Barbara Oakley, PhD, has filled many roles over her lifetime, not least of which is the role of author. She has a lot to write about as a systems engineer, associate professor, and former radio operator and captain in the U.S. Army. She also studied to be a linguist.

Oakley is most widely known for her book about her experiences as a translator on a Soviet fishing boat. She wrote about her exploits with the Russians in the Bering Sea in “Hair of the Dog: Tales from a Russian Trawler.” She also has had her work published in journals and news media.

Even the story of her romance is full of adventure: She met her husband, Philip, when the two worked together in Antarctica at the South Pole. They married in New Zealand and moved to Seattle before settling down near Detroit. Their family has since grown to six, with two daughters and two adopted sons from Kosovo.