A Grass Valley, California-based educator and researcher with more than 35 years of experience, Robert Fettgather obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology from San Jose State University in 1979. He also received a master's degree in education from Santa Clara University. A number of years later, he earned a Ph.D. in psychology. Robert Fettgather joined Mission College in 1983 as an associate faculty member and continues to teach at the school. He leads courses such as Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and General Psychology

Robert Fettgather has also taught at San Jose State University and Agnews Developmental Center. He spent 26 years at the latter, during which time he taught courses such as Language Development and Independent Living Skills to adults with developmental disabilities. Moreover, he served four years as a volunteer at the Coalition for Elder and Disability Rights and co-founded Tashi Lhunpo Buddhist Sangha in Palo Alto.

With respect to his research, Dr. Fettgather has delivered more than a dozen presentations at events including the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Southwest Conference on Disability, and American Society on Aging Conference. He has also authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. His extracurricular interests include hiking, weight training, and meditation.