I serve as a Policy Analyst in the Center for Devices and Radiological Healthat the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I specialize in Digital Healthpolicy development, including the regulation of artificial intelligence–enabledmedical devices, consumer technology with medical device functions, and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). I also assist our review teams by providing policy consults.

My objectives for my fellowship year are to learn about the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape in Japan for Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning–enabled devices and explore opportunities for collaboration on policy harmonization and joint health initiatives to provide patients more timely access to safe and effective medical devices in both countries.

I am very grateful to have been selected for the 30th class of the Mansfield Fellowship Program. I am excited to form lasting relationships with my Japanese colleagues, and to work to strengthenthe ties between both countries.

I am a Flight Commander with eight years of experience leading hundreds of Airmen in support of U.S. national security priorities and a deep commitment to strengthening international partnerships. My professional path has been significantly shaped by my personal connection with Japan, a country that has captured my imagination and inspired me to pursue a career dedicated to enhancing the U.S.–Japan alliance.

My journey began in Okinawa, Japan where I served for three years, supporting special operations and gaining firsthand experience of the critical role the U.S.alliances in the Indo–Pacific play in regional stability. It was during this time that I was involved with planning, training, and execution of operational missions and exercises in support of national security priorities in the Pacific. My experience includes leading analysts in support of bilateral and multilateral exercises with five nations, and directing wing–level training to enhance airlift capabilities. This period provided me with invaluable experience operating in a complex geopolitical environment and fostered my interest in Japanese language and culture.

My Japanese skills were put to the test when I provided language support to a large–scale trilateral exercise with the U.S. Army, the Japanese Ground Self–Defense Force, and the Australian Army. This experience solidified my belief in the power of effective communication and cultural understanding to enhance joint operations and strengthen international partnerships.

Beyond the operational experience gained in Okinawa, I embraced every opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of Japanese culture, from the vibrant streets of Tokyo to the serene landscapes of Hokkaido. This curiosity quickly transformed into a passion for understanding Japanese culture and fostering meaningful connections within my personal life and my professional career. Each encounter reinforced the importance of building trust and fostering mutual understanding.

As a Mansfield Fellow, I am eager to leverage my experience to delve into Japan’s strategic objectives, logistics and sustainment capabilities, and policy considerations. I aim to acquire a deeper understanding of Japanese multilateral exercise capabilities, focusing on operational sustainment and civilian infrastructure to prolong operations in potentially austere environments. I am particularly interested in exploring Japan’s strategic security objectives, equipment and personnel deployment capabilities, command and control (C2) structure, and logistics development, to identify crucial changes that will enhance the sustainmentof multilateral operations.

Ultimately, I believe the Mansfield Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the strength of the U.S.–Japan alliance, not only by analyzing and improving existing systems, but also by nurturing the personal relationships and mutual understanding that are the foundation of any successful partnership. I am excited and honored to collaborate with Japanese counterparts, learn from their expertise, and contribute my own skills to enhance mutual national security priorities.

In my current role as a Senior Attorney–Advisor in the Regulations& Rulings Directorate of the Office of Trade, CBP, DHS, Ispecialize in international trade law and the border enforcementof intellectual property rights (IPR). My work in this role involvesadministering and enforcing remedial orders issued by the UnitedStates International Trade Commission, most of which involveunfair trade practices involving patents, trademarks, and tradesecrets. In this role, I have also gained expertise across a broad range ofinternational trade topics by drafting administrative rulings governing unfair tradepractices, trade remedies, preferential tariff eligibility under free trade agreements,customs valuation, andimportation procedures. A highlight of my current roleincludes drafting a regulation for the 2019 United States–Japan Trade Agreement.

As a Mansfield Fellow, I aim to deepen my understanding of Japan’sinternational trade policy and border enforcement of IPR. In the years ahead, toprotect United States national security interests and ensure a free and open Indo–Pacific, Japan will be ourgreatest trade ally due to our shared democratic valuesand Japan’s trade expertise in the Indo–Pacific. As a fellow and upon my returnfrom the Fellowship, I plan to engage with the Japanese government to collaborateand exchange perspectives on trade compliance, trade remedies, and borderenforcement of IPR.

My interest in Japan began in 2016 when I interned at Osaka University’s Photonics Advanced Research Center as an undergraduate student. Since returning from Japan, I have maintained a strong personal connection to Japanese culture by continuing to study Japanese, volunteering at cultural events organizedby the Japan–America Society of Washington DC, and even cultivating my own bonsai tree.

As the Deputy Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, I lead the development of enterprise–wide data strategy and advanced data tools to drive key national policy objectives. My work focuses on operationalizing the use of critical data assets—including geospatial information,demographic and economic statistics, and operational data—to supportinitiatives in economic growth, emerging technologies like AI, workforce development, and digital connectivity.

A core responsibility is maximizing the public utility of the Commerce Department’s vast dataholdings. I work to ensure these data assets are accessible and usable by the private sector, stateand local governments, academia, and civil society, thereby fueling innovation and transparent governance.

The strategic goals of Japan—particularly as outlined in its Data Strategy Action Plan for the Development and Collaboration of Public and Private Data in the AI Era and its leadership on Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)—closely mirror the challenges we address at the Commerce Department. As a Mansfield Fellow, I hope to learn about Japan’s efforts in the areas of data interoperability, sharing, and privacy, directly leveraging my experience developing and implementing the Department of Commerce’senterprise–wide data strategy. I am eager to share Commerce’s progress and lessons learned in developing guidelines for ensuring our open datais AI ready, and, in turn, absorb knowledge from Japan’s advanced efforts in data collaboration, AI governance, and digital transformation at both the national and international levels.

I anticipate bringing back a comprehensive understanding of Japan’s policy and operational approaches, which will be invaluable to advancing data and AI strategies within the U.S.government and strengthening U.S.–Japan digital cooperation.

In my free time, I balance my technical focus with creative and physical pursuits. For example, I mentor and teach future leaders in data science and technology. On a personal level, I enjoy sharing my passion for anime and Studio Ghibli films with my four daughters, practicing the discipline of Shotokan karate, and finding inspiration in nature through hiking and drawing.

I have served as the Director of the International Affairs Office within NOAA’s National Weather Service since 2023. In that capacity, I direct all National Weather Service international cooperative activities under bilateral agreementsand broader U.S. Government science and technology protocols. I also execute NWS strategic objectives by overseeing NWS engagement with theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other multilateral bodies, and I oversee cooperative work with the U.S. State Department to implement multi–year agreements in support of National Weather Service and U.S. foreign policy objectives in Africa and the Pacific.

Before taking on my current position, I worked at NOAA for over 20 years in a variety of roles. I began my career as Presidential Management Fellow with NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. In that position, I focused on the coordination of earth observing satellite programs with international partners, including the Japan Meteorological Administration and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. I have also had the opportunity to directly support NOAA leadership on a number of occasions, including assignments as staff for NOAA’s Deputy Under Secretary in 2009, as a Congressional Liaison in the NOAA Office of Legislative Affairs in 2011, and as a Policy Advisor for NOAA’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction in 2015. I moved to a position as Deputy Director in the NWS International Affairs Office in 2015 and stayed in that position until 2023.

As a Mansfield fellow, I hope to advance cooperation in global weather forecasting and disaster preparedness. I see great value in closer collaboration to enable the exchange of data, best practices, and technological innovations. Japan has significant expertise in managing natural disasters and can provide valuable insights that can be leveraged to improve NWS operations, particularly in areas like tropical cyclone and tsunami warnings, which are critical for the safety ofthe Pacific and U.S. coastal regions. Additionally, enhanced coordination with Japan within the World Meteorological Organization and multilateral bodies would enable us to cooperatively advance mutual objectives. Finally, I see great value in enhancing coordination with Japan as wework cooperatively to build early warning systems in the Pacific Islands to respond to extremeweather events.

On a personal level, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share the experience of living inJapan with my family. My wife, son, daughter and I all look forward to deepening our understanding of Japanese culture and building lasting friendships.

I entered the U.S. Air Force in 2018 from Spokane, Washington, and originally hail from South Korea. I began studying Japanese in middle schooland still remember taking a school field trip by ship from Korea to Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan which was an experience that fascinated me with Japanese culture and set me on a path to keep learning the language. I earned an MBA in Finance from Eastern Washington University in 2014 and later taught business organization, leadership, and marketing as an adjunct professor for the University of Maryland University College at Misawa AB. While in Misawa, I hosted seminars for local Japanese government employees, which further deepened my understanding of U.S.–Japan cultural differences and motivated me to keep improving my Japanese so I can collaborate more effectively with Japanese counterparts.

Earlier in my career, I served as a cost analyst for the Nuclear Weapons Center’s NuclearCommunications Division, where I developed life–cycle cost estimates, led cost analyses for major defense acquisition programs, and evaluated industry proposals to strengthen the Air Force’s buying power and stewardship. That experience showed me how closely defense acquisition links government and industry and how emerging technologies can reshape future warfare, work that demands rigorous analysis and course corrections across milestones and global employment. I now serve as a Major Command (MAJCOM) financial analyst at Ramstein Air Base, overseeingUnited States Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa (USAFE–AFAFRICA) Operations & Maintenance and investment portfolios. I lead budget drills, deliver decision support to senior leaders, craft fiscal policy, develop operational guidance, and ensure resources are effectively allocated across USAFE–AFAFRICA, including missions within the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and the United States European Command (USEUCOM). My MAJCOM role provides a strategic, theater–wide view of resource allocation.In 2024, I deployed with the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG–U), leading the Joint Acquisition Board and supporting cross–department working groups. I established actionable strategy and decision support for senior leaders, enabling large–scale security assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a key member of a 12–person planning team, I synchronized efforts with 29 multinational partners, the U.S. Embassy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), USAFE–AFAFRICA, and U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR–AF).

These experiences—both in acquisition and at the MAJCOM level—have shaped my view of international collaboration and its impact on future conflict, leading me to apply for the Mansfield Fellowship. During the fellowship, I aim to deepen my understanding of Japan’s defense acquisition processes and how major programs are managed in collaboration with the United States. I will study how Japan balances cost–sharing and sustainment planning to meet strategic goals and share insights from U.S. defense financial management and security assistance to strengthen U.S.–Japan cooperation in defense resource allocation and policy development. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of Japan’s defense industry outlook and decision–making in defense finance and to collaborating with Japanese counterparts and my home agency as a Mansfield Fellow.

Prior to starting the Mansfield Fellowship, I have been an astronautical engineer in both the US Air Force and the US Space Force. My first assignment after graduating from the US Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Astronautical Engineering and a minor in Japanese language, was at then, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, as a space launch engineer. I oversaw the effective implementation of our Congressionally mandated, mission assurance role on the Nation’s most critical national security space assets before, during, and after launch. Following my time at Vandenberg, I went over to the Electro–Optical Systems Program Office at the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly, VA. At the NRO, I was responsible for the entire spacecraft design and integration of the current and next–generation of electro–optical imagery reconnaissance satellites, which are critical in serving the Nation’s deployed warfighters, intelligence analysts, and senior decision makers. These assignments have allowed me to sharpen my technical acumen and become proficient in the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of space acquisitions. These skills will be necessary in developing and advancing the Space Force’s international partnerships. Over the years, I have been fortunate to continue my studies in Japanese after graduation through the Department of the Air Force’s language program. Through this program, I have even able to participate in the first US Space Force–Japan satellite partnership, but as a Fellow, I hope to fully understand the Japanese space enterprise and become the liaison to advance the US–Japan space relationship in all aspects. I would hope to accomplish this goal by receiving placements in a multitude of Japanese space–related agencies, to include Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Office, and the National Diet. These placements will help me gain a whole–of–government viewpoint in how the Japanese government perceives the advancement of space, not only for domestic purposes but also for international alliances. I am beyond grateful to be accepted to the 30th Class of Mansfield fellows and cannot wait to move to Tokyo. It has always been a goal of mine since entering the Academy in 2015 to integrate my two professional interests, space and Japan. I am ecstatic to finally be in a position to advance the US–Japan space relationship, and I hope to continue strengthening our partnership from the Earth, the Moon, and beyond.

With over ten years of public service, I am passionate about leveraging policy and enforcement tools to prevent abuse of the financial system and international trade. Over the last seven years, I have worked at Treasury, helping protect the U.S. financial system through enforcement of U.S. anti–money laundering and sanctions laws. In my current role, I am helping establish a whistleblower financial incentive program at FinCEN to encourage the public to share vital information with Treasury and the Department of Justice.

I applied to the Mansfield Program out of a desire to deepen my understanding of Treasury’s relationship with counterparts in Japan, particularly the offices that work on anti–money laundering, trade, and sanctions policy, compliance, and enforcement. I hope that my participation in the Mansfield Program will deepen my understanding of the U.S.–Japan relationship in these contexts. I look forward to collaborating with partners in Japan to identify opportunities for future technical assistance and bilateral coordination.

I grew up in Central Indiana, a region with strong ties to Japan. I took Japanese language classes in middle and high school, and had a close group of Japanese friends growing up. My love of the language led me to study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where every course focused on the Asia–Pacific region, deepening my knowledge and appreciation of the connection between the region and the rest of the world. I studied economics and political science in college and graduate school, studying how countries work together to tackle global issues. I hope to applythat same interest to support the long term growth of the U.S.–Japan relationship.