Michael Dirda is a speechwriter, ghostwriter, and strategic communications advisor with extensive professional experience in the higher education sector. He is currently serving as consigliere to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block after having previously held a similar position at UC Berkeley. Michael has also worked with numerous other prestigious academic institutions such as Stanford, Yale, Penn State, NYU, Harvard, and the College Board.

Michael's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English from Oberlin College. He has also held various professional roles throughout his career, including Senior Account Executive at Edelman, Cynthia Nickoloff Editorial Fellow at Oberlin College, Intern at the National Endowment for the Arts, and Intern at Ford's Theatre Society.

As the Director of Executive Communications at UCLA, Michael is responsible for crafting and delivering effective messaging for Chancellor Block and other campus leaders. The goal of his work is to enhance the university's reputation and promote its mission of research and education. In his previous roles, Michael has provided a range of strategic communication services to academic institutions, including speechwriting, ghostwriting, message development, media relations, and crisis management.