Prof. Norimasa Yoshida

I am currently a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Nihon University. I received a doctorate in engineering in 1997 from Waseda University under the supervision of Professor Fujio Yamaguchi. I worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Waseda University as a research assistant from 1995 to 1997, and in the Department of Computer Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology from 1997 to 2003. Additionally, I spent the period from August 2009 to August 2010 at Brigham Young University as an adjunct associate research professor. 

I derive joy from three facets of my life: my family, engaging in research, and mentoring students.

(1) Embracing a family comes with its share of challenges and joys.  Undoubtedly, I hold a strong belief that happiness outweighs hardships. 

(2) The pursuit of research is far from straightforward. However, after undertaking meaningful research that I deem significant, numerous unexpected opportunities have presented themselves. These include invitations to review esteemed journals, recognition garnered at international conferences, and the hosting of a foreign PhD student in my laboratory, among other instances. 

(3) Mentoring students can also be a challenging endeavor.  Recently, I've come to realize that being a professor involves witnessing the transformations of students through mentorship. As I observe the evolution of my students, I often reflect on whether I, too, am undergoing change.  I am mentoring students not only for their benefit but also for my own. I believe this is a powerful source of motivation. 

I forgot to mention this, but I enjoy cooking on weekends. I pursue it as a way to improve my culinary skills.