Cyrus Ernesto Zirakzadeh received his Masters degree from Stanford University and his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. He has taught at the University of Connecticut since 1985, where he holds the title of Professor of Political Science. He has penned more than a dozen essays for edited books and professional journals and has authored four books. Zirakzadeh, whose research interests include political thought in literature, is currently co-editing his first anthology, a collection of essays on the political experiences and vision of John Steinbeck.