PA Humanities Announces New Board Members

Five new members were elected to PA Humanities’ Board of Directors in November: Dominic DelliCarpini (York), Dan Kimbrough (Kingston), Aaysha Noor (Mechanicsburg), RJ Thompson (Pittsburgh), and Patricia Wilson Aden (Philadelphia). Each began their term on November 1 and are eligible to serve up to two consecutive three-year terms.

“PA Humanities is fortunate to have such a strong board of state leaders,” said Dr. Cheryl Matherly, chair of the board and Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh University. “The newest members are particularly prepared to bring their diverse backgrounds with the humanities to help lead change in their communities.”

PA Humanities’ mission is to champion the humanities as a means to spark civic engagement, build community, educate, inspire, and make long-lasting change. It is governed by a 24-seat board of directors, which is made up of both elected individuals and governor appointees. Members have backgrounds in business, law, education, philanthropy, government, arts, and culture.

“These newest members come to us from a diversity of locations, bringing with them deep wells of experience and broad statewide connections. They are especially energized because most have personal familiarity with our programs, research, and advocacy,” said Laurie Zierer, executive director of PA Humanities. “This is the perfect group to help us launch our 50th anniversary next year.”

Additional information about all of PA Humanities’ Board of Directors is available at pahumanities.org.

Biographies of the newest members are below (in alphabetical order).

Dominic DelliCarpini is the Naylor Endowed Professor of Writing Studies and Dean of the Center for Community Engagement at York College of Pennsylvania. His articles, book chapters, and presentations focus upon writing as engaged citizenship and undergraduate research.

Dan Kimbrough is a DEI consultant, training and educating on topics around implicit bias, systemic racism, cultural differences, and working with marginalized groups. He serves on many local boards in NEPA and produces a podcast, Systemic, which explores Systemic Racism in America.

Aaysha Noor is a sought-after speaker and facilitator of equity and inclusion. As head of diversity, equity and inclusion at The Giant Company, she is responsible for strategizing DEI initiatives to build a culture of inclusion and belonging and also supporting communities in equitable ways.

RJ Thompson, MFA is an award-winning marketing and graphic design professional. He is the Director of Digital Marketing in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

Patricia Wilson Aden works with the Cultural Alliance team as President & CEO. Before joining the Cultural Alliance team Patty held leadership positions at several cultural organizations, including the African American Museum in Philadelphia and The Blues Foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee.