Testimonials

(selected)

For over 25 years, Dr. Fetterman has received accolades for his keynote presentations, workshops, evaluation projects, mentorship, executive coaching, management consulting, and leadership in education, evaluation, teaching, medical education, and ethnography. 

Knowledge & Accessibility

• I've noticed the topic of Empowerment Evaluation as one that stands out not only for its being a "hot" topic and greatly commented upon, but because its "founder" David Fetterman, is the most vocal. I have been impressed by his words and gained much insight from his postings; but more to the point, I am most impressed by his constant presence on the site. Too often in this "flattened" world of ours (to quote Thomas Friedman) where interconnections are increasingly easier, those who are most knowledgeable tend to be the most shielded. Although ubiquity is rampant, getting to the real source is often difficult. So thank you David Fetterman for your unceasing accessibility and commentary. It is appreciated by those of us who are new to the game and is, in fact, empowering. Karen Davis, MsEd candidate, University of Miami. (2013)

Educator, Presenter & Communicator

• "You are a truly a great educator, instructor, and communicator!"
• Congratulations on being one of AEA's top presenters! (American Evaluation Association)
• Congratulations.  God bless you and your dedicated team and thumbs up for all that you do."
• My evaluation skills were enhanced as a result of your workshops. I learned a lot from you. I am most appreciative to you for teaching me how to identify and track progress as well as the way you helped me to present information that captures the attention of the reader through graphs and charts."

Keynote Presentations

The power of David's work lies in how immediately useful and widely accessible it is. I have just completed my tenure as the Chair of the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association, and as the 2011 Conference Chair I can attest to the fact that the participants were completely engaged in David's workshops and keynote address.

I am convinced that SAMEA will have to consider bringing David back for additional workshops on Empowerment Evaluation, since we had to turn so many away due to it being over-subscribed. One of the reasons for the success of the 2011 Conference was largely due to David's presence and inputs, and we are so very grateful that he found the time to support SAMEA in this way.

David not only preaches empowerment, but lives it as well - I spent much of my time with him asking questions and probing about his experiences and perspectives, and I found him open, engaging and extremely helpful and coach-like during our interactions.

Designing evaluations for the public sector (where I currently work) is difficult largely due to issues of complexity and the management of the demands of various stakeholders/partners. I think that using empowerment evaluation as a point of departure to evaluating complicated and complex public sector development programmes is an answer to this, since it focuses the attention on those for whom services are provided, and away from the complexity, other interests or stale methodological debates.

I have been inspired to immerse myself in the study and use of EE, and hope to share my experiences with other evaluators as I do so. Thanks once again to David for his work and his generous spirit.

Candice Morkel
M&E specialist (Public Sector)
South Africa

 

Invited Talks & Presentations

 

"Great presenter!"

"Made what could have been a complex topic very simple and practical."

"Enjoyed presentation and application to every day work!  Thank you...Excellent work!"

   - American Evaluation Association - Invited Presentations - audience responses

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Dear Dr. Fetterman,

It was great to meet you this week in Arkansas.  I really enjoyed your presentations.  You helped make all the calculations and data gathering more practical and functional for me.  All the personal examples and stories about your experience made your presentation excellent.  I will look forward to any future meetings that you conduct for MISRGO.

Sincerely,

Joey Hinson

Project Director

Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Research Grant Office

University of Arkanas at Pine Bluff

 

Workshops

• "Dr. Fetterman was great!"
• "I liked the technology implemented into the workshop. 
• "Evaluation made easier."
• "Gives you a method to take home."

   - American Evaluation Association Workshop - participants

   

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Dear Dr. Fetterman.

Thanks again, for your everlasting patience and concern with the sub-grantees during the 6th Annual Clearning the Air for Communities of Color Conference.  You always have informative and inspirational material for our consideration.  I'm sure I speak for the other attendees when I say that this workshop was comforting, as you gave us valuable information on how to present our work and how to relate to legislators (and others) concerning how extremely important our work is to the industry.

Thanks again for your concern and hard work!

Pastors Eddie and Carolyn Yarborough

 

Evaluation Projects (selected)

 

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation - Knight Digital Media Center

        

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Knight Case Studies Initiative

      

Senatorial Support - Academic Programs

    

 

Management (auditing, executive coaching, organizational development)


“After I redefined the qualifications for hiring a senior internal auditor at Stanford to entail an earned Ph.D. or equivalent, ten-plus years of a combination of teaching, research and evaluating at the university level, a self-motivating work ethic and excellent communication skills, David Fetterman represented the best among equal colleagues for his sophisticated work designs to evaluating academic and clinical managerial functions and program outcomes. His ability to work with faculty and executive senior management independently significantly enhanced his work quality plus the reputation of the Internal Audit Department within Stanford University and Stanford University Hospital and nationally within professional organizations. I recommend him to you.” March 30, 2012 (LinkedIn)

Peter Millington, Director of Internal Audit, Stanford University and Stanford University Medical Center (manager/colleague)


 

Leadership in the Field

 

"The American Evaluation Association proudly recognizes David M. Fetterman for valued service as President and Board Member.  Your leadership has both sustained and enriched this organization."

Dr. Fetterman has received the highest honors in the field of evaluation, including the:

• Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Award for Evaluation Practice and the
• Paul S. Lazarsfeld Award for Outstanding Contributions to Evaluation Theory.

 

"David Fetterman, a division director at the Stanford University School of Medicine, received the Outstanding Higher Education Professional Award."

Dr. David Fetterman, director of the Policy Analysis and Evaluation Program at Stanford's School of Education, was told his students "raised $10,000 in his name for the computer lab at the Belle Haven Elementary School in east Menlo Park."  The "inspiration for the fundraiser came from his lectures about wealthier schools that have access to computers and poorer schools that do not."

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Dear Professor Fetterman,

Many thanks and appreciation for your excellent work and leadership in the field.

Shalom/Peace/Best Wishes.

Leonard Morgenbesser, Ph.D.

Albany, N.Y.

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Hi,

We talked to some RWJ staff and found your book, and figured out that what we were doing was right. Your book really helped because our superiors were freaking out. And when someone like you puts their stamp of approval on the process, it becomes normalized. 

Before that, I was fighting for my projects, every step of the way.  

Thanks again; 

LinkedIn Colleague

 

 

International (selected)

 

Rio de Janeiro

November 12, 2013

 

Mr. Linh Nguyen

Vice President Learning and Impact

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

U.S.A.

 

Dear Mr. Nguyen,

 

I am delighted to learn that Dr. David Fetterman is working with you, and it is a great pleasure and an honor to acknowledge the contributions that Dr. Fetterman has made to evaluation practice in Brazil.

As an active member of the American Evaluation Association, I have known and followed Dr. Fetterman’s work inside and outside his conference sessions, and recently, I have had several opportunities to work with Dr. Fetterman here in Brazil. His onsite visits, lectures, demonstrations and workshops at several Brazilian institutions including the Cesgranrio Foundation have been effective in helping people learn how to apply empowerment evaluation. They have inspired the audiences to apply these concepts with success at their own institutions (universities, schools and evaluation centers) to empower themselves and accomplish their goals and objectives. Dr. Fetterman has the unique talent of communicating high quality academic and experiential knowledge through his energetic yet simple, authentic, and personable presence. His work holds great promise for the development of our educational, social, health, and  community programs through empowerment.  We hope for continued opportunities to work with Dr. Fetterman as we pursue learning how to improve these programs with innovative evaluation.     

 

Yours sincerely,

Thereza Penna Firme, Ph.D

Evaluation Coordinator,    Evaluation, Center of Cesgranrio Foundation

Professor  (retired) of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Teaching (sample)

        Stanford University Teaching (evaluation)

   

           American Evaluation Association Workshopand Webinar Teaching (selected))





 

Medical Education - Stanford University School of Medicine

 

       ADVISING DEAN

 

Dear David,

 

Your evaluation efforts have been a monumental contribution to our educating and guiding these wonderful young men and women who desire to be the best doctors they can be.  So the very least I can say is many thanks for your very meaningful efforts on behalf of ourmedical students!!!  Very much appreciated!!!

Professor Oscar Salvatierra

Advising Dean

School of Medicine

CO-DIRECTOR

Dear David,

Kelly and I would like to thank you for sharing your passion for your work with the faculty attending our Clinical Teaching facilitator-training course in October.  They were very interested in to hear your work in education and medical education. We are so gald you could join us and make a special contribution to their experience at Stanford.

With much gratitude,

Georgette, Stratos, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Stanford Faculty Development Center

Stanford University School of Medicine

CHIEF OF GENERAL SURGERY

To:  Senior Associate Dean &  Associate Dean:

Re:  Dr. David Fetterman

I wanted to send you both a quick note to let you know how helpful David Fetterman and his group has been to me and the department of surgery.  He has faciliated a departmental retreat to talk about improving the clerkship, traveled to our non-Stanford sites to help with faculty training, and has always provided me with cumulative feedback and ideas on how we can continue to improve the clerkship. It has been an invaluable resource to me to have access to. Daivd is always responsive to my requests and provides me with the data and input I need.  I have found it helpful to discuss new ideas with him.  I am glad that we have access to his service and expertise and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.

Dr. Sherry Wren

Director of Clerkships

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Chair, Faculty Senate

Stanford University School of Medicine

Chief of General Surgery, Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto

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David,

All of the Stanford sites want you to come and work directly with them to help improve their teaching.  The difference you made at Kaiser and SCVMC were visible and clearly effective. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Sherry Wren

Director of Clerkships

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Chair, Faculty Senate

Stanford University School of Medicine

Chief of General Surgery, Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto

ENDOCRINOLOGIST

Dear David,

Please excuse the hyperbole, but I am truly overcome by your response to my e-mail.  I have been at Stanford for a long time, and cannot think of any time in the past when I have been the recipient of such thoughtful and effective administrative action.  You understood the situation perfectly, and engineered a great solution to what in the large picture is a trivial issue.  Thank you so much.

With great respect.

Professor Emeritus Jerry Reaven

Endocrinologist

School of Medicine

DIRECTOR OF CLERKSHIPS

"David has made several site visits to assist clerkship directors in revising their orientations, syllabi, and student performance evaluations.  End-of-clerkship evaluations demonstrate improved ratings as a result of feedback and coaching; narrative performance evaluations have improved in terms of completeness and level of detail."