Raymond Angeli, President of Lackawanna College, has announced the appointment of Midori Yamanouchi, Ph.D., to the college’s administration in the newly created position of Vice President of Academic Affairs.

As the college’s senior academic officer, Dr. Yamanouchi will oversee curriculum and faculty, with the Dean of Academics, the Dean of Enrollment Management Services, the Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Information Literacy reporting to her.

The spectrum of Dr. Yamanouchi’s interests and activities is vast. She is an educator, researcher, business consultant and author. A staunch advocate of diversity in society, she draws upon her own experiences to promote a multicultural approach to community and educational growth. Dr. Yamanouchi has served several terms on Lackawanna College’s Board of Trustees and is a recipient of the College’s highest honor, the Seeley Distinguished Service Medal.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Yamanouchi enlarging her role at our college,” said President Angeli. “With her outstanding record of achievement as an educator, her extensive knowledge of the college itself, and her organizational and management skills, Midori is the perfect person to lead Lackawanna College’s continued expansion and upgrading of academic programs and opportunities.”

Dr. Yamanouchi received her bachelor's degree from Sophia University in Tokyo, majoring in History and Government. Thereafter, she earned a master's degree in History from Michigan State University and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Michigan. She went on to earn her doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, which included Anthropology, Sociology and History, from Michigan State University.

Most recently, Dr. Yamanouchi had served as a professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Scranton, where she had begun teaching in 1975. Throughout her career, Dr. Yamanouchi has taught at numerous colleges and universities on the east coast and in the mid-west, including Frostburg State College in Maryland, Livingston College and Catawba College in North Carolina, Fisk University in Tennessee, Marshall University in West Virginia and Michigan State University.

In addition, Dr. Yamanouchi has worked for the International Division Research Institute at Sophia University, for the Association for Asian Studies and for the Sperry and Hutchinson Company.

Her research efforts are aimed toward analyzing the impact of technology on society. She has done extensive research throughout her career on Japanese business, management and economy. Other research endeavors include women's studies, marketing and pre-market testing, cross-cultural relationships, and joint ventures between American and Japanese companies.

Dr. Yamanouchi is the author of many publications and papers. Most recently, she translated and edited the book “L isten to the Voices from the Sea,” a collection of letters written by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

She has been named a National Science Merit Scholar, received the Distinguished Sociologist Award from the Pennsylvania Sociological Society, and earned the Professor of the Year Award and the Outstanding Professor Award at Dexter Hanley College. She has been honored for distinguished contributions by the World Forum for Rapprochement of Nations, Races and Religions.

Dr. Yamanouchi has donated her time and efforts to many organizations, including the Lacawac Nature Sanctuary Foundation, the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, the Diversity Institute, the Center for Anti-Slavery Studies, the Northeast Economic Development Council, the Lucan Center for the Arts, the Philharmonic League and the Women’s Resource Center.