My first taste of the intellectual life was bestowed on me by the late Samuel Oliner. In addition to being a founder of the sociology of altruism, and a prolific scholar of race and ethnicity, Sam was a Holocaust survivor of Nazi atrocities in Poland during WWII. In my weekly research meetings in his small, cramped office in a quiet corner of Founder’s Hall, Sam taught me a great deal about the unspoken rules of academia, historical research, altruism, and inter-group dynamics in both the USA and Israel. These insights helped me develop a nuanced understanding of American society as well as the tragic politics of the Middle East. Dr. Oliner's influences on my teaching and scholarship are profound and powerful. In my last months as his research assistant, Sam used most of our meeting time to share his wisdom and prepare me for the challenges of doctoral study and making a career in Academia.

I completed my doctoral training in sociology at the University of California, Davis. After completing my initial coursework, I struggled to find mentorship conmensurate with my research interests. Fortunately, fate stepped in and I discovered a brilliant migration sociologist who was also working at UC Davis (but in a different department). Dr. Luis E. Guarnizo is an Emeritus Professor of Human Ecology and a visual artist. During graduate school. Luis was my primary advisor, dissertation co-chair, and career mentor. In addition to helping me edit and publish my first academic article, Luis was instrumental in helping me design my cross-national dissertation project. We've published a few excellent articles, and much of what I teach and write about stems from the many stimulating conversations we had during my graduate training.