Daniel Little earned two undergraduate degrees in philosophy and mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign in 1971 and a Ph.D in philosophy from Harvard University in 1977.

After his time at Harvard University, Dr. Little served in faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Wellesley College, Colgate University, and Bucknell University. His area of specialization and competence is in the philosophy of social sciences, Asian studies, and Marxist theory.

Aside from serving as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, he serves on the boards for New Detroit and the Detroit Urban League. He is an active scholar and has written and lectured extensively on the foundations of the social sciences. His most recent book is The Paradox of Wealth and Poverty, a discussion of the ethical issues raised by economic development in the third world. He is actively involved in the metropolitan Detroit community and serves on several boards in Michigan concerned with civil rights, race relations, and improving inter-group understanding.