Dier earned his master's degree in Applied Leadership in Teaching and Learning at UW-Green Bay. His thesis was called, "a study of determinants that predict a quality scoring chance in ice hockey."

Dier is the UW-Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention outreach specialist for the 17-county northeastern region of Wisconsin. He promotes tobacco treatment and prevention to healthcare providers and systems, and he has assisted healthcare organizations with improving their standard of care for treating patients who smoke or chew tobacco.

"The trend is unmistakable," said Dier, himself a former smoker and chewing tobacco user. "We're freeing more people from the shackles of tobacco addiction every day."

Dier also created "Stopspitusa-talk," a national listserv dedicated to reducing and eliminating the effects of smokeless tobacco through collaboration, education and advocacy. Stopspitusa-talk serves 120 members from 28 states and Canada.

For more about Dier and the UW-Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, visit www.ctri.wisc.edu.