Cool Cat: Josh Nelson-Ichido
Josh Nelson-Ichido is a professor for the Communications department at CWU and has been teaching here for 10 years. For five years, Josh has taken students from the intercultural communications class to Japan for two weeks to visit cities like Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo. Additionally, Josh is the advisor for the honors society for undergraduate communications students, also known as ‘Lambda Pi Eta.’ As a part of PULSE Magazine Cool Cat’s series, Josh has answered some questions.
Q: Could you tell me a little bit about yourself, such as what you like to do outside of work and some of your favorite hobbies?
I like the outdoors, during the summer I do lots of hiking. During the Winter I like to go snowboarding and go play in the snow. Beyond that I also love to read. I like video games, I play a lot of games with friends. I also like tabletop role-playing games as well.
Q: Each year you take students to visit Japan, could you tell me more about that?
It’s a section of COMM 302 Intercultural Communication. We have done it the past couple years in Fall. Students will take the course like usual at Central. At the end of the quarter, as a group, we hop on a plane and fly over to Japan for two weeks. The idea is that while we are there, they're using and applying what we have learned in the class, with regards to effective intercultural communication, to navigate new cultural contexts.
While we are there, we travel through Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo. We visit cultural and historical sites like temples and shrines.
Q: Was taking students to Japan your idea?
Initially this was something I had in mind when I was finishing grad school. When I was an undergrad I studied abroad in Japan for a year. Also, in my graduate program, I did a semester abroad with a faculty directed program… for a little over four weeks. We went to Europe and went through Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and France. That was the one that really gave me inspiration.
Q:Could you tell me more about your role as the advisor for Lambda Pi Eta?
It is a nationally recognized honor society. It’s for students who excel in their coursework in academics in communications. I really encourage our students who come to the organization to make our chapter of Lambda what they want it to be. Oftentimes I will encourage them to do different events, whether those are inviting guest speakers, doing Q & A’s, doing discussion panels [or] doing public speaking workshops.”
Q: What are your favorite parts about teaching at CWU?
It sounds cheesy, but it’s the honest truth, it’s the students. I love getting to interact with you. You all are a blast. It’s fun to work with new people, new minds, young minds. Every group is always unique in every experience. I know it’s cliche, but in a very real sense, it helps me feel young.
Q: What’s one thing you would like students to know about you?
“That you can come and talk to me and you can ask me questions. I know for many of you, after you have had me in class for a while, you learn that I’m a very approachable person. I know that the title of professor can sometimes be intimidating, but one thing that I really try to drive home as soon as I can is that I’m approachable.
This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.