Bergonzi's the only celebrity, but all faculty are pros at teaching, performing and prodding.
This year, however, the biggest celebrities among college faculty members and administrators sit not in the field houses or the science labs but in the investment offices, where they have guided endowments to record gains.
While technology didn't upend higher education by creating faculty celebrities, it is making it easier to spot talent, which will have a much greater impact.
MFAs relentlessly flog their celebrity and quasi-famous faculty and guests, as well as the occasional successful student, all with the implicit promise that, "you can be one of us".
Orman also ignored the fact that her presence as a celebrity University of Phoenix faculty member enhances the lure of the school for students -- offering a Good Housekeeping endorsement that likely has been touted by Phoenix sales representatives to reel in students across the country to a program that might end up destroying their financial futures.
"The fact that this celebrity comes out means that faculty and staff have to recognize that there are L.G.B.T. students on their campus," Ms. Heath said.
While Grayling, Pinker, Dawkins, Ferguson, and other faculty at the college are celebrity academics, this does not necessarily make them the best people to learn from.
Plus, he forged the relationships with vendors, festival staff, FIU students and faculty and of course the celebrity chefs.
But celebrity was not the major factor in assembling a faculty, Mr. Rosenblatt added.
Nemerovski recruits his faculty of chefs and cookbook authors for their teaching abilities rather than their celebrity (although, celebrities they are).
