Temple University, Japan Campus Expands Faculty in 2025 to Meet Rising Enrollment and Academic Growth

Faculty gathered for a joint meeting at TUJ in late August ahead of the start of the fall semester.

The Japan campus of Temple University (TUJ) is significantly expanding its full-time faculty in 2025 in response to steady increases in undergraduate enrollment and growing student interest across academic fields. More than 20 new full-time professors, most of whom began this fall semester, are being hired to support new programs and strengthen existing ones as TUJ continues to invest in academic excellence.

This hiring initiative also reflects TUJ’s expansion in Kyoto, where the student population tripled in this fall semester since the satellite location opened in January 2025. With overall enrollment continuing to rise, TUJ is actively recruiting faculty to ensure high-quality instruction and support across both Tokyo and Kyoto.

This fall semester, TUJ also launched its first-ever Honors Program, along with several new minors and expanded offerings in psychology, including specialized courses in neuroscience. These developments build on recent curriculum additions, such as new majors and academic certificates that have drawn growing student interest.

Academic Expertise and Community Impact

The faculty searches, led by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Yasuko Taoka and division chairs Kazuyo Kubo of liberal arts, Kevin Jones of media and fine arts, and Hady Kahy of business and technology, emphasized both academic expertise and teaching excellence.

Kubo, chair of the liberal arts division, which oversees majors such as international affairs, psychology and political science, said her goal in recent faculty hiring was to strengthen an already robust roster by adding expertise in neuroscience and cognitive psychology. This approach has also led to the creation of a new minor in cognitive neuroscience, launching in the current fall semester, which will support the psychology major and benefit students.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new faculty members,” Kubo said. “They all navigated highly competitive international searches and were vetted by committee members drawn from the TUJ campus and Main campus. I am confident that their contributions will enrich our students’ academic experience at TUJ.”

Jones said his priority in hiring was threefold: to bring in subject-matter expertise that complements the existing Communications program, to find faculty who can engage students through inclusive and collaborative teaching, and to recruit individuals willing to contribute to the broader university community. Beyond strong credentials, the committee sought candidates who also demonstrate creativity, collegiality, and commitment.

Responding to Student Demand

TUJ has also expanded faculty hiring in mathematics to support the growing number of students in the computer science major, which can now be completed entirely at the Japan campus. Since this change took effect in the fall 2024 semester, enrollment in the program has risen significantly.

Recognizing the importance of computer science in global commerce, the program provides students with a comprehensive education in areas such as algorithms, software engineering, computer architecture, programming languages, data structures, operating systems, networks, artificial intelligence, and image processing.

Highlighting New Faculty at Each Departments

At TUJ Kyoto in liberal arts division, the university welcomed Kevin Riordan, a scholar of modernism, theater, world literature, comparative literature, and cultural history. He brings international teaching experience from New York, New York University Abu Dhabi, and Yale-NUS College in Singapore, all recognized for excellence in global education.

Also joining the liberal arts faculty in Kyoto is Mari Nagase, appointed as professor. She comes to TUJ after a distinguished academic career in the United States.

In the media and fine arts division, TUJ appointed Philippe Chauveau and Becky Pham, both of whom focus on Asia-centered research highly relevant to TUJ’s international student body.

In the business and technology division, TUJ added João Fonseca and Dogancan Karabas, both with strong research backgrounds and experience at leading institutions such as the University of Tokyo and Northwestern University.

Full List of New Full-time Faculty in 2025:

Heba Abbadi – TUJ Kyoto (Lecturer, International Business Studies)
Laure-Helene Boudier (Lecturer, Bridge Program, Economics)
Philippe Chauveau (Assistant Professor, Communication Studies)
Milad Delfan Azari – TUJ Kyoto (Assistant Professor, Mathematics)
Joao Fonseca (Associate Professor, Computer Science)
Sean Hackett (Associate Professor, International Business Studies)
James Howes IV (Lecturer, Computer Science)
Dogancan Karabas – TUJ Kyoto (Assistant Professor, Mathematics)
Kent Kinzer (Lecturer, Intellectual Heritage)
Cedric Kojima – TUJ Kyoto (Lecturer, Art/Communication Studies)
Johannes Middeke (Assistant Professor, Mathematics)
Lori Morimoto – TUJ Kyoto (Assistant Professor, Asian Studies)
Mari Nagase – TUJ Kyoto (Professor, Japanese)
Eriko Nishizawa (Lecturer, Japanese)
Becky Pham (Assistant Professor, Communication Studies)
Julie Raymond (Assistant Professor, Psychology)
Kevin Riordan – TUJ Kyoto (Assistant Professor, Intellectual Heritage)
David Satterwhite – TUJ Kyoto (Lecturer/Kyoto Experiential Education Coordinator, Asian Studies)
Jordanco Sekulovski (Lecturer, Philosophy)
Agustin Spinetto (Lecturer, Communication Studies)
Nina Tachibana (Lecturer, First Year Writing Program)
Sota Takeda (Lecturer, Japanese)
Satoshi Toyosaki (Professor / Curriculum and Pedagogy Specialist, Japanese)
Thomas Yufik – TUJ Kyoto (Professor, Psychology)