Alumni

Featured Alumnus, Eric Hornberger

M.A. Electrical Engineering (2015)

I began studying Japanese a few years before enrolling at KU. During college, I made many international friends and developed a deep interest in bilingualism. I decided to pursue an immersion program and chose Japan because it complemented my engineering major. In my sophomore year (2010), I was placed in Hokkaido with little knowledge of the language or culture, but I was fortunate to be paired with a wonderful host family. That semester sparked my passion for Japanese language and culture. My undergraduate institution didn’t offer Japanese courses, so I spent my junior and senior years focused on mastering kanji independently.

When I came to KU in 2012 to study electrical, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the school offered extensive resources for language learners—even for students like me who were not formally enrolled in language classes. KU’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) program is demanding, but I consistently made time to attend CEAS events. My favorite was the weekly language table, where I formed many close friendships. It was there that I learned about the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) and Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship. By a stroke of luck, I received both awards and, with my advisor’s support, took a year off from engineering to spend eight weeks in Himeji through CLS (2013) and ten months in Tokyo on FLAS (2013–2014). 

These experiences were invaluable in building the technical skills, vocabulary, and network I needed to launch an international career. CLS was especially impactful because English use was restricted outside certain settings, immersing me fully in the language. I used FLAS to participate in an exchange at Sophia University, one of Japan’s top private universities. This experience, less structured than CLS, required self-discipline but offered freedom to pursue my interests. I tested out of the Japanese classes for exchange students and joined a lab aligned with my research at KU—brain imaging. Interestingly, I found neuroscience and anatomy easier to study in Japanese, as the kanji made the vocabulary more intuitive.

Outside academics, I joined various clubs. Language study is unique in that casual conversation with friends is one of the best ways to learn. In Himeji, I even joined a breakdance club—though I wasn’t very good! At Sophia, I participated in cooking, Bible study, and golf clubs, forming lasting friendships. One of these friendships blossomed into romance—my wife Kaori and I are now married with a beautiful daughter.

After returning to KU, I completed my engineering degree and thesis in 2015, just in time to accept an offer from Sumitomo Heavy Industries as an R&D Engineer near Yokohama. I was hired to develop algorithms for magnetoencephalography (MEG), a role made possible by the experience I gained at KU’s Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center (HBIC)—the only facility in the world equipped for both adult and fetal whole-cortex MEG. I was fortunate to have an understanding manager who hired me through a U.S. subsidiary, helping me stay competitive with offers from U.S. firms. This detail is important for anyone considering an international career to understand the financial and professional implications. Sumitomo offered a unique blend of tradition and innovation. My work was conducted entirely in Japanese—from meetings to emails, conference papers, patents, and contract negotiations. Beyond MEG research, I took on new responsibilities involving Proton Cancer Therapy and traveled with executives to build collaborations with U.S. institutions like MIT and Harvard, ensuring they also visited KU’s HBIC.

Though I loved living in Japan, I accepted a position at Apple to work on ResearchKit and CareKit, which meant moving back to the U.S. Factors such as tax treaties and career advancement norms make long-term international careers challenging past a certain point.

My family and I relocated to California in 2019. Adjusting to life back in the U.S., especially Silicon Valley, involved significant reverse culture shock. While my current role no longer requires regular Japanese, the language remains relevant with the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. These models have historically performed better in English than Japanese, due to linguistic and technical complexities involving machine learning and kanji representation—a unique combination of skills I am fortunate to have.

Kaori and I recently welcomed our daughter, Selah (聖恵来 on her Japanese passport). We’re raising her with Japanese as her first language, knowing she’ll naturally learn English outside the home. She is just beginning to speak, and her favorite word is “wan-wan” (woof-woof), her term for dogs. Raising Selah has introduced me to a whole new vocabulary from Kaori, and I look forward to learning more as she grows and our family blends U.S. and Japanese traditions.

During the COVID pandemic, we moved to Pittsburgh, PA, for work. Kaori had hoped to study abroad at KU but was not selected. Luckily, the University of Pittsburgh has a strong foreign language program, so she enrolled in a master’s program to become a Japanese teacher and is now working on her thesis. I enjoy hearing about her studies in pedagogy and language acquisition and seeing parallels with my own language journey.

In short, I am deeply grateful to the Center for East Asian Studies for enriching my time at KU, providing scholarships and connections that shaped my career, and ultimately bringing my family together. (December 2024)

Alumni Updates

Dianne Daugherty, M.A. Contemporary East Asian Studies (2018)

Gabriel Rebeck, B.A., East Asian Languages & Cultures and Film & Media Studies (2008)

CEAS Graduates and FLAS Fellows (2000 - the present)