December 5, 2011 — Twenty undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States have been named recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan. The winners will receive awards of up to $4,000 to assist with their living expenses while they study in Japan during the Spring 2012 semester of the 2012 Japanese academic year. Since 1999, 1,160 scholarships have been awarded by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation to students studying abroad in Japan.

The Japan-US Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Japan, in an effort to highlight public / private partnerships, initiated the Bridging Project scholarship program and established a 501(c)(3) private foundation, the US-Japan Bridging Foundation (www.bridgingfoundation.org), to accept contributions. The goal of the Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students. The scholarship program is administered by the Association of Teachers of Japanese, a professional organization for teachers of Japanese language, literature, and culture.

Contributors to the 2011-2012 scholarships include Amway International, Bloomberg LP, Stephen and Sally Butters, Chartis Insurance, Citigroup Japan, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Estee Lauder, Exxon Mobil Y.K., the Freeman Foundation, Ichigo Asset Management, the JCC Fund, JP Morgan Japan, Lockheed Martin, Kathy Matsui, Merrill Lynch, Mitsubishi International Corporation, Morgan Stanley Japan, Nomura Holding America, Oak Lawn Marketing, ORIX USA, Thierry Porte, Temple University-Japan Campus, the Terasaki Foundation, and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Bridging Scholars hail from a variety of schools–public and private, large universities and small colleges. Their majors range from computer science to fine art, but they share a common interest in Japan, its language and culture. Their destinations also vary, from giant campuses in Tokyo to intimate consortium programs in rural Japan. A list of the recipients, their home schools, their majors, and their destination programs can be found below.

For information on the Bridging Foundation, visit www.bridgingfoundation.org.

Recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan, Spring 2012

Sarah BITHER / Hamilton College / Sophia University / Asian studies
Colt CHAFFIN / Wichita State University / Kansai Gaidai / International studies
Caroline DAVIDSON / Tulane University / Kansai Gaidai / neuroscience and Asian Studies
Abbie DOLL / Bowling Green State University / Nanzan University / Asian studies
Hiroshi FUKADA / Purdue Uniiversity / Japan Center for Michigan Universities / Computer engineering
   (Terasaki Foundation Bridging Scholar)
Yuan HUANG / Temple University / Temple University – Japan Campus / Geography and urban studies
   (Temple University Japan Campus Scholar)
Molly KARINEN / Portland State University / Kansai Gaidai / International studies and Japanese
Jonathan KILBY / University of South Carolina / Kansai University / Computer engineering
Michael KLOSIEWSKI / St. Norbert College / Tsuru University / Mathematics and computer science
Victoria LING / University of Illinois / Meikai University (IES Tokyo) / East Asian languages
Christina LORINO / St, Norbert College / Tsuru University / Sociology
Robert MARKS / California State University, San Marcos / Rikkyo University / Global business management
Cherise OZAKI / University of Southern California / Sophia University / Japanese and public relations
   (Terasaki Foundation Bridging Scholar)
Keith PRATT / University of Washington / Gakushuin & Kyoto Universities / International business and Japanese
Shannon SPEARS / Southwestern University / Chukyo University (ISEP) / Biology
Gregory STANKEVICH / Hunter College, CUNY / Kansai Gaidai / Psychology and music
Rose TABAJ / University of Mount Union / Kansai Gaidai / Japanese
Michelle TU / UCLA / Doshisha University / design and media arts
Alex WACHI / Washington & Lee University / Kansai Gaidai / Business administration and Japanese
James YANG / Eastern Michigan University / Kansai Gaidai / International finance