Recognized as one of the leading scholars in American education, Dr. Fetterman is author to 16 books and hundreds of articles and chapters on the subject. The recommendations from his book, Excellence and Equality, led the U.S. Department of Education to formulate a panel to select a national center for the gifted and talented. As an appointed member, Dr. Fetterman recommended the University of Connecticut to the panel, granting the University a $10 million federal award for the National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented, now directed by Dr. Joseph Renzulli. Dr. Fetterman’s fields of expertise include evaluation, medical and teacher education, dropout programs, gifted and talented education, higher education, and distance learning. His empowerment evaluation method (a self-help approach) makes great contribution to the theory and practice of education–and according to the American Evaluation Association, remains “one of the greatest evaluation innovations of the past two decades.”

Dr. Romanoff has witnessed significant gains and challenges in the field of pain management since beginning his career as an anesthesiologist in 1987. The increased use of controlled opioid medications for non-malignant chronic pain has proved controversial, providing much needed aid to many individuals while fostering an epidemic of overdoses and addiction in both patients and society. Dr. Romanoff is on the committee on Narcotic Use and Diversion of the North Carolina Medical Society in North Carolina (NC), one of four states with the highest incidence of abuse. In 2007, Dr. Romanoff helped create a centralized database of all controlled medicines in NC. In addition, he has participated in several state-wide committees focusing on developing protocols and policies for the reporting and monitoring of narcotic use. In 2013, he was selected to participate in Project Lazarus–an educational and mentoring program set up by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Romanoff’s continued lecturing, mentoring, and advising display his efforts to combat prescription drug abuse and ensure safe access to medication for those in need.