David Diener

Dr. David Diener grew up in northern Michigan and northeast Ohio where he spent his childhood working in the family gardens, cutting wood, playing in corn fields, Bible quizzing, downhill skiing, playing music, and of course studying assiduously in school. He began his formal post-secondary education at Wheaton College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Ancient Languages. After putting his philosophical training to work by building custom cabinets and doing high-end finish carpentry for an Amish company, he moved with his wife to Bogotá, Colombia, where they served as missionaries for three years at a Christian international school. He then attended graduate school at Indiana University where he earned an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education. Other random credentials include a ham radio license and a private pilot license. Following fifteen years in K-12 private education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools, he now works at Hillsdale College where he is an Assistant Professor of Education. He also is a Fellow on the Alcuin Fellowship National Council and Director of the Alcuin Fellowship Midwest Chapter, serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Learning and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test, and is a member of the National Council of Classical Educators. He is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and has published articles on Plato, Kierkegaard, and various topics in philosophy of education. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press’ series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for the journal Principia: A Journal of Classical Education. In addition to reading and thinking about anything interesting, Dr. Diener enjoys outdoor activities, exercise and sports, singing and playing music, hunting, carpentry, electrical engineering, and of course spending time with his wife and four children.