Yoshihisa “Sam” Itaba is a Visiting Scholar in the Department of East Asian Studies at NYU. He received his PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota (1995), his MA in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota (1991), and his BA in English from Dokkyo University in Japan (1986). Currently, he is Professor in the English Department at Dokkyo University in Japan.
Itaba's research examines the popular discourse by historical, critical and rhetorical analyses from US-Japan cross-cultural perspectives. His specific areas of interest include the so-called “nostalgia films” (US and Japan) and the history of advertisement (US and Japan). He is currently at work on collecting and analyzing historical ads in NY
Prior to joining NYU, Itaba was a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University (2003-2004), where he focused on some nostalgia films and wartime media (US and Japan). His articles have appeared in Speech Communication Studies, Human Communication Studies, and in some book chapters. Professor Itaba served as Chair of the English Department (2015-2017) and Dean of Student Affairs (2011-2015) at Dokkyo University.