Paul Kurtz, Founder

Dr. Paul Kurtz [1925-2012] was Professor of philosophy (retired emeritus) at the State University of New York at Amherst (Buffalo) and founder of the Center for Inquiry Transnational, the Council for Secular Humanism, and Prometheus Books, and a founder of CSICOP. He was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and humanist laureate and president of the International Academy of Humanism.

Toni Van Pelt, Chairwoman

Toni Van Pelt is president of the National Organization for Women, and previously served as president of the Kurtz Institute (the Institute for Science and Human Values). During her decades of advocacy and activism, she has focused on the separation of church and state, secularism, and women's and LGBTQI rights. She launched and directed one of the first public policy offices of the secular humanist movement in Washington, DC as the vice president of the Center for Inquiry Office of Public Policy.

Soma (Sam) Ilangovan, Board president

Soma Ilangovan M.D., (Gastroenterolgy), is founder, and director of Periyar International, USA.

Vincent Parr, Secretary

Vince Parr Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, post doctorate at the Albert Ellis Institute and a co-founder of the Paul Kurtz Institute for Science and Human Values.

D.J. Grothe, Board Member

D.J. Grothe has lectured widely on topics at the intersection of science and ethics at dozens of universities including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, UCLA and UC Berkeley. Once a professional magician, with special interests in the psychology of belief and processes of deception and self-deception, Grothe is formerly president and CEO of The James Randi Educational Foundation and served for many years as vice president at the Center for Inquiry. He is the editor of On the Beauty of Science, about the work and worldview of Nobel Laureate Herbert Hauptman.

Robert Tapp, Ph.d., Board Member

Bob Tapp is Professor Emeritus of Humanities, University of Minnesota, and serves as associate editor of the Paul Kurtz Institute’s journal, Human Prospect.

Saroja ILANGOVAN M.D., board member

Saroja is a retired neuropathologist from from Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.

Stuart jordan, ph.d., board member

Stuart Jordan Ph.D., is senior staff scientist (retired emeritus) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

gary berg-cross, ph.d., Treasurer

Gary Berg-Cross is principle research scientist at Advanced Decision Systems and a cognitive psychologist in private practice in Maryland.

Olga Bourlin, Editor, human prospect

Olga Bourlin was past vice-president of the Humanists of Washington. She has written for Free Inquiry, AAH Examiner, and the Secular Humanist Press. She frequently contributes to BlackPast.org and is editor of The Human Prospect.

Norm Allen, assistant editor, human prospect

Norm R. Allen Jr. is the editor of two ground-breaking books: African-American Humanism: An Anthology, and The Black Humanist Experience: An Alternative to Religion. For over twenty years, Allen was the first — and only full-time — African American secular humanist to travel the world promoting secular humanism. He has spoken on numerous radio and television shows including National Public Radio and to 72 humanist groups in 30 African nations. His writings have appeared in numerous books and encyclopedias, including Voices for Evolution, published by the National Center for Science Education.