Keith A. Mayes is a professor of African-American history at the University of Minnesota. He studies the significance and appeal of black holidays, including Kwanzaa.

Ellen Davis is the senior vice president for research and strategic initiatives for the National Retail Federation, which studies spending related to winter holidays.

Dianne Ashton is a professor of religion and American studies at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. She is the author of Hanukkah in America: A History.

Rick Potts is a paleoanthropologist who leads the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program. He’s worked to ease evolution-related conflict between scientists and people of faith. Contact through the press office at 202-633-2950.

Jamie Jensen is a biology professor at Brigham Young University. She studies how to increase scientific understanding and reasoning.

Tom Wassink is a psychiatry and genetics researcher at the University of Iowa. He’s also the co-pastor of Sanctuary Community Church in Coralville, Iowa.

S. Joshua Swamidass is an associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University in St. Louis. He served as science adviser to Concordia Seminary from 2015 to 2017.

Craig Story is a professor of biology at Gordon College, where he also directs the Pastors and Science Project.