Richard A. Stafford is Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy at the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. His research and teaching interests relate to managing public policy change. He served as secretary of legislative affairs in the cabinet of Governor Dick Thornburgh from 1979 to 1983 and as the governor's chief of staff from 1985 to January 1987. He retired in 2003 from his position as chief executive officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and its affiliated regional development organizations, the Pennsylvania Economy League-Western Division, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, and Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. Stafford guided the effort to consolidate these four organizations and commit them to a unified approach to stimulate growth and improve quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania. A native of Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania, Stafford graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's in public management from the Heinz School. Stafford is also active in a family owned farming business as well as professional consulting.

Chad Martin received a BA in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 and now serves as the graduate research manager for Carnegie-Mellon University. After researching health care issues at the Heinz Foundation in Washington, D.C., the Pittsburgh-native decided to return home in pursuit of a joint graduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Juris Doctor) and the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy & Management at Carnegie Mellon University (Master of Science in Public Policy and Management). Upon completion of this unique program, Mr. Martin hopes to enter a career in the nonprofit sector.

Former Researchers (Hometown):

Shun Ming Liu (Taipei , Taiwan)

Yi-Chin Lin (Taipei , Taiwan)

Darcy Nelson (Flagstaff , AZ)

Marko Zivanov (Backa Palanka , Serbia)

Matt Christy (Altoona , PA)

Ashwin Badrinarayan