Aja Niedorf (ei:ʒə ni:dorf) (American) holds two Master of Science degrees in:

1) Interdisciplinary Studies with a Technology focus

2) Data Science with a Python coding and Data Analysis focus

A veteran teacher who has lived in Japan since 2007, she holds teaching licenses in Chemistry, Physics and General Science in both the US and the UK. Prior to joining DLD, Aja taught middle- and high-school multiple subjects in both the USA and at one of the oldest private international schools in Tokyo.

In addition, she has abundant experience tutoring adults in a variety of topics ranging from mathematics and natural sciences to coding, social sciences and English language. Throughout her career, she has written or edited hundreds of letters of recommendation or personal statements for students applying to various universities and programs all over the world.

Aja very much enjoys travelling and has visited more than fifty countries. She speaks Japanese.

Stephen Ross (American) is a graduate of Columbia University, where he focused on French, and has a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of North Carolina.  He has a long career of teaching English in Japan, as well as a parallel career as a working journalist.  He has produced news content for The New York Times, Voice of America, Yomiuri Shimbun (English edition), and CGTN (China Global Television Network).  Steve is fluent in Japanese and French.  His hobbies are videography and exploring the streets of Tokyo.

Jay Farris (American) graduated from Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas), where he focused on history, urban studies (city development and planning), and Russian language.  He has a Master-of-Engineering degree in Urban Planning from Tokyo University and is a former Monbu-kagakusho Research Fellow.  He has 19 years’ experience as a teacher in Japan, which began with school children in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, and includes university and medical students.  He also serves as a Japanese-English translator.  Besides being fluent in Japanese, Jay has proficiency in Russian, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Megan Gleason (American) graduated from Carleton College (in Minnesota) with a degree in Art History. Before coming to Japan, she worked in art museums and was an English as a foreign language instructor for adults in the US. She then taught English in rural Shikoku to elementary and middle-school students for 3 years, and later to adults in Tokyo. She is fluent in Japanese. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, going to art exhibitions, and learning about physical and mental health.

Troy Fisher-Harper (American) graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with majors in cultural anthropology, Asian Studies, and Asian Languages and Literature. He began his English-teaching career in Japan in 1999 in the Niigata City school system, where he was active for over a decade. As a cultural anthropologist, Troy also has extensive volunteer experience with the culture and peoples of Papua New Guinea. Besides Japanese, he also speaks Neo-Melanesian (the language of Papua New Guinea) and Japanese Sign Language (for the deaf). In his free time he enjoys gardening, cooking, and working in the theatre.

Chris Kozak (Canadian), in addition to his longtime work as a DLD instructor teaching business and legal professionals (2005-2009, and again from 2017), has been a passionate music and social studies teacher in Japan for over twenty years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Alberta, has teaching accreditations from a wide range of institutions and associations, and continues to research cutting-edge pedagogy. His interests include playing the saxophone (as a professional performer), environmentalism (he is a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps), volunteering, and camping. He is fluent in Japanese.

Jonathan Hertzog (American) graduated from the University of Georgia with high honors (summa cum laude, Presidential Scholar), majoring in Japanese Language and Literature. He served as an English language teacher in the public schools of Gunma Prefecture for five years, instructing students from elementary to high school. Jonathan is completely fluent in Japanese and also works as a freelance translator. His passions include films, animation, psychology, politics, economics, craft beer, and 1980’s rock and pop music.

Danielle Cukar (American) graduated from the University of Delaware with a major in Business.  Since 2004 she has taught English in Tokyo to a wide variety of professionals in the Japanese business community.  In her free time she serves as a community volunteer and enjoys playing the ukulele and traveling.  She speaks Japanese.

Shannon Parker (American) is a former Monbu-kagakusho (MEXT) Research Fellow and doctoral candidate in philosophy at Gakushuin University. His research interests included house codes (武家家訓), battlefield divination and the reception history of Chinese military texts. Shannon is fluent in Japanese and has served as a Japanese-English translator/editor at the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA), a quasi-governmental public policy think-tank. Besides teaching English in Japan, Shannon has taught Japanese language and linguistics to students at the University of Massachusetts. In his spare time he enjoys gardening, weight training, hiking and reading on paper.