The people behind the series

Steven is a computational organic chemist and academic administrator. He is currently Professor of Chemistry at Radford University (Virginia) following a stint as Dean of its Artis College of Science and Technology. Prior to that, he was Dean of the School of Science at Monmouth University (New Jersey) and the Dr. D. R. Semmes Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Trinity University (Texas).

He was an American Council for Education Fellow at Redlands University in 2014–2015, and a pioneer in developing the internet as a resource and tool for chemists to share information. He is the author of over 130 research articles, the monograph Computational Organic Chemistry (Wiley) and the book Thinking Like a Physical Organic Chemist (Oxford).

Carmen is a chemical information professional and business development consultant. She has worked with Nalco, Accelrys, the Pistoia Alliance and the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, and founded CINforma Consulting to assist scientific publishers, software providers and not-for-profit groups serving the pharmaceuticals, chemicals and academic markets.

She is an advocate for pre-competitive collaboration, and a firm believer in storytelling as an effective means for communication and learning. Outside of work you may find her travelling the Southwest, practicing yoga, or cooking up a storm.

David Horton is a veteran broadcaster, educator, and civic leader from Radford, Virginia. With more than 40 years in radio, he has hosted programs on regional stations including WVRU 89.9 FM. He currently serves as co-host and producer for Listening to America, where he helps facilitate thoughtful conversations about American history, democracy, and civic life.

A longtime public servant, David was elected Mayor of Radford in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He has also held leadership roles at Radford University and numerous regional organizations, with a career focused on community engagement, education, and strengthening civic dialogue.