Mitch Kaneda

Associate Dean of the SFS
Hometown: Arlington, Va.
Education: B.A. International Christian University (Tokyo), Economics; M.A. International Christian University (Tokyo) in public administration; Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania, Economics
Area of Research: International trade theory
Time at Georgetown: 20 years
Courses Taught: “International Trade”

How does being a dean shape your understanding of students and your teaching?
Understanding students from multiples angles, not just academic, but seeing students as individuals.

What’s the most fascinating question you’ve come across in your research?
What’s fascinating is making breakthroughs after being stuck at a question for months.

What’s the greatest challenge you face in teaching?
Not all students come into my class liking economics. The way is to teach economics clearly.

What drew you to Georgetown?
I think we have a great thing going on here among students and faculty.

What is your impression of Georgetown students over the years that you have spent here?
It’s the enthusiasm and willingness to make a difference.

How has Georgetown’s Jesuit identity shaped the way you interact with students or teach?
Cura personalis is deep within how I do my teaching and my advising as a dean.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in academia?
I might have been at an international organization.

What’s something you wish more students would take away from your courses?
The way to understand the world through economics.

What was your most memorable experience with a student?
Being at a student’s wedding.

How has being a dean changed your interactions with students?
Being a dean, I see many more dimensions of a student, including personal challenges and I can help students in those as well as in studies.

Interview by Penny Hung