Elizabeth graduated from Northwestern University in 2002, majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Japanese Language and Culture. From 2003-2005 she worked as an English teacher (on the JET Program) in rural Japan, dividing her time between two junior high schools and eight elementary schools. Elizabeth currently works as a Program Officer at the United States-Japan Foundation, planning and organizing the Foundation's US-Japan Leadership Program. She will continue to work as she pursues her masters degree in Regional Studies: East Asia, focusing on Japan.

Stephanie obtained her B.A. in 2007 from the University of Victoria, British Columbia with a joint degree in Asia-Pacific and environmental studies. She studied Mandarin 2004-05 at East China Normal University in Shanghai. Following graduation she was awarded a Canada-China Scholarship and pursued language studies in Kunming, after which she worked assisting the largest plastic re-cycling plant in Beijing with its international activities. She spent 2008-09 in Geneva working for an international environmental foundation, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and as a paid intern with the International Labor Organization (ILO) where she wrote a case study about "Green Jobs in China." Her Masters thesis will deal with trends in Chinese environmentalism. Stephanie hopes to work for an international organization upon graduation in 2010.

Joseph Rome received his BA from Columbia College, majoring in Architecture and East Asian studies. His thesis focused on Japanese colonial architecture in the Chinese city of Dalian. After graduating, he worked for a year in Shanghai for sciSKEWcollaborative, an architectural design firm. Currently he works full-time for the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. In the MARSEA program, he is focusing on modern China.

Junichi graduated from the University of Tokyo with bachelor's degree in law and master's degree in public policy. Since 2006, he has been working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, where he got involved in the U.S.-Japan economic ties and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit of 2008. As a diplomatic trainee, he studied at Georgetown University Law Center for the LL.M. from 2008 to 2009, and is now conducting a research on the U.S.-Japan-China trilateral relationship in the MARSEA program. After completing the program, he will return to the Ministry.

Tony graduated with a BA, double majoring in Asian Studies and Economics, from the University of British Columbia in May 2009. During his undergraduate years, he was involved with research and marketing when interning at Standard Chartered Bank and Savills in Hong Kong. He also interviewed and studied the Korean and Taiwanese immigrant communities in Vancouver, BC when working as a research assistant at his undergraduate institution. His area of interest is contemporary East Asian history and politics, particularly those regarding current PRC affairs. He also studied Korean for two years and has continued to do so for interest.