Caleb Hardner has been teaching history since 2011. A native of Northwestern Pennsylvania, his endless fascination with the American West led him first to Colorado, where he earned a BA from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Caleb then pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, specializing in American imperialism and the history of medicine. His scholarship on the role of disease and public health in the colonization of the Hawaiian Islands has been published in Diplomatic History.

Since completing his PhD in 2021, Caleb has focused on working with students who learn differently, first as an instructor with New Hampshire Job Corps and most recently as a teacher at Newport Academy, a residential program for teens living with mental health challenges. Caleb values history for its power to contextualize the present and delineate possible avenues for change. He could not be more excited to join the faculty of Compass High School, as this represents a dream opportunity to combine his passions for academic history and individualized, student-centered learning.

Outside of teaching, Caleb enjoys gardening, raising cats, and taking in all the scenic beauty the Bay Area has to offer.