Dean Pickard is an award-winning educator and professor of philosophy and the humanities, a former professional musician, martial arts instructor for 25 years, member of Phi Beta Kappa, a recipient of research grants from the National Endowment of the Humanities as well as the Liberty Fund, and has received various fellowships, scholarships, and academic awards. Dr. Pickard has published several books as well as articles and book reviews in academic and popular publications. He has given radio talks, papers, workshops, and public presentations in the United States and abroad. He has used his success in business to establish several trusts and foundations devoted to philanthropy to promote the humanities and their interface with the wider public. His most recent contribution in this regard has been to support scholarship in philosophical hermeneutics and phenomenology, particularly the work of Prof. John Russon and his students.