Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt are the authors of the 1999 Frandson Award winning book Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom (Jossey-Bass, 1999), Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom (Jossey-Bass, 2001), and The Virtual Student (Jossey-Bass, 2003). They are consulting editors to Jossey-Bass on a series of faculty guides for online learning and have contributed their own work to the series entitled, Collaborating Online: Learning Together in Community (Jossey-Bass, 2005). All of their books are comprehensive guides to the development of an online environment that helps promote successful learning outcomes while building and fostering a sense of community among the learners. Drs. Palloff and Pratt have been presenting this work across the United States and internationally since 1994 as well as consulting to business, health care, and academic institutions regarding the development of effective distance learning programs.

Rena M. Palloff, Ph.D., LCSW
Rena has consulted extensively in health care, academic settings, and addiction treatment for well over 20 years. Rena is faculty at the Fielding Graduate Institute, in the Educational Leadership and Change Program and also in the masters' degree program in Organizational Behavior/Organization Development. She is also adjunct faculty at Capella University in the School of Human Services. Additionally, she has taught classes on organizational behavior and management and leadership on an adjunct basis for the International Studies Program at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas in various sites throughout the Pacific Rim and counseling psychology students at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, CA. Rena received a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was a practicing clinical social worker, specializing in work with adolescents and their families. She holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Development and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from The Fielding Graduate Institute.

Keith Pratt, Ph.D.
Keith began his career as a Computer Systems Technician with the Air Force in 1967. After leaving the Air Force, Keith held positions as Registrar and Faculty (Charter College), Director Chapman College, and Trainer and Consultant (The Growth Company). Keith was an Assistant Professor in the International Studies Program and the Chair of the Management Information Systems Program, main campus and overseas, at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. Keith is currently adjunct faculty at The Fielding Graduate Institute in Educational Leadership and Change as well as a number of other institutions including Baker University and Northwest Arkansas Community College. He has served as a Senior Project Manager for Datatel, working with community colleges throughout the United States and Canada on administrative software installations. Keith graduated from Wayland Baptist University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Computer Systems Technology. He has a Master of Science Degree in Human Resource Management (with honors) from Chapman University. He holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Development and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from The Fielding Institute and an honorary Doctorate of Science in Economics from Moscow State University.