Tom Flunker joined Gustavus in February 2017 as Interim Director of the Diversity Center. His background spans K–12 and higher education teaching, athletic coaching, and administrative leadership. He has also held board and leadership roles in faith-based and nonprofit organizations. Throughout his career, Tom has focused on intentional, collaborative mentoring—helping individuals identify meaningful opportunities and supporting students as they navigate the complex but rewarding path of education. He remains committed to cultivating an authentic culture of community and belonging across the entire campus.

Toshiyuki Sakuragi is a professor of Japanese language and culture whose expertise draws from intercultural communication and cognitive linguistics. His research examines cultural influences on communication and language learning, addressing topics such as the relationship between attitudes toward language study and cross-cultural attitudes, the cognitive processes underlying classifier choice, and cultural influences on shyness. His research articles have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Psycholinguistic Research and the International Journal of Intercultural Relations.

Among his Japanese-language publications are two books. His single-authored book, 映画で異文化体験 (Experiencing Cultures Through Film), explores the use of film to promote intercultural learning. His co-authored college textbook, はじめて学ぶ異文化コミュニケーション (Introduction to Intercultural Communication), has been widely adopted in Japan and has gone through multiple printings.

Professor Sakuragi teaches Japanese language as well as courses on Japanese cinema and intercultural film. He has also led numerous travel courses to Japan and has taught in the Summer and Winter Japanese Language and Culture Program at Hosei University in Tokyo.

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