He holds a Masters degree from the University of Minnesota in Educational Policy and Administration, and a Ph.D. from Nagoya University in Educational Sociology. His academic interests relate to the internationalization of higher education, particularly examining the educational impact of academic exchanges of students and scholars. He was one of the original authors of the “Maximizing Study Abroad” series of books for students, language teachers and advisors. His doctoral research focused on the education and experiences of international students in Japan. His current teaching and research interests deal with the study abroad experiences of Japanese university students, their foreign language and intercultural education.