About

I am an academic sociologist with a BS Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University (1958) and a Ph.D in Sociology from Princeton University (1961). From ’61 through ’67 I was on the faculty of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and thereafter through to my retirement in 2003, the faculty of Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Across those years I authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited 34 sociology books and over 160 articles. I was always active in social reform projects, and in 2006 the American Sociological Association presented me with its Distinguished Career Award for the Practice of Sociology.

As regards stealth altruism I made 10 visits to Israel since 1971, and in that country and 34 others I have visited 48 Holocaust Museums and Education Centers. I have interviewed scores of survivors, and studied nearly 200 survivor memoirs. As an individual member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations (AHO) in 2015 I gave a stealth altruism paper at a semi-annual meeting, and I have given many like presentations elsewhere on campuses and in churches, synagogues, etc., here and abroad.

I live with Lynn Seng, my wife and collaborator, in Alameda, Ca, and as retirees we enjoy visiting with our four sons and their families – Scott Shostak, Mark Shostak, Matt Seng, and Dan Seng – in Brooklyn, NY; San Francisco, Ca; Altadena, Ca., and Occidental, Ca. I am working on several book manuscripts, and also on articles advancing appreciation of stealth altruism.