Jim served in Tuyserkan, 1968-1971, as a TEFLer. He worked with in-country summer training programs in 1969 and 1971, and met his future wife, Virginia, during that second program. Following PC service, he taught history and English at Alam High School, Mashhad, 1971-1973. After five years teaching in Australia, where their two sons were born, he returned to the US to complete a PhD in the history of American foreign relations. He taught for thirty-two years at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he led a successful effort to create a Middle East Studies program. He has taught courses on Iran, Islam and the Middle East. Jim retired in 2018, and he and Virginia, now live in San Luis Obispo, California.