Yumi Takahashi-Ede

Yumi is a native of Japan and came to Western Michigan University as an international student in 1997 after she graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from Gakushuin University and a graduate certificate in Gerontology and two master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology and in Comparative Religion from WMU.   

Yumi began teaching Japanese language classes in 1998 and Gerontology classes in 2004 at WMU, while working on her master’s degrees. Through her teaching experience she grew to love working with students and supporting them with their academic success. She joined the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Advising office in 2007 as an academic advisor. When she became an assistant director of retention in 2014, she worked on various retention initiatives at the college level as well as at the university level. She joined the Study Abroad office as a study abroad specialist in April 2016. She enjoyed sharing her passion for studying abroad with WMU students and faculty and assisting them with their study abroad experience. She joined International Student and Scholar Services (I3S) in March 2022. During her time in I3S, she worked on international admissions and recruiting and assisted international students in coming to WMU to pursue their studies. Most recently, she served as the Director of International Recruiting and Admissions in International Student and Scholar Services. 

Yumi’s academic and research interests include end-of-life care and death and dying, and how spirituality and religion play a role in shaping and defining qualify of life for the elderly. Her graduate thesis was based on her research on the meaning of old age and religion in an aging society in Japan.  

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, her friends, her three dogs, and traveling abroad.  

Yumi’s favorite dinosaur in WMU’s Dino Park is to be determined soon!