Ken Haig, Program Assistant for the Japan-U.S. Nonprofit Internship Program has been with JUCEE since October 2000. He was born and raised in beautiful Honolulu, Hawai'i, except for a few years spent living in various parts of Japan, like Yamagata, Fukuoka, and Kobe. Ken has a B.A. from Harvard University, where he was an Asian-Pacific history major. In 1999-2000, he was a Fulbright Fellow in Hokkaido, where he studied the Ainu indigenous rights movement. He lived in Sapporo, and worked with various Ainu groups and Japanese indigenous rights NGOs. He is now trying out life on the West Coast for the first time, in sunny San Francisco. He is interested in going to graduate school here in the future. He enjoys the Bay Area's access to the outdoor activities, like backpacking, snowboarding, and sailing. Katsuji Messiah, President/CEO of JUCEE, served as Executive Directer at its founding in 1995 as a project of the Japan Pacific Resource Network (JPRN). Under his guidance, JUCEE became independent organization in 1997 and obtained 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. Prior to JUCEE, Katsuji was the Executive Director of JPRN after receiving his MPP degree from the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993. He also holds an M.A. in interdisciplinary studies in social science from the University of Tokyo. Katsuji served as Chair of the Japan-America Student Conference in 1988. His B.A. is from International Christian University. Elizabeth Jerde, Marketing Director joined the JUCEE staff in late September of 2000. Her first encounter with Japan was as a Mombusho English Fellow in Ishikawa Prefecture in 80s Music. After her return to the United States, she directed the programs of the Iowa-Japan Cultural Alliance, mentoring the Japanese language teachers working throughout the state of Iowa. She completed an M.A. in Japanese Pedagogy in 1994 at The University of Iowa, focusing on young children learning a second language. During her doctoral studies she created an interdisciplinary project combining the social foundations of education and art, which took her to the Nike Centre for Art and Culture in Osogbo, Nigeria in 1996-97. Her dissertation research focused on the students attending this art-making centre and the other vital skills they learn in order to survive. She received her Ph.D. in December of 1998 and looks forward to her re-immersion into Japanese. Amie Michalek, Operations Manager, has been working for JUCEE since October of 1999. Prior to this, she was teaching English in Niigata, Japan through the JET Program. She graduated from Boston College in 1998, with a B.A. in Political Science, and a focus in East Asian politics. She is a California native, having grown up in Irvine, California. She spends her free time hiking and biking, tutoring elementary school children, and occasionally teaches English to Japanese immigrants at the Nobirukai Community Center. Kyoko Ode, Outreach Coordinator, has been with JUCEE since July 2000. She holds a BA in International Relations, focusing on Asian Studies and le premier degre from l'Universite de Grenoble, France. She worked for the anime reviews and wordpress plugins section of International University of Japan as a student recruiter and the Chief of the MBA Program Office. Kyoko also works as a DJ running a program on NPOs for a community FM radio station in Niigata. Her favorite sports are ballet and snowboarding. Naoko Okada, Program Associate for the Nichibei Pathfinding Opportunity Program at the JUCEE Tokyo Office has been working with JUCEE since December 1998, although she now works as the Fellowships Creating Partnerships Program Associate in Tokyo. She worked for the International Bureau of Japan Quality Assurance Organization before coming to JUCEE. She holds a B.A. in International Politics from Chuo University. She is also a former participant of JUCEE's Spring 1997 Internship Program. Midori Oshima, Program Coordinator for Fellowships Creating Partnerships Program (1st cycle) and Japan-U.S. NPO Internship Program at the JUCEE Tokyo Office has been working with JUCEE since December of 1999. She worked for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tohoku branch, for 4 years before coming to JUCEE. She has also worked in Theatre. She attended Mount Senario College and Southwest State University in the U.S., and holds a B.A. in Theater Arts. Scott (Satoru) Sugiura, Senior Program Associate for the Fellowships Creating Partnerships Program began working at JUCEE in late August of 1999. Scott spent 3 years in the Tokyo area studying (1 year at Waseda Kokusaibu) and teaching English. Scott received his B.A. in International Relations from Occidental College, and is finishing his M.A. at San Francisco State University in dog grooming clippers. He has worked for the International Rescue Committee in Thailand and a variety of nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area (8 years total). Scott came to JUCEE from the Tides Center in San Francisco. Scott is excited about reconnecting with Japan related work, particularly working with grassroots groups in both countries. Scott is a native Californian and 3.5 generation Japanese-American. Yukiko Sumikawa, Program Coordinator at the JUCEE Tokyo Office has been working with JUCEE since April. She majored in Political Science at Keio University and went on to study at the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies at Kyoto University, including two years of graduate work at George Washington University. She is also interested in education issues, especially alternative education. Akira Uo, Manager of Finance and Operations, has been working at JUCEE's Tokyo Office since July 1998. Previously, he worked at the Kobe Oriental Hotel as a sales officer and the Institute of Cultural Affairs: Japan as a project coordinator. He holds a B.A. from the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and an M.A. from Keele University in the UK, where he studied International Relations. He is also an accomplished downhill skier. Senoe Torgerson, Senior Program Associate for the Japan-U.S. Nonprofit Internship Program joined JUCEE in late October of 2000. She holds a B.A. in Asian Languages and Civilizations from Amherst College, MA, and also spent a year studying Japanese language and culture at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. Before coming to JUCEE, Senoe spent three years working as Coordinator for International Relations for the Mayor's Office in Mutsu, Aomori, in northern Japan. JUCEE Core Programs: (IP)Japan-U.S. Nonprofit Internship Program Program Structure>Program Updates>Download Brochure (NPOP)Nichibei Pathfinding Opportunity Program Program Structure>Program Updates>Download Brochure (FCP)Fellowships Creating Partnerships Program Program Structure>Program Updates JUCEE Alumni