Welcome to the Department’s Alumni Page!   

Name: Tomoko Yoshida

Graduation Date: December 2005

          Currently, I am an Associate Professor at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. I am also serving as the Assistant Director of the Keio Research Center for Foreign Language Education.  My major publications include: Peers’ Perceptions of Japanese Returnees (International Journal of Intercultural Relations Vol. 27, pp. 429-445, 2003), The Japanese Returnee Experience: Factors that Affect Reentry (International Journal of Intercultural Relations Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 429-445, 2002), A Step Toward Biculturalism: Reentry Training for Japanese Returnees (Intercultural Relations Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 493-525, 1999), Intercultural Training (Sanshusha in Tokyo, 1998), Improving Intercultural Interactions (Sage, 1994), and Intercultural Communication Training : An Introduction (Sage, 1994).

          Prior to starting my Ph.d. coursework in the Educational Administration Department, I talked to many people about their experiences in graduate school and asked for their advice.  One of the main things I was concerned with was finding faculty that would take interest in my work and would have the expertise and the time to work with me.  I was especially worried because I was only able to be on campus for two years, after which I would have to return to Japan.  I had met so many people who had finished their coursework but were unable to finish their dissertations.

          The Educational Administration Department was perfect in many ways.  The coursework provided me with a very strong base with which I could approach future research.  Being able to take courses from other departments was also very helpful for me.  Once I was ready to work on my dissertation, Dr. Heck was there to provide me with all the guidance I could ever want on research methods, Dr. Johnsrud helped me understand how to frame my research, and Susan Omori always made sure I completed the necessary paperwork in time.  The other faculty members were always willing to listen and share their expertise with me.

          What was important for me was the fact that they were always there and that they were willing and available to help, any time I needed it.   I would send Dr. Heck a draft of a chapter and he would sometimes have it checked by the next morning.  Dr. Johnsrud would gently but firmly remind me to turn things in when I was preoccupied with my work in Japan.  This was vital because I could only work in spurts—when my work at my university in Japan slowed down.  Most friends who had studied at other institutions were shocked and envious when they heard this as some of them had to wait over a year to get feedback from their advisors.

          I often remember the speech Dr. Johnsrud delivered at our College of Education Student Association (COEDSA) orientation; the dissertation is our first piece of solid academic research.   It is the beginning, not the end of our research career.   In the same way, my dissertation was the beginning, not the end, of my relationship with the faculty.   I continue to learn from them as I work on various new research projects. Again, my friends are envious.

          The Educational Administration Department is a gem in the Pacific; a place where faculty trained in state-of-the-art methods are dedicated to helping their doctorate students become first-class researchers!

Graduation Date: May 1989

Currently, I am with the U.S. Dept. of Education in Washington, DC, working with the ESOL or Title III implementation of No Child Left Behind in several states and also overseeing a small program to the US territories in the Pacific and the Virgin Islands.  I teach part-time for Central Michigan University and George Washington University.

I remember with great respect and appreciation the Ed. Administration program at UH Manoa…the lessons learned from the faculty, their willingness to always be open to discussion, as well as the theory from the courses. The courses always seemed to apply to the environment where was, especially when I started in school level administration. When I started the program, I was an EMTP administrative intern at Waianae Intermediate School. From there I became one of two vice principals at Pearl City High School and then principal at Keolu Hills. It seemed like each of the beginning courses, the Human Factors’ courses under Dr. Charles Araki and the beginning management and planning courses under Dr. Varney, helped me to better understand various environmental elements and how to adapt my behavior to the situation. The applicability of the coursework and the opportunity to tailor assignments to the work environment and also receive feedback was something that I valued greatly.

            Finally, Dr. Thompson was my advisor and very supportive of my interest in international affairs and related research. That support I believe helped me to take professional risks that I might not have otherwise taken. I was able later to fulfill this aspect of my aspirations by working on several educational development projects in the Pacific, East Asia, and Africa, as well as pursue an academic career under SUNY.

My primary message to students: the program is very solid. It can prepare you for a variety of fields in education. Use the opportunity wisely to test-out your own philosophy and problem–solving skills and be assured that you are guided by expert, thoughtful faculty. The courses and friendships have remained, I believe, good grounding and guideposts for me throughout my career.

Graduation Date: May 1989

Ph.D. Dissertation Topic: A multi-case comparative study of pre-service teachers' thinking at the midpoint of their program of study.

When I interviewed for the UH doctoral program I was asked by the professors around the table why I wanted an advanced degree in education.  I remember answering that I wanted to someday work at the U.S. Department of Education.  I had no idea how I would ever be there nor did I want to leave Hawaii.  To my surprise, I am now at the Department coordinating the Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II national data collection on the quality of teacher preparation and teaching.  I also directed the HEA Title II grants, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants (TQE), including Preparing Tomorrows Teachers for Technology (PT3).  Previously, I served as the Program Monitor for Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL), a regional educational laboratory. 

Thanks to Professors John Thompson, Charlie Araki, Sheldon Varney, Kelvin Young, Harold Ayabe and many others I enjoyed numerous memorable learning experiences in the Educational administration program.  I felt I was guided through a stimulating and well-taught course of study in a collegial setting.  These experiences inform all of my federal work along with my secondary and elementary teaching experience in Hawaii and my coordination of Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities (PETOM) at Wist Hall.  Here in Washington, I am fortunate to continue to meet Hawaii colleagues who are federal grantees and contractors.  In so many ways, my degree prepared me for more than I ever imagined. 

 Baghdad, Iraq was another work venue I didn’t expect to have.  In 2004, I was detailed to the Coalition Provisional Authority as an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Education.  It was a privilege to serve as a resource to the Iraqi educators who desired to learn about developments in education that they missed under thirty years of despotic rule.  When the violence escalated the Ministry Directors insisted on coming into the Green Zone to meet with me at the conference center.  Their interest was great enough for them to endure at least two personal searches to enter the compound.  We developed several situation analyses and conferences to influence and plan the rebuilding of Iraq’s education system, formerly one of the best in the world as evidenced by the high literacy rates of its citizens and numerous women in engineering and medicine. 

 Shortly after receiving my degree from UH, I was an Associate Director for the National Research Center on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning, and, subsequently, as a Principal Investigator and Program Chair for the Center on Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE) at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  I also hold a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland and M.Ed. in Reading from the University of Miami, FL. 

Graduation Date: August 1997