Staff Bios
Michelene Guertler, Resident Director, received her B.A. in Communications from DePaul University and her M.A. in International and Intercultural Management at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. Since 1995, she has lived in Japan, where she has held various professional positions, including serving as an assistant language teacher in the JET program, as an English language curriculum coordinator, and as a study abroad coordinator for Japanese university students studying in America. These positions have provided her many glimpses of Japanese culture, from the rural and traditional customs of Fukui prefecture, to the eco-tourism culture of Kiyosato and Yamanashi prefecture, to the high pace lifestyle of Tokyo.
Dr. David Slater, Faculty Advisor to the CIEE Study Center in Tokyo, is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Sophia University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has been teaching at Sophia University since 1996. Dr. Slater’s professional interests include issues surrounding the semiotics of city space, class, and urban culture. Dr. Slater serves as the Faculty Advisor to CIEE students and participates both in the CIEE orientation and as a guest lecturer.
Hiroko Watanabe, Program Coordinator, has worked for both a Japanese company in the U.S. and a French company in Japan as a bilingual office assistant. She has a B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Hiroko provides administrative support and serves as the liaison to Sophia University.
Rie Suzuki, Office Coordinator, graduated with a B.A. in Bible Study from International Christian University. Rie studied in Pennsylvania as an exchange student for a year. She has five years experience working for an outbound exchange program at a university in Tokyo.
Ayako Matsuno, Housing Coordinator, graduated with a B.S. in English Literature and Language from Tokyo Kasei University. She also studied English in the United Kingdom. She has many years of experience working with overseas students, including homestay programs in New York. Ayako coordinates homestay placements for the semester program students and is the liaison with staff at the private dormitories.
Rie Ayuzawa, Housing Assistant, graduated from Hosei University with a B.A. in Business Administration and studied English in the United Kingdom. She has also studied abroad at Duke University. Rie has worked as a coordinator for international students in the United Kingdom and has organized study abroad programs for Japanese and foreign students for many years.