Robert Toyokazu Troxell was born in Osaka, Japan and moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at age five. He attended Millersville University, University of Delaware (MFA) and Penn State University (PhD). Robert started his career as Supervisor of Art Education at the Delaware Art Museum, then went on to become an instructor at the Barnes Foundation and a Senior Professor at Harrisburg Area Community College, where he taught for 24 years.