Maria B. Olujic, Ph.D. is an anthropologist and writer whose life and work has been shaped by themes of war, migration, identity, and resilience. Born in the rural Dalmatian hinterland of Croatia under communism, she experienced both the traditions and hardships of village life before emigrating to California as a child. As an adult she returned to war-torn Croatia to serve as the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology during the bloody dissolution of Yugoslavia. Living through war deepened her exploration of belonging, gender, and the human cost of conflict.

Maria’s writing—both academic and personal—reflects on memory, history, and how we find meaning in times of chaos. Her memoir, Fields of Lavender, Rivers of Fire: A Memoir of War, Survival, and the Search for Peace, weaves together her experiences of war and displacement, with a particular focus on the roles of women during the conflict, both those in power and those who were victims. She lives in the Bay Area, where she continues to write and explore how life’s experiences shape us—how we make meaning, find acceptance, and walk forward on an ever-unfolding path.