Robert F. Mitchell is a Halliburton Fellow in the Drilling and Evaluation Division of Halliburton. Previously, he was vice president of Enertech Engineering and Research Company from 1980 to 1996 and worked at Exxon Production Research Co from 1973 to 1980. Mitchell has published more than 80 papers on wellbore and well completion problems. He edited the Drilling Engineering volume of SPE's 2007 Petroleum Engineering Handbook and is currently lead editor for the SPE textbook Fundamentals of Drilling Engineering. He has served as a technical editor for several peer-reviewed journals and served as the Executive Editor of SPE Drilling & Completion. Mitchell holds BA, MME, and PhD degrees from Rice University. He was the recipient of the 2005 SPE Drilling Engineering Award.

Stefan Z. Miska is currently Jonathan Detwiler Endowed Chair Professor of Petroleum Engineering and Director of Tulsa University Drilling Research Projects (TUDRP) at The University of Tulsa (TU). He obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Mining and Metallurgy in Cracow, Poland. Over the years, he has taught at his Alma Mater, at the Norwegian Institute of Technology and New Mexico Tech. In 1992 he joined TU as Chair of its P.E. Department. Miska published over 160 technical papers and contributed to several books. His current research interests are focused on wellbore hydraulics, mechanics of tubulars and directional drilling. He is involved with the SPE in many ways; he has served as Technical Editor for Drilling and Completion and is a member of the Drilling and Completion Advisory Committee. He was also the recipient of the 2000 Distinguished Petroleum Engineering Faculty, 2003 Outstanding Technical Editor and the 2004 Drilling Engineering awards. Miska also serves on the JPT Editorial Committee.