Staff
Rebecca Brown Asmo
Executive Director
rasmo@ohiohumanities.org
Rebecca is an experienced nonprofit and development leader with a passion for art, history, and community development. An alumna of Georgetown University and an adopted Ohioan since 2004, she lives in Columbus' Fifth by Northwest neighborhood with her two children.
Rebecca is currently listening to 2 Black Girls, 1 Rose.
David Merkowitz, PhD
Director of Grants, Programs, & Operations
dmerkowitz@ohiohumanities.org
A Cincinnati-born professor and writer, David teaches part-time at Otterbein University and carries out planning and oversight of program activities and serves as the program officer for major grants at Ohio Humanities. He lives in Westerville with his wife and two sons.
David is reading NW by Zadie Smith.
Marc Smith
Business Manager
msmith@ohiohumanities.org
A former auditor at Huntington National Bank and current Senior Lecturer in accounting at the Ohio State University, Marc manages council funds and is the glue that holds Ohio Humanities together. He lives in Grandview Heights.
Marc is currently curating his fantasy football team.
Scarlett Rebman, PhD
Senior Development Officer
srebman@ohiohumanities.org
Scarlett is the former Director of Grants at Humanities New York and an adjunct instructor of history at her undergraduate alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan University. Originally from Lexington, Ohio, she currently lives in Columbus with her husband, daughter, a tuxedo cat named Nessie, and a black cat named Gozo.
Scarlett is currently watching Reservation Dogs.
Kiley Kinnard
Advocacy & Communications Manager
kkinnard@ohiohumanities.org
Born and raised in Columbus, Kiley worked in politics and state and local government communications prior to joining Ohio Humanities. An alumna of the College of Wooster and Ohio University, she lives in Columbus' North Linden neighborhood with her two cats, Artemis and Apollo.
Kiley is watching Derry Girls.
Melvin Barnes, Jr., PhD
Program Officer
mbarnes@ohiohumanities.org
Melvin was born and raised in Toledo and initially joined Ohio Humanities as a summer research fellow in 2019. Before rejoining the team in 2020, he taught history at the Ohio State University and completed his doctorate in Chinese and East Asian history. He lives in Clintonville with his wife and newborn son.
Melvin is watching RuPaul's Drag Race.
Jim Calder
Program Coordinator
jcalder@ohiohumanities.org
A native of Cleveland and a two-time graduate of Cleveland State University, Jim coordinates Ohio Humanities' digital programs and is the office's resident webmaster. In his free time, he reads and writes critical theory and hangs out with his 14-year-old pug, Bernie.
Jim is currently reading The Frolic of the Beasts by Yukio Mishima.
Aaron Rovan, PhD
Executive & Grants Support Coordinator
arovan@ohiohumanities.org
Aaron is an adopted Ohioan who has taught English at colleges in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and conducted folklore research in several US communities. He lives in Wilmington with his wife and two daughters.
Aaron is currently reading Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen.
Alex Corpuz
Ohio History Service Corps AmeriCorps Member
acorpuz@ohiohistory.org
Alex is an AmeriCorps Member placed with Ohio Humanities for the 2022-2023 service year through the Ohio History Service Corps, one of two history-focused state AmeriCorps program in the nation. They are a recent graduate of the German and Medieval and Renaissance Studies departments at the Ohio State University. Alex lives in Clintonville with their spouse and Whispers, a toothless tortoiseshell cat.
Alex is reading The Charmed Sphere by Catherine Asaro and listening to Rex Factor.
Board of Directors
Ohio Humanities board members serve as advocates for the public humanities by promoting the mission and vision of Ohio Humanities to sustain vibrant communities and foster lifelong learning. The Board of Directors are the fiduciary stewards of the organization; as a whole, the board establishes policy and ensures the financial health of the organization.
Kevin Rose | Springfield | Chair
Historian, The Turner Foundation
Brodi Conover, JD | Lebanon
Associate, Frost Brown Todd
David Descutner, PhD | Athens
Dean & Associate Provost, Ohio University
Deena Epstein | Shaker Heights
Retired Senior Program Officer, The George Gund Foundation
Katherine Fell, PhD | Findlay
President, University of Findlay
Jane E. Gerhardt, JD | Cincinnati
Policy Specialist, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Lance Grahn, PhD | Cortland
Retired Dean & Chief Administrative Officer and Professor of History, Kent State University-Trumbull
Vladimir Kogan, PhD | Columbus
Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University
Stacia Kuceyeski | Columbus
Director of Outreach, Ohio History Connection
Kevin Scott Miller, EdD | New Albany
Superintendent, Licking Heights Local School District
Marilyn Sanders Mobley, PhD | Beachwood
Professor of English, Case Western Reserve University
Dan Moder | Newark
Executive Director, Explore Licking County
Harold Niehaus, PhD | Eaton
Career Connections Director, Preble County Educational Service Center
Mary Jane Pajk | Columbus
Senior Marketing & Communication Leader for Employee Experience & Engagement, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Emily Prieto | Columbus
Case Manager, Molina HealthCare
Tony Sanfilippo | Bexley
Director, Ohio State University Press
Susan F. Smith | Cleveland
Writer and Speaker
Sarah M. Sisser | Findlay
Executive Director, Hancock Historical Museum
Carey Snyder, PhD | Athens
Associate Professor of English, Ohio University
Jeremy Taylor, PhD | Defiance
McMann Arts and Humanities Division Chair, Defiance College
Thomas Way | Steubenville
Executive Director, Urban Frontier Organization
We Need Your Support
Ohio Humanities has supported and produced programs for nearly 50 years that explore history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities disciplines to help share stories, spark conversation, and inspire ideas. Donate to Ohio Humanities today.