Aoi Yamanaka

Associate Professor

social justice issues in higher education, cultural leadership, and civic engagement in a diverse environment

Dr. Aoi Yamanaka is an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Academic Services in the School of Integrative Studies, where she teaches courses on social justice and global leadership. She also serves as an academic advisor, and her advising focuses on student affairs, student development, and student engagements. In addition to her teaching and academic advising experiences, Dr. Yamanaka has experiences in international education in the western Michigan and northern Virginia areas. Dr. Yamanaka’s current scholarship focuses on social justice issues in higher education, cultural leadership, socially just and inclusive learning and pedagogy, administrators’ acculturation strategies to meet the needs of special populations in higher education, advocate archetypes, and campus community activism.

Selected Publications

Peer Review Journal

McCarron, G. P., & Yamanaka, A. (2022). Reflecting back and going forward: Promising pedagogical practices for culturally relevant/sustaining and equitable online leadership education. Journal of Leadership Education, 21(4), 38-57

McCarron, G. P., Yamanaka, A., Schierbeek, E., & Fojtik, G. (2022). Socially just and culturally relevant experiential leadership learning: Centering equity and inclusion in learners’ praxis. Journal of Leadership Studies, 16(3), 38-44.

Arminio, J., Yamanaka, A., Hassell-Goodman, S., Athnasiou, J, & Hess, R. M. (2022). The need for more alliances in advocating for, with, and to others in higher education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication.

Arminio, J., Yamanaka, A., Hassell-Goodman, S., Athnasiou, J., Hess, R. M., & Quiles, B. (2021). Archetypes of advocates. Journal of College and Character, 22(1), 46-63.

Owen, J., Hassell-Goodman, S., & Yamanaka, A. (2017). Culturally-relevant leadership learning: Identity, capacity, and efficacy. Journal of Leadership Studies, 11(3), 48-54

Book Chapters

Hassell-Goodman, S., Yamanaka, A., Athnasiou, J., Arminio, J. (in press). Students encouraging other students' learning: Leadership shared metacognition in practice. In A. Maia & B. Devies (Eds.), New directions for student leadership series #183. Applying the leadership learning framework in practice (pp. TBA). Wiley.

Owen, J. E., Pacheco, D. R., & Yamanaka, A. (in press). Decolonizing leadership knowledge: context, culture, and complexity. In A. Maia & B. Devies (Eds.), New directions for student leadership series #183. Applying the leadership learning framework in practice (pp. TBA). Wiley.

Yamanaka, A., & Owen, J. E. (in press). Leadership identity development. In M. Rocco & D. E. Pierre (Eds.), New directions for student leadership series #180. Applying theories and models in leadership program & curriculum design (pp. TBA). Wiley.

Roberts, D. & Yamanaka, A. (in press). Applying a cultural lens to leadership learning. In D. L. Roberts & R. Ammigan (Eds.), The role of student affairs in supporting international students in U.S. higher education (pp. TBA). Palgrave Macmillan.

Hassell-Goodman, S., & Yamanaka, A. (2023). Me! I am leadership!: Evolutions and disruptions by Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color. In T. Teig, B. Devies, & R. Shetty (Eds), Rooted and radiant: Women’s narratives of leadership (pp. 59-78). Information Age Publishing.

Roberts, D. & Yamanaka, A. (2023). International perspectives in leadership learning. In S. R. Komives & J. Owen (Eds.), A Research agenda for leadership learning and development through higher education (pp. 59-81). Stylus.

Courses Taught

INTS 406 Global Leadership

INTS 391 Introduction to Integrative Studies

INTS 371 Constructions of Differences

INTS 337 Social Justice Consciousness and Action

INTS 101 Narratives of Identities

HE 606 Diversity in Higher Education

Education

Ph.D., Education-specializing in Higher Education, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

M.A., Educational Leadership-specializing in Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

M.A., Counselor Education-specializing Community Counseling, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

B.L.A., Human Development, Kagawa University, Japan