Monitoring the situation currently unfolding at the Fukushima nuclear plant is Mark Tracy's primary focus since Japan was struck by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left the country reeling.
A native of Callaway County, Tracy has been living in Japan since 2001. He works as the executive director of the Asian Studies Program at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka. Although the Kansai region, where Osaka lies, is about 300 miles south of Fukushima, Tracy said the university staff is keeping an eye on developments at the plant.
"One of my current duties is to consult with our staff and respond to any risk to our students," Tracy said. "So, we monitor developing events on a 24-hour cycle and meet four times a day to review what we have learned."