Professor Ousmane Oumar Kane is a native of Senegal, a political scientist and an Islamicist. He received his education entirely in France. While he taught in Senegal between 1993 and 2002, he participated in many study abroad programs organized by American universities in Senegal.

Norbert Litoing is a doctoral student under the Committee for the Study of Religion, Harvard University. He is near native fluent in French. He specializes in the Comparative Study of Islam and Christianity in West Africa.