Dr. Claudia Hauer

Claudia has been opening minds and challenging assumptions at St. John’s College since 1994, bringing ancient wisdom into vibrant conversation with our modern lives. After earning her Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Minnesota and teaching at Cornell, she expanded her influence as Visiting Professor in both Philosophy and English at the Air Force Academy.

Her 2020 book, Strategic Humanism: Lessons on Leadership from the Ancient Greeks, cuts through millennia to reveal how classical wisdom remains surprisingly relevant to today’s leadership challenges. As a sought-after voice on numerous podcasts – including EconTalk, Combat & Classics, Classical Wisdom, and The Reeds – Claudia bridges scholarly depth with accessible insight.

Her recent thought-provoking St. John’s podcast, “Practicing for Death: Integrating Mind and Body, East and West,” exemplifies her gift for connecting seemingly disparate traditions into a coherent whole.

A beloved regular in the St. John’s Summer Classics program, Claudia creates learning experiences that participants describe as both intellectually rigorous and deeply personal – exactly the transformative combination we’ve crafted for this retreat.