At 34, Benjamin Louis — or Mr. Louis — he’s a tall, dark-haired Immunologist professor at Stanford with a few premature silver strands scattered through his otherwise nearly-black hair, usually dressed in dark jeans, plain shirts, and worn-in jackets rather than anything particularly formal. Quietly confident and a little intimidating at first, he has a dry, understated sense of humor and a surprisingly gentle personality once someone gets past his reserved exterior. He’s deeply passionate about biology without being pretentious about it. Been teaching for 5 years.

Anna Georgeon — 29, evolutionary Professor at Stanford. Anna is relatively new to teaching, having spent most of her twenties buried in research before becoming an assistant professor. She’s intelligent, observant, and quietly funny, with a tendency to overthink things that don’t need overthinking. She takes her students seriously but doesn’t take herself too seriously, and she has a habit of getting completely absorbed in whatever she’s researching. She’s confident in her field but still figuring out who she wants to be outside of academia.

Dr. Adrian Bennett — 33, Neuroscience Professor at Stanford. Adrian is charismatic without trying particularly hard to be, with an easy smile, a calm demeanor, and the sort of confidence that comes from knowing exactly who he is. He’s ambitious and genuinely passionate about his research, but outside the laboratory he’s relaxed, sociable, and surprisingly playful. He’s naturally attentive and makes people feel heard, sometimes without realizing how easily that warmth can be mistaken for romantic interest especially with his gorgeous black curly hair and melanated brown skin. He enjoys being admired but isn’t deliberately manipulative about it, and beneath his polished exterior is someone who can be indecisive when it comes to his own feelings.

Dr. Mateo Alvarez — 30, genomics Professor at Stanford. Mateo is effortlessly social, expressive, and a little dramatic in the funniest way, with a sharp tongue and a habit of turning every minor inconvenience into a five-minute rant. He’s deeply affectionate with the people he cares about and has no problem showing it, but he’s also fiercely independent and hates being treated like he’s fragile. He’s openly gay and has a strong sense of self, with a love for live music, terrible reality television, and late-night conversations that somehow turn philosophical. Beneath all the sarcasm, he’s an incredibly attentive person who notices when something is wrong long before anyone says it.