Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec is an author licensed psychologist coach and educator. He is Education Director of the VIA Institute on Character (www.viacharacter.org) a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati where he leads workshops training practitioners around the world on the science and practice of character strengths. Ryan is author of Mindfulness and Character Strengths (2013) and co-author of Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths (2008; 2013) and Movies and Mental Illness (2005; 2010) and a number of book chapters and articles. He’s Associate Editor of the journal PsycCRITIQUES Consulting Editor to the Journal of Popular Media Culture and is Chair of the Media Watch Committee for the American Psychological Association (APA). In 2011 he was awarded the Distinguished Early Career award from APA’s media psychology division.