Position: Founder and Chair

James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world’s most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Randi has pursued “psychic” spoonbenders, exposed the dirty tricks of faith healers, investigated homeopathic water “with a memory,” and generally been a thorn in the sides of those who try to pull the wool over the public’s eyes in the name of the supernatural. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1986. On October 19, 1993, the PBS-TV NOVA program broadcast a one-hour special dealing with Randi’s life work, particularly with his investigations of Uri Geller and various occult and healing claims being made by scientists in Russia. In 2012, Randi received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Humanist Association and a Lifetime Fellowship from his peers in the Academy of Magical Arts. He is the author of numerous books, including The Truth About Uri Geller, The Faith Healers, Flim-Flam!, and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. His lectures and television appearances have delighted – and vexed – audiences around the world. In 1996, the James Randi Education Foundation was established to further Randi’s work. Randi’s long-standing challenge to psychics now stands as a $1,000,000 prize administered by the Foundation. It remains unclaimed.

Ph: (213) 293-3092 ext. 8

Position: President

D.J. Grothe has lectured widely on topics at the intersection of education, science and belief at universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and dozens of others. Formerly a professional magician and mentalist, he has special interests in the psychology of belief and processes of deception and self-deception. He hosts the radio show and podcast For Good Reason , prior to which he hosted over 200 episodes of the popular interview program Point of Inquiry, which he and his partner Thomas Donnelly created in 2005. D.J. has been profiled in St. Louis Magazine, Pacific Standard, Creative Loafing, and others.   

Email: djgrothe@randi.org
Ph: (213) 293-3092 ext. 6

Position: Outreach Coordinator

Brian Thompson has for several years promoted scientific skepticism through humor and entertainment on podcasts, blogs, and in print media.  His writing has appeared in Skeptical Inquirer and the Young Australian Skeptics Blog Anthology.  At the JREF, Brian works with grassroots skeptical organizations and multimedia content producers to promote science and reason to the widest possible audience. He also hosts the JREF podcast Consequence and produces the video series The Randi Show. Brian was profiled on Libsyn as the co-creator of one of the most interesting contemporary podcasts.

Email: brian@randi.org
Ph: (213) 293-3092 ext. 5

Position: Educational Programs Consultant

Barbara Drescher taught cognitive psychology and quantitative research methods, primarily at California State University, Northridge, for a decade. She developed award-winning material and text for teaching science and critical thinking. As a National Science Foundation Fellow and Phi Kappa Phi Scholar, Barbara studied visual attention, perception, learning, and reasoning. At ICBSEverywhere.com and elsewhere, Barbara evaluates claims and research, discusses education, and promotes science and skepticism.

Position: Managing Editor of Randi.org

Maria Myrback is managing editor of randi.org. She is a former journalist and blogger. She has been involved in the skeptical community since the first Skeptic Track at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA in 2008. She is a former self-proclaimed "Woo Goddess" who, thanks to her involvement in skepticism, is currently pursing a degree in the biological sciences. She also writes about her learning experience at FledgelingSkeptic.com.