James Doti earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. He served as President of Chapman University for 25 years. He now serves Chapman as President Emeritus and Rick Muth Family Chair in Economics.

His children’s book, I Love You This Much, Nonna, is the final book of the Jimmy trilogy and was created in collaboration with illustrator Bagram Ibatoulline. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) commented, “Readers should be touched by this bittersweet family tale and captivated by the frame-worthy art.” This book has been named in Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018.

Doti’s first book in the Jimmy trilogy is A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy (2010). It appeared on Amazon.com’s list of Best Children’s Holiday Books and was a Sons of Italy Book Club selection.

The second book in the trilogy is Jimmy Finds His Voice (2013), which 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."

Dr. Doti also enjoys distance running, biking, and mountain climbing. His latest book recounts some of his favorite experiences in An Adventure Log – A Chronicle of Climbing, Running, and Biking, a book that also includes articles contributed by his fellow adventurers. The 25 articles in Adventure Log including climbing all 7 Summits, training for an Ironman, biking the RAGBRAI, and the special experiences running four different Boston Marathons.

Jim lives in Orange County, California, with his wife Lynne and their two cats – Mitzie and Beca.