Forum Network

David T. Gordon is editor of the Harvard Education Letter, the award-winning publication on K-12 education, and of the book *The Digital Classroom: How Technology is Changing the Way We Teach and Learn*.

Jeff Howard is founder and president of The Efficacy Institute, a national, not for profit agency of education reform. The Efficacy Institute is committed to the mission of developing all young people to high standards, particularly children of color and the economically disadvantaged. Howard holds an AB from Harvard College and a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University.

professor, economics, Harvard

The 2008-09 season marks the second year at MIT for Holly Metcalf. She returned to the collegiate ranks last year after establishing several successful non-profit organizations. Metcalf was a six-time member of the U.S. National Team and won five World Championship and Olympic medals. At the 1984 Olympics she captured the Gold medal in the women's eight. She has coached extensively at the club, college, and national team levels, including stints at Radcliffe College and Mount Holyoke College. Metcalf also coached the Silver-medal winning crew at the 1990 World Championships. More recently, Metcalf used rowing to enrich the lives of hundreds of women and girls through a variety of non-profit programs. In 1994, she founded the Row As One Institute, which provides masters women with top-level coaching. Metcalf was among the first to take older women seriously as rowing athletes and provided the support they needed to reach their athletic potential. She extended this concept to inner-city girls in 1996 with her G-ROW program in Watertown, Massachusetts. Six years later Metcalf established WeCanRow, a wellness and rehabilitation organization for female cancer survivors. Due to its success, it has recently evolved into WeCanRow National, which will assist the development of similar programs throughout the country.

Nikki Giovanni is a world renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past 30 years, Giovanni's outspokenness, in her writing and in lectures, has brought much attention. She is committed to the fight for civil rights and equality and has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community.