Ms. Barbara K. Turoff, a native New Yorker, received a BA with a major in history and minor in English from Douglass College of Rutgers University in New Jersey. After graduating, she taught history and English in the local high schools in New Jersey and later in Ohio where she received an MA in history from Wright State University, which published her thesis Mary Beard as Force in History in its monograph series, a distinction heretofore reserved for faculty. Her research on Mary Beard, an activist historian committed to the cause of including women's studies programs in the college curriculum, also became Ms. Turoff’s cause. She was instrumental in adding the History of American Women to the course offerings of Wright State University and later Antioch University, where she taught these courses. Ms. Turoff also had the opportunity during these years to be an adjunct at Wilberforce University, the oldest African American college in the US. She has participated in the anti-war and civil rights and women liberation movements. Overseas, she has taught history in Spain and Japan. At Lakeland University Japan, Ms. Turoff taught American, World History, and Humanities for 17 years. She is the recipient of two NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) scholarships for teaching excellence. For students, women and men considering the Women's Studies Summer Academic Program at Lakeland University Japan, Ms. Turoff offers this advice: “Although only one week, your participation in this program may be life changing. Best wishes as you choose the road less traveled!”
Dr. Kazuko “Zukie” Hirota is the co-founder and current Managing Director of NIC International College in Japan, as well as an active board member of Lakeland University Japan. A short list of her achievements includes an honorary Ph.D. in International Education from Lakeland University (1999), earning a Certificate in Management in Leadership in Education at Harvard School of Education (2000), and being appointed as a TOEFL Board Member (2001 – 2005). She has also received several awards, including the State of Nevada Governor’s Award, the Certificate of Recognition from the University of Nevada-Reno, and receiving the “Special Award” in Japan for her support of young people’s growth. She has written and published five books to date. Dr. Hirota established the Kaori Foundation named in the memory of her daughter who passed away at the age of eighteen. The mission of the Kaori Foundation is to bring education to undeveloped countries. Dr. Hirota has successfully established the first school in Cambodia with intentions of expanding into other countries in the region.
A sociologist who earned her doctoral degree at the University of California, Los Angeles), Dr. Yuko Kawanishi specializes in social psychology, mental health, contemporary Japanese social issues, and family and gender relations. Dr. Kawanishi acquired clinical training in New York and is currently working as a psychological counselor at Lakeland University Japan. She has also been a faculty member of several international programs in Tokyo for many years. Dr. Kawanishi is the author of three books both, in English and Japanese, as well as numerous academic and non-academic articles.
As a native of Washington, D.C., Dr. Anthonette Gibson is a social scientist who teaches sociology courses at Lakeland University (LUJ). She is a graduate of Howard University, which is a top-tiered research private university in Washington, D.C. She has published in the areas of aging in Japan, child labor policy, Social Responsible Investing (or Sustainable Investing). Professionally, Dr. Gibson recruited for a congressionally mandated study on child abuse with a U.S. social science research firm. She also served as a Research Associate and Project Director for the federally funded ‘DC-Baltimore Center for Childhood Health Disparities’ in the Department of Pediatrics at the Howard University School of Medicine. In this capacity, she planned and managed research data collection for a study centered on psychosocial influences for low-income women. Outside of academia, Dr. Gibson worked with the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Peace Corps Federal Government Agencies.
Dr. Anya Benson is currently a lecturer in the Faculty of Policy Studies at Chuo University. She received her doctoral degree from the University of York, U.K. Her research examines the marketing and merchandising strategies used in contemporary Japanese children’s media texts, focusing particularly on the usage of space in popular franchises.
Ms. Holly Woolbright is a teacher, trainer, writer, and singer-songwriter who composes on retro synth instruments and modern looping devices. She has a Master of Arts in Education from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Masters in Photojournalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In Japan, Ms. Woolbright has taught extensively at universities and language schools. In California, she taught English for Academic Purposes and Creative Writing. Ms. Woolbright was also an English Language Teaching Fellow at Sokoine University in Tanzania, developing a first-year English curriculum and workshops for English teachers. In Colombia, she coordinated and supported teaching fellows at public schools Santa Marta and created professional development opportunities for Colombian teachers. Ms. Woolbright currently teaches Reading and Writing at Lakeland University Japan.
Dr. Aigul Kulnazarova is Professor of International Relations and International Law at Tama University, Japan. Previously, she has been the Japan Foundation Invited Fellow at Nagoya University, Japan, and the Dean of Law School at Kazakh-American University, Kazakhstan, among other duties. In 2013, Dr. Kulnazarova joined as Senior Research Fellow and a member of The Global History of UNESCO Project at Aalborg University, Denmark, funded by Danish Research Council. She also serves as International Adviser and Consultant on Japan to the international project, focusing on the global impact analysis of OECD’s educational programs and policies, supported by Aalborg University Talent’s Grant. Dr. Kulnazarova’s research engages with contemporary debates in peace and security studies, international relations, human rights and international organizations, mainly around issues of global governance, international peace, multilateral institutionalism, difference, and diversity. Her most recent publications include UNESCO Without Borders: Educational campaigns for international understanding, edited with Christian Ydesen (Routledge, 2016).
Dr. Gencheva is a Professor of Humanities and History at Lakeland University Japan and a Visiting Professor of Ancient History and Culture at the University of Tokyo. She has graduated from the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski” with a Master’s degree in Classics and Literature, and a Doctoral degree in History. Her research, academic presentations, and publications are on various aspects of Ancient History and Late Antiquity. For her academic achievements, Dr. Gencheva was awarded research fellowships from several prestigious foundations and centers of academic excellence, among them the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) - the USA, State Scholarships Foundation (I.K.Y.) – Greece, and Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies - Germany. As a professor at Lakeland University Japan, Dr. Gencheva created and successfully developed a project Vox Humana, whose collaboration with the Hansen’s disease museums in Japan resulted in official recognition of LUJ students’ volunteer work by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.
Ms. Sandra Shoji, a transplanted Minnesotan, has an M.S. Ed. from Temple University. She also earned a Diploma from the four-year wine business program at the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, London. Later, Ms. Shoji became a certified wine instructor. She has also studied at the renowned Institute of Masters of Wine, London. Ms. Shoji has been a wine instructor for 18 years at Temple University Japan and a university instructor at various Japanese universities since 2001. Ms. Shoji has been the wine columnist for a Japanese national newspaper, a wine marketing journalist for American and German wine business magazines, and a certified judge for the annual International Japan Wine Challenge.
Ms. Aileen Chizuru Inoue is an English Communication instructor and a professional floral designer and educator from San Francisco, California. She is a bilingual 4th generation Japanese-American and has an extensive background in various cultural and educational career that covers over 40 years of experience from teaching English and Japanese. Ms. Inoue is also a professional floral designer and instructor and currently is the General Manager of Japan for the American Institute of Floral Designers, a non-profit organization and only certified professional floral designer association in the United States.
Mr. Charlie Stockman has served as the Director of International Programs at Lakeland University Japan since 2015. A native of Wisconsin, he has played a variety of roles within Lakeland University since 2003. Mr. Stockman earned both his undergraduate degree (Hospitality Management – 2005) and Master’s degree (M.B.A. – 2015) from the Lakeland University home campus in Wisconsin. He served as the Coordinator for International Recruitment at LUJ (2007-2012) prior to taking on his current role of Director of International Programs and teaching business courses in LUJ’s undergraduate program. Mr. Stockman manages an active schedule coordinating projects between Lakeland’s Wisconsin and Japan campuses. He also serves as the supervisor for LUJ’s Hospitality Club, Alumni Association, and specialized business courses to outside companies in Open College.