Author Elaine Cotsirilos Thomopoulos is an alumnus of Northwestern University, the University of Illinois-Urbana, and the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she received her Ph.D. in Psychology. She has served as the president of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Benton Harbor, and co-project director of the Berrien County Historical Association's "Greeks of Berrien County" project. She previously authored Greek American Pioneer Women of Illinois, also published by Arcadia.