Originally from Uganda, I became a graduate student in the Sociology Department at UC Berkeley in 1981. I received my M.A. in 1983 and a doctorate in 1991. I joined the University of Nevada as Assistant Professor in 1990 and was tenured to Associate Professor in 1995. I have been chair of the Sociology Department since 2001.
Since coming to the United States to study at UC Berkeley, my dream has been to help other Ugandans who have not been as fortunate as I have. In 1993, I founded the Foundation for Credit and Community Assistance (FOCCAS), a non-profit organization providing financial and educational services to families in eastern Uganda. As of December 2002, there were 17,500 families benefiting with a projected 33,000 by 2005.
The sociological experience at UC Berkeley has had a profound influence on both my personality and professional career. This experience has not only inspired me to pursue an academic career, but more importantly, to realize that education is the key to self-empowerment and to helping others to help themselves. I remain deeply indebted to Professors Franz Schurmann, Troy Duster and Kenneth Bock who influenced my intellectual development and continue to serve as my academic role models.