After spending the first part of his life starting colts and training wild and "problem" horses for various ranches in Ohio, Georgia, and California, Ned Weidner transitioned into academia where he earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University. There he researched the cultural politics surrounding wildlife management in California.  Even as an academic, he never strayed too far from all things wild. Currently he is a professor of English and the former chair of the English, Literature, and Creative Writing department at Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California.  He is the founder of Wildness Within, a wilderness empowerment community for men of all ages designed to connect them to their purpose through embodied nature immersions.  He is also the author of multiple academic and creative nonfiction works.  His memoir, which describes his journey through addiction and depression with the help of wilderness and horses entitled, The Gods of Wild Things is currently under review.