Robert W. Foster has been fascinated by Asian cultures since he first read a translation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching in high school. Since that early encounter with a strikingly unfamiliar worldview, he has spent his academic career developing a better understanding of the history of Asian civilizations. After receiving a BA in history from Kenyon College in Ohio, Foster pursued graduate work at Harvard University, where he studied both Chinese and Japanese language and history and earned his master's degree in East Asia Studies and his PhD in Chinese history. Since 1997, Robert has been a member of the faculty of the Department of History at Berea College in Kentucky, where he created the Asian Studies program. Robert has explored human interaction throughout East and Central Asia, and worked to make East Asian cultures more accessible to a Western audience through translations and public lectures that focus on cultural exchange of language, ideas, and material goods. Recognizing the value of directly engaging with Asian cultures, he has led student and faculty groups to Japan and China. He has served as Smithsonian Journeys Expert on a number of journeys in Japan and China since 2011.