Yuriko Saito, a professor of Philosophy in Liberal Arts, has been involved with the online professional journal Contemporary Aesthetics since its inception in 2002. As associate editor, she is among the people who read submissions through a rigorous blind-review process to ensure the quality of the work to be published and to maintain fairness and objectivity in evaluation. In 2008 RISD is helping to sponsor CA through support from Academic Affairs and the Division of Liberal Arts.

Founded by Arnold Berleant, a professor emeritus from Long Island University and one of the world's leading aestheticians, CA has gained global recognition and increasing interest and submissions from scholars and practitioners interested in aesthetic matters. Saito believes the annual journal is well respected in the field because “its orientation is inclusive; that is, it is not guided by a narrowly prescribed agenda or methodology, which is often the case with other journals on aesthetics.” CA not only publishes works by scholars in philosophy, but also artists and experts in art history, museum studies, anthropology, mathematics, science and more. One of the forthcoming articles is a piece by critic Arthur Danto.

In addition to valuing its inclusiveness, Saito lends her support to this effort because she believes in free access to information. “Unlike other journals that require a fee and/or access to a library, CA is committed to making good works in aesthetics available to anybody in the world with access to the internet.” The journal also takes full advantage of online capabilities by incorporating images, music and film clips, and links to relevant sites.