Dr. Gazel, the father of Nina Gazel, has worn many hats. His personal and work life have taken him to many different careers in locations around the world. Growing up in a small town in the northeastern part of Brazil without electricity and indoor plumbing, Dr. Gazel’s dad, a dentist without a university education, would read the classics out loud to his children every night. At age 11, he moved to the capitol to further his education, having to adapt to a new environment that included electricity, indoor plumbing, and learning how to take a bus to school.
 
After receiving a B.A. in Economics from University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Dr. Gazel worked in the Amazon for a year, where he met his future wife, Chris Horak. He soon followed her to the United States not knowing how to speak English. He adapted to this challenge by learning through watching multiple episodes of Sesame Street and eventually received a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Gazel then taught at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and has held positions at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington D.C., and the World Bank in Angola and Mozambique. Each move required adapting to new cultures, going from the conservativeness of Kansas City to the cosmoplitation nature of Maryland, to the poverty in Africa. For the past few years, he has had many ventures in Brazil.
 
With the upcoming birth of Nina’s baby in June, Dr. Gazel is looking forward to receiving his “highest degree” – first-time grandfather.