Sawa started at UW-Green Bay on August 26, 2013, as an Assistant Professor, Human Development. She completed her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Alberta in Canada. A native of Japan, she earned her bachelor’s from UW-Superior. Her research interests involve social, cultural, and developmental psychology, particularly examining mechanisms and consequences of cultural diversity in various cognitive processes, and exploring the sources of cultural diversity in lifespan development. Her latest project explores the process of cultural transmission from parents to their children.