Hoogenboom-sensei is the director of the Japanese language program at UMBC, and she teaches upper-level Japanese language classes as well as Japanese culture classes. She has helped me with my Japanese language and knowledge of Japanese culture, which are crucial for my future research plans, and I expect she will continue to guide me through these topics as I explore the cultures and contexts of Japanese popular culture. I have also worked with Hoogenboom-sensei to organize film screenings and events in tribute to the animation studio Kyoto Animation, which suffered a devastating arson attack in 2019.
Dr. Oakes is a historian of Japan, the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Retention at the UMBC Honors College, and an affiliated faculty member with the Asian Studies and History departments. Her research focuses on the politics in the creation of "Japanese art" after the Meiji Restoration, during the Westernization of Japan. While my degree focuses less on history, some aspects of my research fit very well with hers, particularly the way the Japanese government positions popular culture (that is, art) as representative of "Cool Japan," and even the way the government has promoted pop artists like Takashi Murakami within this framework. (Murakami and his Superflat movement deal very directly with otaku and otaku sexuality at times.)
Dr. Welcome is a visiting lecturer in the department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health at UMBC. His primary research deals with the relationship between the oil industry and citizens in Ecuador, and while this is less relevant to my research topic, many of his secondary research interests, like STS (Science and Technology Studies) and Urban Anthropology, are more germane to my research. In addition, anthropology is one of the core disciplines in my degree, and Dr. Welcome has helped guide me through the discipline and the insights it can provide. While he doesn't research fan cultures, he is also a fan himself, and frequently watches anime.
Professor Sauter has been very helpful in guiding me as I navigate through my INDS degree and potential pitfalls and traps along the way.