Advisory Boards

Community Advisory Board

The Community Advisory Board strengthens connections between the Center and the broader community, provides strategic guidance on programming, and supports the Center’s development initiatives.

See the Board’s terms of reference (pdf) for more information.

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Noah Baskett

Noah Baskett is a nationally recognized leader in community engagement and social impact, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Library Director for the Salt Lake City Public Library. With two decades of experience driving initiatives that address critical community needs, Noah has led transformative programs in urban centers across the U.S. and beyond. His work includes spearheading college success and scholarship programs, establishing a nationwide youth mentoring and leadership development network, and advising social impact organizations on strategic growth and capacity building. Having grown up in Salt Lake City, Noah is redefining the role of the city’s public libraries as dynamic community hubs of connection, collaboration, and lifelong learning, ensuring they serve as essential pillars of an informed and engaged community.

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Havilah Clarke

Havilah Clarke is a global marketing communications and corporate affairs leader, integrating innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Recent roles include Head of Marketing & Communications at Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, where she led the award-winning “Love, Your Mind” campaign with the Ad Council. At Bristol Myers Squibb and Novo Nordisk, she shaped global communications strategies and managed stakeholder engagements. She actively serves the community as Vice Chair of UtahPresents Advisory Board, Community Advisory Board member for the Tanner Humanities Center, and board member of the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET), with former leadership at PRIDE LIVE. She holds an MBA from University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, and a BA from American University of Paris.

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Emily Grubby

Emily Grubby is the Program and Outreach Coordinator at Utah Humanities. She earned her MA in Environmental Arts and Humanities from Oregon State University and her BA in English from Plymouth State University. She believes strongly in the power of the humanities and interdisciplinary programming to reconnect us to wonder, compassion, and wild possibility.

Stephen Tanner Irish

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Megan Bettilyon

Megan Deon Bettilyon is a deeply committed University of Utah alumnae. She graduated from the U with her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature in 2016 and received her Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy in 2020. Megan considers herself an evangelist for the humanities, and found great satisfaction sharing this passion with the students she worked with in her various positions at the U over the years with the Bennion Center, the College of Engineering, and the College of Science. She is now working in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX and still evangelizes the humanities by sharing media recommendations with her unsuspecting colleagues. If you're looking for a new podcast, book, show, or movie, she is your gal.

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Rebekah Cummings

Rebekah Cummings is the Director of Digital Matters at the University of Utah Marriott Library where she coordinates digital humanities research, teaching, and support. Rebekah’s research on data management and digital humanities has been published in journals such as the International Journal on Digital Libraries, International Journal of Digital Curation, Digital Humanities Quarterly, Information Technology and Libraries, Digital Library Perspectives, and Journal of Library Administration. Her 2024 co-authored monograph, The High Impact Library: Innovative Approaches for Outreach and Instruction, is currently available from the American Library Association.

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Chandani Patel

Chandani Patel, PhD is currently the inaugural Director of Equity and Inclusion at Rowland Hall, an independent preK-12 school in Salt Lake City. She is also an educational consultant and coach who has provided strategic guidance to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in multiple educational contexts. Central to the work she does is her strong scholarly and professional grounding in postcolonial studies, social justice education, and critical pedagogy. Prior to joining Rowland Hall, Chandani was Director for Global Diversity Education at NYU and Senior Assistant Director of Faculty Programs and Services at Columbia University. She also serves as the co-chair for the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)’s Academic Council. Chandani holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago as well as a B.A. in Comparative Literature and an M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU.

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Marie Wintriss

Marie Wintriss is a digital strategist and communications pro based in Salt Lake City. She’s the Associate Director of Digital Content & Strategy at the University of Utah, where she helps teams across campus tell their stories online. From websites and social media to email and digital ads, she supports smart, creative strategies that connect with the right audiences.

Faculty Advisory Board

Soheila Amirsoleimani

Associate Professor, Department of World Languages and Literature

Utah Profile

Scott Black

Professor, Department of English and Director, Tanner Humanities Center

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Aniko Csirmaz

Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics

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Nadja Durbach

Professor, Department of History

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Romeo Garcia

Assistant Professor, Department of Writing and Rhetoric Studies

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Helene Shugart

Professor, Department of Communication

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James Tabery

Professor, Department of Philosophy

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Tanner Lecture on Human Values

Advisory Board

For more information, see the website for the Tanner Lectures on Human Values.

Tori Baker

Executive Director, Salt Lake Film Society

Calvin Crosby

Co-owner, The King’s English Bookshop

Gretchen Case

Associate Professor, Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities, University of Utah

Utah Profile

Havilah Clarke

Head of Marketing & Communications, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation

Annie Fukushima

Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Director, Undergraduate Research, University of Utah

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Matt Haber

Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Utah

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Greg Hatch

Librarian, Marriott Library, University of Utah

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Mark Matheson

Director, International Tanner Lectures on Human Values and Professor, Department of English, University of Utah

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David Roh

Professor, Department of English, University of Utah

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The Tanner Humanities Center is grateful for the contributions of our donors. Your generosity supports our public programming, student programming, and research fellowships.

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