Ryan M. Niemiec, PsyD, is a leading figure in the education, research, and practice of character strengths that are found in all human beings. Ryan is education director of the (Values in Action) VIA Institute on Character, a global non profit organization in Cincinnati, OH, 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. Ryan is author of several books, including Character Strengths Interventions; Mindfulness and Character Strengths; Movies and Mental Illness; and Positive Psychology at the Movies. He's penned hundreds of articles for the general public on character strengths, and more than sixty scholarly articles/chapters. He lives with his wife and three kids in Loveland, OH. 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, and fairness.