Who is Dr. Hyde from Looking for Alaska and what is their importance?

The elderly Dr. Hyde teaches Miles' favorite class, World Religions. Hyde's teaching methods and the content of his classes are important triggers for the self-realizations Miles comes to over the course of the narrative. Hyde displays an unexpectedly sensitive and wise side to himself when he pays tribute to Alaska after her death and uses her contributions to class as tools for instructing students in the ways of both life and philosophy.