Diana Gabaldon (born January 11, 1952 in Arizona) is an American author of Mexican-American and English ancestry. Gabaldon is her maiden name, and the one she uses professionally. Her father was from New Mexico and her mother's family from Yorkshire (England); her great-grandfather immigrated to Arizona from England in the 1860's. Diana grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband; they have three adult children. She has received three degrees from two different institutions: B.S. in Zoology from Northern Arizona University, 1970-1973; M.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1973-1975. Her research topic was, "Agonistic Interactions of Hermit Crabs." and Ph.D in Ecology from Northern Arizona University, 1975-1978. Dissertation: "Nest Site Selection in Pinyon Jays, _Gymnorhynchus cyanocephalus)." She has also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Northern Arizona University, in 2007. In addition, Gabaldon Hall, a dormitory on the campus of Northern Arizona University, is named after her. Gabaldon is the author of the best-selling Outlander Series. Her books are difficult to classify by genre, since they contain elements of romantic fiction, historical fiction, and science fiction (in the form of time travel). Her first fiction efforts were posted on the CompuServe writers forum. Favorable feedback from other members of this forum persuaded her to finish and publish the first book in the Outlander series. The stories center around a time-travelling 20th-century nurse (Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser) and her 18th-century Scottish husband (James Fraser), and are located in Scotland, France, and America. The Lord John Grey Series is a spinoff from the Outlander books, as it centers on a secondary character from the original series. Her books have so far been sold in 23 countries, and translated into 19 languages besides English. Diana Jean Gabaldon Pseudonym: Diana Gabaldon Born: January 11, 1952 Arizona (USA) Flag of United States Occupation: novelist Writing period: 1991 - Present Genres: Fiction, Time-Travel, Speculative Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery Debut works: Outlander Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.