A member of the Ursinus faculty since 2000, Matthew Mizenko teaches courses in Japanese language and East Asian Studies.  He specializes in courses on Japanese culture in social and historical context, ranging from the earliest Japanese literature to contemporary film and anime.  With a wide range of teaching and research interests, Prof. Mizenko has written on Japanese fiction, intellectual history, and modern woodblock prints, and is currently working on a translation of personal statements from survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.  Prof. Mizenko believes strongly in the transformative value of study in Japan, and urges students of Japanese to take advantage of the excellent opportunities that we offer.   And for the record, he wishes to state that he believes that Hello Kitty (who is studied in his course on Japanese visual culture) is a kitten, and not a human being.  If she’s a little girl, then she’s a little girl with big whiskers.