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 Barbie: The Album.
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 Ohio Humanities' program activities and grants. He lives in Westerville with his wife and two sons.
David is reading Max Weber: A Biography by Joachim Radkau.
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 grading his students' mid-terms.
Scarlett Rebman, PhD
Director of Advancement
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 daughter and two black cats.
Scarlett is watching The Gilded Age.
Kiley Kinnard
Advocacy & Communications Manager
Managing Editor, Lumen Magazine
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 reading Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister.
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, young son, and a tuxedo cat named Titus.
Melvin is watching The Nanny and listening to the podcast One Year.
Aaron Rovan, PhD
Program Officer
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, two daughters, and their rescue pup.
Aaron is currently watching Only Murders in the Building.
Alex Corpuz
Community Outreach Assistant
acorpuz@ohiohumanities.org
A Strongsville native, Alex served as an Ohio History Service Corps AmeriCorps Member at Ohio Humanities before joining our staff full time upon completing their year of service. Alex is a recent graduate of the German and Medieval and Renaissance Studies departments at the Ohio State University. They live in Clintonville with their spouse and Whispers, a toothless tortoiseshell cat.
Alex is reading To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose.
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.
Sarah M. Sisser | Findlay | Chair
Executive Director & CEO, CreativeOhio
Annie Bezbatchenko, PhD | Bexley
Senior Program Officer, The Teagle Foundation
Brodi Conover, JD | Lebanon
Partner, Bricker Graydon LLP
David Descutner, PhD | Athens
Retired 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
Lance Grahn, PhD | Cortland
Retired Dean & Chief Administrative Officer and Professor of History, Kent State University-Trumbull
Ivy Freeman | Columbus
Executive Director, Product Management – Finance Transformation, JPMorgan Chase
Vladimir Kogan, PhD | Columbus
Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University
Stacia Kuceyeski | Columbus
Chief Operating Officer, Ohio History Connection
Kevin Scott Miller, EdD | New Albany
Superintendent, Licking Heights Local School District
Marilyn Sanders Mobley, PhD | Beachwood
Retired 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
Corporate Communications Executive
Tony Sanfilippo | Bexley
Director, Ohio State University Press
Susan F. Smith | Cleveland
Writer and Speaker
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