The new Head of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Tokyo Regional Office, Dr. Junku Yuh, arrived in Tokyo the first week of July.  With the increasingly global nature of science and technology, Dr. Yuh will play a critical role in helping to bridge the research and education communities of the United States and the East Asia and Pacific region.  The NSF Tokyo Office facilitates research collaboration, reports on science and engineering developments and policies, and serves as a liaison between NSF and agencies, institutions, and researchers of the East Asia and Pacific region.

Dr. Yuh has over 20 years of experience in science, engineering and technology programs and policy matters as a researcher and as an NSF program officer.  Dr. Yuh was, most recently, Program Director of the Robotics and Computer Vision programs in NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering.

Prior to coming to NSF, Dr. Yuh was Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Information & Computer Science at the University of Hawaii (UH) for 16 years, where he also served as Director of the Autonomous Systems Laboratory.  

Dr. Yuh is an elected IEEE Fellow and received several prestigious awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from World Automation Congress (2004), a NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award from former U.S. President George Bush (1991), a Boeing Faculty Award (1991), a UH Fujio Matsuda Fellow award (1991), and an ASEE DOW Outstanding Young Faculty Award (1989).  He has published over 120 technical articles and edited/co-edited 10 books in the area of robotics.

Dr. Yuh received his B.S. degree in Mechanics and Design from Seoul National University in Korea in 1981, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1982 and 1986, respectively.

Dr. Yuh assumed his new responsibilities in July 2005, replacing Dr. Christopher Loretz.  The NSF Tokyo Office can be reached by telephone at +81-3-3224-5504/2 and fax +81-3-3224-5507 and by email at nsftokyo@nsftokyo.org or jyuh@nsf.gov .

Kathyrn Sullivan

OISE Acting Director