Dr. Nicole Kaufman associate professor of sociology, investigated the role religion and social science expertise played in the trial of defendants involved in the 1993 uprising in Lucasville, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, the longest prison riot in American history.
Central Region Humanities Center
Join us for our Spring Lecture on April 20
Central Region Humanities Center
Created in 2001 with support from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ's Central Region Humanities Center supports undergraduate experiential learning, faculty and graduate research, and community engagement in the humanities with an emphasis on Southeast ºìÐÓÊÓƵ.
The CRHC aims to promote regional understanding by facilitating the exchange of humanities research and program ideas and by amplifying the work of partnering public humanities and community organizations.
The CRHC sponsors an annual speaker series and an interdisciplinary biennial conference that highlight the rich culture and history of the local region. It offers annual student internship and experiential learning grants and faculty and graduate student research grants.
Ask the Experts: American inheritance
Experts discuss the legacy of the Declaration of Independence with the organizers of OHIO’s upcoming conference celebrating the document’s 250th anniversary.
Upcoming Events
Biennial Conference | 250 Years: The Promises and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
Keynote: A conversation with Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States, is Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
The CRHC Biennial Conference 250 Years: The Promises and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Apply for CHRC Grants
Fall Cycle Deadline: September 20, 2026 (by 11:59PM)
The Central Region Humanities Center offers faculty and graduate student research and travel grants and student internship and experiential learning grants to support projects related to ºìÐÓÊÓƵ and the larger geographic region of which it is part. ºìÐÓÊÓƵ applicants must be working in a humanities or humanities-related discipline. Community partner applicants must represent a public humanities institution within the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ region.
The National Endowment for the Humanities defines humanities disciplines as including the study of language (modern and classical), linguistics, literature, history, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology [and anthropology], comparative religion, ethics, and art history, criticism and theory. Humanities-related disciplines include social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods.
If you have questions, please contact Dr. Mariana Dantas, CRHC Director dantas@ohio.edu.
Sample of Projects Completed with Support by a CRHC Grant
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Religion and Science in America's Longest Prison Riot
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African American Experiences in the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ River Valley
The African American Research and Service Institute at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ (AARSI) acquired research materials used by students, faculty, and short-term residency scholars working with AARSI's resources to develop research on African American experiences in the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ River Valley.
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Stories of Belonging
Saa Michel Tolno, M.A. student in War and Peace and African Studies, documented and interpreted African students’ experiences with migration, education, community engagement, and contribution to the cultural landscape of ºìÐÓÊÓƵ using ethnographic and oral history research methods.
About the Central Region Humanities Center
Advisory Committee
The CRHC’s advisory committee includes ºìÐÓÊÓƵ faculty from African American Studies, English, Fine Arts, Geography, History, Journalism, and Sociology & Anthropology as well as representatives from a number of institutions outside ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, such as the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ Department of Transportation, the Southeast ºìÐÓÊÓƵ History Center, the Tablertown People of Color Museum, and the Underground Railroad Museum in Flushing, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ.
Director
Dr. Mariana Dantas is a historian of slavery in the Americas who has taught at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ and served its academic community for over 20 years. She was appointed director of the Central Region Humanities Center in July of 2025. She aims to support and advance teaching and research in the humanities and public humanities at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ through a productive partnership between the CRHC, other ºìÐÓÊÓƵ academic units, and local and regional history, cultural, and civic organizations.
Support the CRHC
Donations to the Central Region Humanities Center support the academic events, grants, and engagement with local and regional public humanities organizations. Your gift will ensure ºìÐÓÊÓƵ students have access to enriching experiential learning opportunities in the humanities and will enable the Center to continue offering relevant public events to members of our academic, local, and regional communities.