About Scott

Scott was born in a small city in Michigan, USA. From high school, he started having some unique experiences in life. One early important experience was a high school summer homestay in Takarazuka, Japan. At 16 years old, Scott did not know anything about Japan or its culture, so he had some problems. For example, he became sick from eating sashimi, and he got lost several times. He could not speak Japanese, so he had to communicate using gestures. He experienced a different culture and because of these struggles, Scott became interested in learning Japanese and intercultural communication. He realized that he wanted to travel while he was young to have more unique experiences.

In the university Scott studied Zoology and animal communication, such as dolphin’s echolocation. After studying for four years, he was tired of studying, so he chased after more life experiences through traveling. He joined the United States Coast Guard for four years, where he worked on an icebreaker that went to Antarctica. His Coast Guard adventure also took him to Kodiak, Alaska and Gesashi, Okinawa.

Scott also taught English and hospitality in Beijing, China, and carried out research in the field of education in Zimbabwe, Africa.

He always enjoys learning about the cultures and learning about himself, while often making mistakes.

Education

He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Education, focusing on how people learn. His Masters degree was in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language at the University of Michigan. His Bachelors of Science (B.S.) was in Zoology at the University of Michigan.

English Teaching

Scott has taught in Japan for over 20 years. For around 17 years, he taught at Osaka Jogakuin University (OJU), where he set up academic and cultural exchange programs in Taipei, New York City, and Melbourne, Australia. In addition, he helped students develop skills to take TOEIC, TOEFL and IELTs tests. 

In addition, at OJU he received a Ministry of Education Research Grant (Kaken) to research Writing Centers in Asia and established a Writing Center and Writing Program at OJU.

He has over 20 academic articles published on writing centers as well as intercultural communication, and he has presented at academic conferences in Japan, U.S,A, Canada, Taiwan and Zimbabwe. 

Personal

Scott’s main hobby is running. He has run a few marathons, one of his favorite being the Boston Marathon. He likes to watch Japanese TV programs, such as “Sazaesan” and “Chibimaruko-chan”.

Scott also writes funny stories about life in Japan. Click here to see his blog.