Professor Thomas was recently appointed to the Japan-US Friendship Commission (JUSFC), with joint appointment to the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON).
Established in 1975, JUSFC is a federal agency that supports cultural and educational aspects of the US-Japan alliance by awarding institutional grants in support of Japan studies in the United States. The Commission also supports American studies in Japan, bilateral artists exchanges, policy dialogues, legislative exchanges, and student mobility.
Created in 1961, CULCON is a US-Japan advisory committee that meets biannually in alternating years between Japan and the United States. The US CULCON is a high-level, proactive organization that emphasizes the implementation of recommendations, and creates important interventions in US-Japan educational and cultural exchange.
A press release announcing this appointment follows.