July 1, 2010 — Ninety-six 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 2010-2011 academic year. Since 1999, 1,055 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 2010-2011 scholarships include Amway International, Bloomberg LP, Citibank Japan, Dell Computer, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, the Freeman Foundation, Ichigo Asset Management, JCC Fund, JP Morgan Japan, the Japan-US Friendship Commission, Lockheed Martin, McDonalds Japan, Mitsubishi International Corporation, Morgan Stanley Japan, Nomura Holding America, Oak Lawn Marketing, ORIX Corporation, Prudential Gibralter Financial Life Insurance Co., Temple University-Japan Campus, the Terasaki Foundation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and TransPacific Hawaii College. 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. ATJ will accept applications in April 2011 for the next group of Bridging Scholarships, for study in Japan during the 2011-2012 academic year.

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

Recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan, 2010-2011

Jon-Erik AKASHI / University of Oregon / Waseda University / Economics
   (Bloomberg LP Scholar)
Richard AKINA / University of Hawaii / Nanzan University / Computer Science
   (Lockheed Martin Scholar)
Hiroko AKUZAWA / University of California, Riverside / Josai International University / Biology
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Hassan ALMALIKI / University of Louisville / Kansai Gaidai / Political Science
Canako ARAI / University of California, Irvine / Hitotsubashi University / Psychology
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
William BALTAZAR / Virginia Tech / Toyo University (ISEP) / Industrial Design
   (Lockheed Martin Scholar)
Ashley BARLEY / University of Georgia / Kyushu University / Japanese
Braden BENNIGHT / Central Washington University / Shimane University / Japanese
Michael BERLET / Wake Forest University / Kansai Gaidai / Japanese studies
Megail BLOUNT / Pennsylvania State University / Ibaraki University / Japanese
Matthew BOBULSKI / DePaul University / Kansai Gaidai / Japanese Studies
Eleanne BROOKS / Northern Virginia Community College / Temple University, Japan Campus
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Nathan BYNUM / Michigan State University / Waseda University / German & Japanese Language Education
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Samantha CALLANTA / Ursinus College / Akita International University / Theater
Elizabeth CARTER / Georgia Southern Univ. / Nagoya University of Foreign Studies / Community Health
   (Oak Lawn Marketing Scholar)
Lisa CSERGEI / Washington State University / Kansai Gaidai / Humanities
Braden CURTIS / University of New Hampshire / Kansai Gaidai / Linguistics
Nadine DARE / Ball State University / Sapporo University / Education
Dallas DEHLINGER / University of California, Irvine / International Christian University / Japanese
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Hoa DO / University of Denver / Sophia University (CIEE) / International Studies
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Iya DOMBROVSKAYA / Miami University of Ohio / Kansai Gaidai / Japanese
Megan EDMONDS / SUNY Purchase / Kansai Gaidai / Psychology
Rebecca EMANUELSEN / Wayne State Univ. / Japan Center for Michigan Universities / English & Asian Studies
   (Oak Lawn Marketing Scholar)
Amy FRIEDLANDER / Virginia Tech / Kyushu University / Architecture
Christine FUKUSHIMA / University of California, Berkeley / Meiji Gakuin / Development Studies
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Angela GONZALES / Portland Community College / Temple University, Japan Campus
   (Temple University-Japan Campus Scholar)
Gilbert GONZALEZ / Salem State College / Japan Center for Michigan Universities / International Business
Julianna GRAM / California State University, Fullerton / Waseda University / Child Development & Japanese
   (Amway International Scholar)
Lilly GRAY / Hollins University / Kansai Gaidai / Communication Studies
Kaitlin HARRISON / Bates College / Associated Kyoto Program / East Asian Studies
Mia HARTZOG / University of Texas, Martin / Hirosaki University / International Studies
   (Oak Lawn Marketing Scholar)
Kristyn HAYASHI / Johns Hopkins University / Sophia University / Molecular & Cellular Biology
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Marcus HELEKER / Boise State University / Hosei University / Philosophy & Communication
Jennifer HEYRMAN / University of Wisconsin, Madison / Sophia University / Microbiology
   (Lockheed Martin Scholar)
Janelle HIGASHIDA / Willamette University / Tokyo International University / Studio Art
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Travis JENKINS / California State University, Monterey Bay / Waseda University / Global Studies
   (J.P. Morgan Scholar)
Christina JENSEN / University of Oklahoma / Yamaguchi University / Biochemistry
Sagar KAMPRATH / University of Pittsburgh / Temple University Japan Campus / Neuroscience
   (Lockheed Martin Scholar)
Maro KARIYA / SUNY Stony Brook / Waseda University / Chemistry (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Henry KENYON / University of Colorado, Boulder / Kansai Gaidai / Economics and Japanese
   (Morgan Stanley Japan Scholar)
Shannon KORDEK / University of West Florida / Kansai Gaidai / International Relations
Sebastien LASOTA / Rutgers University / Ritsumeikan APU / Anthropology
Clara LAWRYNIUK / University of Washington / Keio University / Linguistics & Anthropology
   (J.P. Morgan Scholar)
Marie MANNING / Arizona State University / Tokyo International University / Applied Biology & Secondary Education
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Ashley MAR / University of California, Santa Barbara / Tohoku University/ Biology
David MAROZICK / University of Wisconsin, Madison / Sophia University / Japanese Language Education
   (J.P. Morgan Scholar)
Crystal MARTIN / Lock Haven University / Nara University of Education / International Studies
Alyssa MICHIE / University of Tennessee, Knoxville / Kobe University / English Literature
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Frank MICHIOKA / University of California, San Diego / Keio University / Psychology
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Caitlin MILDER / University of Arizona / Waseda University / Physiology
   (Dell Computer Scholar)
Aaron MOLINAS / University of Oklahoma / Yamagata University / International Studies
Kesha MONTGOMERY / Spelman College / Tsuda College / Economics
   (Bloomberg LP Scholar)
Justin MOORE / West Virginia University / Toyo University / International Studies
   (J.P. Morgan Scholar)
Bethany MUNCY / Indiana University / Doshisha University / French & Japanese
Bethany MURPHY / University of Iowa / Nanzan University / International Studies & Geoscience
   (Oak Lawn Marketing Scholar)
Sarah NAIMAN / Elon University / Kansai Gaidai / International Studies & Economics
Rebecca NEUMANN / Wittenberg University / Kansai Gaidai / International Studies
Thuy-Van NGUYEN / Univ. of California, San Diego / International Christian University / Psychology
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Laura NORMAN / Rice University / Keio University / Mathematical Economic Analysis
   (Bloomberg / Morgan Stanley Japan Scholar)
Josephine NORTON / University of Pittsburgh / Kobe University / Studio Art
Matthew OVINGTON / University of South Carolina / Sophia University (CIEE) / Media Arts
   (Dell Computer Scholar)
Laura PASSARELLI / Scripps College / International Christian University / Mathematics
   (Bloomberg LP Scholar)
Hannah PEPIN / Smith College / Associated Kyoto Program / Psychology
Alexander PERGAMS / Lawrence University / IES Tokyo (Kanda UIS) / Biology & East Asian Studies
   (Amway International Scholar)
Kristoffer PICKETT / University of Oklahoma / Yamaguchi University / History
   (Oak Lawn Marketing Scholar)
Samuel PORTER / George Washington University / Kyoto University / Asian Studies
Diana PRILEPSKY / American University / Ritsumeikan University / International Relations
Michael PUGH / Pikes Peak Community College / Temple University, Japan Campus / Anthropology & International Studies
   (Temple University-Japan Campus Scholar)
Deanna Li QUAN / University of Southern California / Tokyo International University / Biological Sciences & East Asian Languages
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Rachael RAGALYE / Mt. Holyoke College / Associated Kyoto Program / Anthropology
Rachel REGAN / University of Florida / Kansai Gaidai / Industrial & Systems Engineering
   (Lockheed Martin Scholar)
Samantha ROBINSON / Baldwin Wallace College / Kansai Gaidai / Political Science
Jasna RODULFA / Bucknell University / Antioch Buddhist Studies in Japan / Religion & Japanese Studies
Derek ROGERS / Ithaca College / IES Tokyo (Kanda University of International Studies) / Cinema & Photography
Jordan ROWE / California State University, Sacramento / Yokohama National University / International Relations
   (Dell Computer Scholar)
Elizabeth SCHLINGMAN / Miami University of Ohio / Kansai Gaidai / Anthropology
Joseph SILER / Elon University / Kansai Gaidai / Political Science
Kayla STRAUSS / University of Missouri, St. Louis / Kansai University / Interdisciplinary Studies
Tze Fong SUEN / Drexel University / Tohoku University / Information Systems
   (Bloomberg LP Scholar)
Keith SWAFFORD / University of Kansas / J.F. Oberlin University / Linguistics
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Nathan SWARTZ / Washington Univ. St. Louis / Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / Japanese
Alana SWISS / University of Pittsburgh / Konan University / Japanese
Christina TAMARU / Whitman College / Associated Kyoto Program / Asian Studies
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Robert THOMPSON / Seattle University / Sophia University / Digital Design
    (Dell Computer Scholar)
Jacob TREXLER / Pennsylvania State University / IES Tokyo / Japanese
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Bryan TURNBOUGH / University of Texas, Austin / IES Tokyo / International Business
   (J.P. Morgan Scholar)
Randy UMETSU / University of Montana, Missoula / Sophia University / Japanese
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Kyle VICK / Gustavus Adolphus College / Kansai Gaidai / History & Political Science
Kim WELENC / University of Findlay / University of Fukui / TESOL & Japanese
David WELTMAN / Columbia University / Antioch Buddhist Studies in Japan / Philosophy
Mallory WILLIAMS / University of Pennsylvania / International Christian University / Cognitive Science
   (Dell Computer Scholar)
Suthakorn WONGSAVIT / University of Nevada, Las Vegas / Kwansei Gakuin / History
Aleishea YAMAOKA / Pacific University / Saga University / International Studies
   (Terasaki Foundation Scholar)
Katie YEARLEY / University of Arizona / Waseda University / East Asian Studies
   (Prudential Insurance Scholar)
Haenim Grace YOO / UCLA / Keio University / East Asian Studies