HOSTS
Consulate of United States in Nagoya
Technology Partnership of Nagoya Universituy, Inc. (NU Tech)
SUPPORTS
Nagoya Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Japanese University Network in the Bay Area (JUNBA)
Speakers and Panelists
Leah Cox
Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hiroko Tsukamura
Vice President for Diversity and Gender Equality
Professor, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University
Haruyuki Hiratani
CEO
Future Creation Company, Takasago Fluidic Systems
9:00 OPENING REMARK Matthew Cenzer
(Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate in Nagoya）
9:05 GUEST SPEECH I Leah Cox
9:25 GUEST SPEECH II Hiroko Tsukamura
9:45 GUEST SPEECH III Haruyuki Hiratani
10:05 PANEL DISCUSSION & Q&A
Leah Cox
Hiroko Tsukamura
Haruyuki Hiratani
Tomohisa Koyama（Moderator, Executive Director, NU Tech）
10:25 CLOSING REMARK
Matthew Cenzer
Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate in Nagoya
Mr. Matthew Cenzer joined the State Department in 2002. During that time, he has focused on strengthening relationships with key U.S. allies and partners in Asia, as well as tackling critical international peace and security issues across the globe.
Prior to his appointment to Consulate Nagoya in July 2021, Mr. Cenzer served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, where he managed a broad range of political and economic issues and participated in developing the United States’ vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. He has previously served at the U.S. Embassies in Seoul, Jakarta, and Manila, and as Malaysia Desk Officer in Washington.
Mr. Cenzer also has expertise in international peace and security issues. At the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, he negotiated numerous resolutions authorizing peacekeeping missions and addressing nuclear and missile proliferation threats. He also managed bilateral and multilateral arms control issues during an assignment in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance.
Mr. Cenzer was chosen to participate in the State Department’s Pearson Fellowship, where he served for one year as a foreign policy advisor to a member of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Before becoming a diplomat, Mr. Cenzer taught history at Northwestern University. He received a Fulbright student fellowship to pursue his graduate research in Kenya.
He is joined in Japan by his wife, Michele, and their two cats. He speaks Japanese, Indonesian, and some Korean. His interests include photography, hiking, art, and golf.
Leah Cox
Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Leah Cox currently serves as the Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In this capacity, she provides the leadership and vision for creating a more inclusive campus for students, faculty, and staff and works collaboratively with all members of the campus and surrounding community. Before joining Carolina, she served as the inaugural Vice President for Inclusion and Institutional Equity at Towson University. She also served as the Special Assistant to the President and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia and spent many years working at Gallaudet University leading the university’s first minority student affairs office.
She is a recognized leader and popular keynote speaker who has created innovative programs and initiatives led policy development and strategic planning efforts and has designed and led a variety of student success and DEI training programs. Her work has directly influenced recruitment and retention endeavors for academic institutions and businesses. With more than 30 years of experience working in higher education, business, healthcare, and community organizations she is recognized for promoting and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. Her areas of specialization include personnel development, recruitment, retention, disability awareness, cultural competency, student success, and higher education leadership. She is a skilled trainer, mediator, and certified coach who facilitates dialogue surrounding difficult issues and supports conflict resolution efforts.
Leah Cox obtained her PhD in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland, College Park; a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Arizona; and a Bachelor’s degree from Western Maryland College in Art/teacher education.
Hiroko Tsukamura
Vice President for Diversity and Gender Equality
Professor, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences
Nagoya University
Hiroko Tsukamura was educated and received Ph.D. in Nagoya University. She has been working in the fields of animal reproduction and neuroendocrinology from molecular to behavioral levels with more than 250 published papers. Dr. Tsukamura has been intensively studying the brain mechanism governing mammalian reproduction. Dr. Tsukamura, a professor at the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, has also held positions as a Vice President in charge of promoting Gender Equality and Diversity in Nagoya University. She awarded the Shimamura Award from the Society of Reproduction and Development (1995), Yoshimura Award from the Japan Society for Pituitary Research (2002) and Kobayashi Award from the Japan Society for Comparative Endocrinology (2019) for her great contribution in the field of mammalian reproduction. She was also received the Award for Supporting Women's Challenge from the Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office of the Japanese Government (2022).
Haruyuki Hiratani
CEO
Future Creation Company,
Takasago Fluidic Systems
Haruyuki Hiratani has held positions in R&D, corporate planning, marketing, new business, overseas sales, and president of a local subsidiary in France at Menicon Co. During this time, he also gained experience in academia as a trainee at Tokyo Women's Medical University and a visiting researcher at the Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 2018, he moved to Takasago Fluidic Systems. Dr. Hiratani focuses on overseas market development, new business creation, and management human resource development. Dr. Hiratani holds a doctorate in engineering and a master's degree in business administration.