Grant Farr earned his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Washington. He is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Portland State University, where in addition to teaching he served as Chair of the Department of Sociology, Director of the Middle East Studies Center, Vice-Provost for International Affairs, and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has conducted field research throughout the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, and taught at both Pahlavi University (now the University of Shiraz), and the University of Peshawar, Pakistan. His books include Modern Iran, Global Societies, and Afghan Resistance.