The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 spurred Chikako Usui to create an exchange program between St. Louis and Ishinomaki, Japan, one of the hardest-hit areas.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 spurred Chikako Usui to create an exchange program between St. Louis and Ishinomaki, Japan, one of the hardest-hit areas.
The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 spurred Chikako Usui to create an exchange program between St. Louis and Ishinomaki, Japan, one of the hardest-hit areas.
The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 spurred Chikako Usui to create an exchange program between St. Louis and Ishinomaki, Japan, one of the hardest-hit areas.
Black will spend the 2025-26 academic year at Howest University of Applied Sciences in Bruges, Belgium, where she will teach, conduct creative writing workshops and continue to work on her novel.