Diane Dreher
Diane Dreher is a writer, college professor, spiritual counselor, and retreat director. She has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as credentials in spiritual counseling and holistic health. Diane has written the best-selling Tao of Inner Peace, The Tao of Personal Leadership, The Tao of Womanhood, Inner Gardening, and Your Personal Renaissance: 12 Steps to Finding Your Life’s True Calling. Her books offer practical strategies from Eastern and Western philosophy to help readers meet the challenges of contemporary life. Diane’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, Redbook, Glamour, Working Woman, Entrepreneur, and web sites on leadership and personal growth. She is Professor of English, Work/life Balance Consultant, and Research Associate at the Spirituality and Health Institute at Santa Clara University.
Juan Velasco
Juan Velasco has been practicing Zen meditation since 1992 and is currently a Bodhisattva Teacher at Empty Gate Zen Center in Berkeley. A literature professor at Santa Clara University, Juan has a Ph.D. in Latin American literature from the University of Madrid and a Ph.D. from UCLA in U.S. Hispanic Literature. He has published poetry, short stories and fiction in both English and Spanish. Velasco’s novel in Spanish, Enamorado, tells the story of an Indian monk’s travels through China. His book of poetry, The Massacre of the Dreamers, will be published by Editorial Polibea in Madrid, Spain, in December. At Santa Clara, he has been a facilitator in the Ignatian Faculty Forum, which provides an opportunity for faculty members to explore how faith intersects with justice, creativity, and the academy.