Greg has a B.A. in biology from Gettysburg College, an M.S. in biology with a concentration in marine biology from Northeastern University, and a V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (1988). He worked for a large wholesaler of ornamental fishes before joining the faculty at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, where he is Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife, and Zoological Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine and the European College of Zoological Medicine. Greg is an author on over 200 popular and scientific articles and speaks locally, nationally and internationally. He’s also authored or co-authored over 30 book chapters and edited or co-edited five veterinary textbooks. Greg has made 21 trips to the Galápagos doing conservation work on a wide variety of native species. He and his wife, Dr. Diane Deresienski (also a veterinarian and NC State professor), live in Raleigh.

Emi Retter has a PhD in Animal Science (aquatic ecology) from the University of Illinois and a DVM from North Carolina State University. She is currently a veterinary ophthalmology resident at NC State University with a longstanding passion for turtles and wildlife medicine. Before beginning her residency, she was a co-president of the Turtle Rescue Team at NC State and she launched the inaugural Turtle Ally Certification Program in 2021. Her research has focused on the diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease in multiple species, including eastern box turtles, and she has published multiple studies on turtle health and wildlife medicine. Dr. Retter currently lives in Cary with her husband, Jon, and two dogs, Tulip and Aspen.