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HAL URBANBiography
Hal Urban was born in San Francisco and grew up in the northern California town of Redding. He went to college on an academic/athletic scholarship, attending the University of San Francisco, where he made the Dean's Honor Roll every semester, played Division I basketball, was a student body officer, and president of his fraternity.
Urban continued his education at USF, earning a California teaching credential, a Master's degree in history, and a Doctorate in education. He did post-doctoral work at Stanford University in the Psychology of Peak Performance.
He was a teacher for thirty-six years: full time at San Carlos and Woodside High Schools, and part time at his alma mater, the University of San Francisco. He won numerous awards at both levels, including the Character Center's National Educator of the Year award in 1999. Students at USF awarded him the Lifelong Learning Award in 1988 and the Most Supportive Professor Award in 1990. He won a Distinguished Teacher Award at San Carlos High and was Teacher of the Year twice at Woodside High. He served as a Mentor Teacher five times in his school district.
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Dr. Urban has been on the speaking circuit since 1995. He has traveled more than a million miles, and has made more than a thousand presentations in forty states and in five foreign countries. One of his presentations was a keynote address in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. He speaks to teachers at all grade levels, students of all ages, and parents. He has keynoted at several state and national conferences. In addition, he speaks to people in business, health care, service organizations, and places of worship.
In October, 2005, Hal was presented with the Sanford N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award in Character Education at the Character Education Partnership annual conference in Atlanta.
Urban raised three sons as a single father, and now lives in Redwood City, California with his wife Cathy. A former college athlete and marathon runner, he remains devoted to physical fitness and athletics, and plays competitive softball at the senior level. He has visited 48 states and 67 countries on five continents. His other interests are photography, gardening, and his family, especially his two granddaughters, Jackie and Natalie.
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