Larry Samovar, Emeritus Professor at San Diego State University, received his Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he taught for five years. He was also an invited scholar at Nihon University in Japan. As an early pioneer in the field of intercultural communication, he has been a guest speaker at many universities in the United States. In addition, Dr. Samovar has worked as a communication consultant in both the private and public sectors. He has written and/or edited 14 textbooks -- totaling 45 editions. Many of his publications have been translated into foreign languages and are used in 11 countries. As an active researcher he has presented more than 100 scholarly papers and conducted numerous seminars and workshops at international, national and regional conferences. His publication list is extensive and encompasses books and articles on intercultural communication, small group communication, interpersonal communication and public speaking. Richard E. Porter is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. Dr. Porter developed his interest in intercultural communication in 1967 before there was an established field of study. His and other pioneers' early work in the field laid the basic structural foundation used by many later scholars as the field developed and expanded. For 30 years he created and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in intercultural communication. Dr. Porter is the co-author and editor of four books with 24 editions that deal with the subject of intercultural communication. Edwin (Ed) R. McDaniel received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. He is currently a Member-at-Large of the Japan–U.S. Communication Association and a member of the Thunderbird Educator Network at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is also a retired Professor of Intercultural Communication at Aichi Shukutoku University in Nagoya, Japan, and has been a Japan ICU Foundation Visiting Scholar at the International Christian University in Tokyo. In addition, Dr. McDaniel has taught at San Diego State University, CSU San Marcos, and Thunderbird. In May 2013, he was an invited speaker at the China Cultural Industry Forum (CIF) in Beijing. He is the co-author/co-editor of numerous books on intercultural communication. His articles and book chapters have been published in China, Germany, Korea, and Japan, as well as the United States. Before beginning his academic career, Dr. McDaniel was in government service for over 20 years, during which time he lived and traveled in more than 40 countries. Dr. Fujimura is an anthropologist and professor at the United States Naval Academy and has published widely on global cross-cultural competence development for the United States military and most recently on cyber culture studies. Her work focuses on developing effective communication in the military and the role of global cultural acuity in peacekeeping operations. Dr. Fujimura’s goal is to enhance communication and cultural competence among leaders in the armed forces and professionals engaged in international negotiations. In her spare time at work, Dr. Fujimura offers individual strengths-based coaching and global communication workshops. Dr. Fujimura received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Russian Studies (French Minor) at Bowdoin College, Maine. She went on to receive her M.A. in Geography and her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. Most recently Dr. Fujimura was the recipient of the Admiral Jay Johnson Professorship in Leadership and Ethics at USNA. In 2006 Dr. Fujimura was the recipient of the Class of 1951 Civilian Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, The United States Naval Academy, presented in honor of Professor Theodore J. Benac as well as the USNA Service Award in 2021.
