Ernest L. Cowles, Ph.D., has been the Director of the Institute for Social Research and Professor of Sociology at the California State University, Sacramento for a little more than two years.  Prior to accepting his present position, he directed a large research institute at the University of Illinois for 10 years.  Dr. Cowles interest in health care disparities and community based research grows from varied background as an academic, researcher, practitioner and administrator involving a wide spectrum of community issues including crime and juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, services for the disadvantaged and strategies for human service delivery.  Through this work, he has come to realize that common threads connect many of the quality of life issues faced in communities today.  He has served as a consultant on these issues at the local, state, national and international levels for many organizations and agencies and has directed more than 35 funded research projects.  Dr. Cowles’ writings appear in a number of books, journal articles, research monographs and reports.