"I just want to try new things, and snowboarding is kind of like a trend," explains Visiting Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Yukiko Asaka.
Whether it means leaving her home country, exploring new concepts in neuroscience, or finding new pleasures in recreation, Asaka is always reaching beyond what she knows.
After growing up in Japan, Asaka studied pharmacology for two years, but then wanted to change her major. Pharmacology was too impersonal. She wanted her job to deal more directly with people.
To pursue her interests, Asaka left behind her home country to study at George Mason University in Virginia, where she got her bachelor's degree in psychology. There, she became fascinated by the brain, particularly learning and memory.
Asaka then continued her studies at Miami University in Ohio. She taught undergraduate students while working with classical conditioning in animals. She continued her work in behavioral neuroscience, doing post-doctoral research on synaptic plasticity at Yale University for three years.
While she enjoys researching, Asaka says she loves teaching. She was drawn to Bowdoin because she wanted to teach at a small and academically strong school. She likes to get to know her students. Asaka explains, "It gives me joy...when students understand."
In addition to her interests in neuroscience and her students, Asaka enjoys the recreational opportunities she's found in the Northeast. She used to play for the Greater New Haven hockey team, where she played center and left-wing.
"Hockey is a big, big part of my life right now," she said.
She also plans to take advantage of her time in Maine by mountain biking and learning to snowboard.
After Bowdoin, Asaka would like to return to Connecticut, where she plans to teach and play hockey. No doubt she will continue to "try new things," broadening her horizons with every opportunity.