Ed Dante

Who is Ed Dante?

Ed Dante is the pseudonym of Dave Tomar, a graduate of Rutgers now a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. The writer ignited controversy in the academic community when his article The Shadow Scholar appeared in the chronicle review section of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The article detailed the writer’s experiences as a ghostwriter paid to help students cheat at every level of formal education. The writer claims to have assisted college, graduate and doctoral students by accepting money in exchange for writing their assignments over the course of a decade. The Shadow Scholar was met with extensive debate amongst students, educators, and parents. It became the most popularly commented-on article in the Chronicle Review’s history and brought wider attention to issues relating to student cheating, plagiarism, and academic integrity.

In January 2011, Ed Dante appeared on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and Nightline. On both programs, Dante’s voice and face were concealed. Also in January, Bloomsbury USA announced that it had signed Ed Dante to write a book based on his experiences.

In March 2011, Ed Dante’s The Shadow Scholar received special citation by The National Awards For Education Reporting Association.