Born in California, spent most of my childhood in Orange County, Indianapolis, and Saint Louis. Attended John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands in California, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. As an adult, I have lived in California, Missouri, Taiwan, and Illinois. I have worked at the University of Illinois as a professor since 2001. I'm married, and have two sons.