Diacon, Todd

Education: Ph.D. and master’s degree, University of Wisconsin-Madison; bachelor’s degree, Southwestern College, Kansas

First Thing I Do When I Start My Day: I drink a cup of coffee, read The Wall Street Journal and then run for three miles.

What Motivates Me: When I look out my office window I see our students, and when doing so I’m reminded of why we do the work that we do.

My Very First Job and What I Learned From It: Peeling potatoes as a 14-year-old at our local Kentucky Fried Chicken. I learned that money allows you to buy things but doesn’t in and of itself make you happy.

Hobby/Passion: Reading books (fiction and nonfiction)

If I Were a Character from a TV Show or Movie, I’d Be: Pretty much any character played by Michael Cera