Dr. Michael D. Fallacaro assumed the position as Chairman for the Department of Nurse Anesthesia effective July 1, 1998 and is a tenured full professor. In January 2019, he moved from Chair to become the Director of Special Projects. He retired from full-time employment at VCU in 2021 and is now an Emeritus Professor and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia and teaches Professional Aspects of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. Dr. Fallacaro received his BSN from D'Youville College, Buffalo, New York in 1977, a BS in Anesthesia from George Washington University, Washington D.C. in 1981 and his MS and Doctorate in Nursing Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984 and 1994 respectively. Dr. Fallacaro was the previous Co-Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program in Buffalo. He has authored and co-authored nearly 50 journal articles, book chapters, and research abstracts in publications such as the AANA Journal, the American Surgeon, the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the Journal of Nursing Care Quality. Recognized as a committed academician and former clinician, he has lectured across the nation on topics relating to human factors and patient safety, the anesthesia workforce, and doctoral education. In addition, his professional achievements include securing more than 2.25 million dollars in grant funding for healthcare related training and research with emphasis on the medically underserved.