal scholar, with an expertise in free speech and the First Amendment. He is an alumnus of Columbia's Law School, where he is also a professor. He became president of Columbia University on June 1, 2002.