Dr. Rebecca F. Kemper
Chief Executive Officer of Columbus Landmarks
Q&A
Who have you admired in your path into the sciences and what qualities did you see in them that you embody in your own path?
In my career, I have admired — and worked with — many of my role models. My very first mentor in the sciences was Dr. Dan Keller; he was my middle school teacher that believed all youth can (and should) think scientifically. I also greatly respect and have had the privilege in collaborating with notable scientists who value the humanities in their pursuit of scientific understanding and knowledge sharing: Dr. Joe E. Heimlich (COSI/OSU) & the COSI CRE Team, Dr. Frederic Bertley (COSI), Dr. Alexander A. Petrov (OSU), Dr. Dennis Harper (retired, generation YES), Dr. La’Tonia Stiner-Jones (OSU), Dr. Bernadette Hanlon (OSU), Dr. David Delaine (OSU), Dr. Jennifer Evans-Cowley (UT Arlington), Rita Deedrick (Deedrick Consulting), Dr. Kyle Ezell (OSU), Phaedra Boinodiris (IBM), and Dr. Rachel Garshick Kleit (OSU).
Can you tell us about a memorable moment in your career—a time when you knew you were working in your purpose?
What is one book or film you would recommend to a young person interested in a career in sciences?
Career Highlights
- Co-authoring the paper, “Reprioritising Workforce Development” with Phaedra Boinodiris in The Royal Society (RSA).
- Co-authoring the paper, “Technology Literacy as a Catalyst for Systemic Change,” with Dr. Dennis Harper in the Technological Horizons in Education (most read article for its publication month)
- Founding and serving as the first president of the Latino & Latina Engineering Graduate Student Association (LLEGA) at Ohio State University’s College of Engineering
- Awarded the International Education 2.0 Outstanding Leadership Award (2022) * Serving as a Contributing Editor to the Columbus & Dayton African American News Journal * Serving as co-editor of the Informal Learning Review
- Speaking on the NPR broadcasted, Columbus Metropolitan Club panel discussion, Chasing the Promise of Equitable Education, concerning equitable pathways into STEM careers