Marie Aizawa Phelan Information

Professor
Natori, Japan

Biography:
Since 1988, Marie Aizawa Phelan has been a full-time professor of Communication Studies at Shokei Gakuin University located in Natori City, Miyagi, Japan. Her major interests are in the fields of intercultural communication, popular culture and interpersonal communication. She has been a member of the Communication Association of Japan (CAJ) since 1987 and served as a member of the board of directors for over ten years. She was vice president of the organization from 1998-2000. She also became the first chairperson of the Northeast Chapter of CAJ in 1993 and is still an active member of the organization. She studied twice in the U.S. under Rotary scholarships. Her M.A. is from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. is nonverbal semiotics from Tohoku University. She is presently studying how Japanese pop culture is perceived by young people in the United States with her colleague, Minoru Ohno, in the Department of Culture and Communication Activities at Shokei Gakuin University.