David Kent Ballast, FAIA, NCARB, CSI, is the owner of Architectural Research Consulting, a firm offering information and management services to architects, interior designers, and the construction industry. Mr. Ballast taught interior construction and other courses for twenty years at Arapahoe Community College. A licensed architect in Colorado and an NCIDQ certificate holder, Mr. Ballast has authored many books published by PPI on design topics and ARE review.
Holly Williams Leppo, AIA, is an NCARB-certified architect, an NCIDQ certificate holder, and a LEED AP. Ms. Leppo has authored and co-authored several ARE and LEED exam review books published by PPI.  She holds a bachelor of integrative arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University and a master of architecture degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Rima Taher, PhD, PE, has been teaching ARE review courses in general structures and lateral forces since 2002 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where she received a university-wide award for teaching excellence. Dr. Taher earned her master of science and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from the historic and prestigious École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. She has also lectured on the topic of wind engineering and structural design for high winds and hurricanes at the Wind Engineering Research Center at the Tokyo Polytechnic University. She is a licensed civil and structural engineer in New Jersey.