I was born in Japan and have traveled to many different parts of the world, including China, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and Western Europe. I feel most engaged when I am seeing new places and meeting new people. I believe that crossing borders enhances opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue and positive social change.
My academic interests are varied, ranging from peoples of Asia and the Middle East to gender issues, global activism, and medical anthropology. I have conducted field work in Israel on and off for the last thirty years. Initially, I studied religious minorities there. More recently, I've been doing research on disability rights activism within an Israeli
In my teaching, I try to practice integrated learning, linking concepts and theories
to the "real" world. This means that I've taken students on travel courses to Hawaii,
and field trips to nearby mosques and Chinese dance performances. It also means that
some of my classes require service-learning in which students put on Hunger Banquets
and participate in Neighborhood Expos.
