Dr. Craig Filar is the Associate Dean of Honors, Scholars and Fellows, Director of the Office of National Fellowships (ONF), and the Faculty Director of the Presidential Scholars program at Florida State University. He received his PhD in music theory from FSU, but he decided that his skill and passion for student interaction superseded his desire to be a professor. For the past 19 years, Dr. Filar has informed high achieving students about engagement opportunities to complement the work they do in their academic plans, inspiring them to outgrow their dreams, and the University Honors Program provides an amazing platform for our Honors students to do just that. His extensive experiences as a mentor have taught him that FSU students embody the academic, leadership, and service characteristics that are the hallmarks of success, both on our campus and as they head off to amazing careers as alumni. Dr. Filar served in national leadership for the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA) from 2015-2021, serving as the organization’s President from 2019-2021. He has directed the Florida State University Presidential Scholars Program since its inception in 2014, where he mentors a multidisciplinary group of engaged young scholars. Dr. Filar has guided growth in the University Honors Program over the past two years as the program has expanded its approach to engaged learning, career preparation, and an unparalleled community of learning. He dedicates (nearly all of) his time to encouraging students to pursue high impact practices and to articulate their authentic selves and discover new possibilities — that is when he is not out running marathons, enjoying time with his family and dogs, or exploring the world.