Ryan Niemiec

Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec is a leading figure in the education, research, and practice of character strengths that are found in all human beings. Ryan is author of several books including Character Strengths Interventions; Mindfulness and Character Strengths; Movies and Mental Illness; and Positive Psychology at the Movies. Ryan is education director of the VIA Institute on Character, a global, non-profit organization in Cincinnati that advances the latest science and practical applications of character strengths. He’s an award-winning psychologist and adjunct professor at Xavier University, and annual instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded Fellow of the International Positive Psychology Association in 2017. As a frequent keynoter and workshop leader, he’s offered several-hundred presentations on positive psychology topics across the globe. He’s penned hundreds of articles for the general public on character strengths and more than 60 scholarly articles/chapters. He lives with his wife and three kids (all 6 and under) in the Cincinnati area. Ryan is an avid collector of Pez dispensers, a passionate fan of The Walking Dead, and a zealot for Michigan State athletics. His highest strengths are hope, love, curiosity, honesty, fairness, and appreciation of beauty.