James Doti earned a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Chicago. He has served since 1991 as president of Chapman University, where he also holds the Donald Bren Distinguished Chair of Business and Economics. He is the co-author of two econometrics texts and co-editor of a collection of readings in free enterprise--"The Market Economy"--that received the Templeton Honor Award for Scholarly Excellence. Jim also collaborated with illustrator Lisa Mertins on two children's books, based on his childhood in Chicago's Little Italy. "A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy" (2010) appeared on Amazon.com's list of Best Children's Holiday Books and was a Sons of Italy Book Club selection. His second book, "Jimmy Finds His Voice" (2013), was described by Kirkus Reviews: "In this touching autobiographical picture book, a young boy discovers that enthusiasm can trump his speech impediment.... The illustrations by Mertins are wholly appealing.... A charming story with delightful pictures ideal for reading together."