Indiana Humanities adds two board members

Indiana Humanities, a statewide nonprofit that encourages Hoosiers to think, read and talk has added two new members to its board, Dr. Jay Ruckelshaus and Yecenia Tostado.

Dr. Jay Ruckelshaus (right) is a Hoosier humanist who has returned home to Indianapolis after completing his Ph.D. in the United Kingdom. His academic work has focused on polarization, social cohesion and democracy and won the top prize at the University of Oxford across the social sciences departments. Ruckelshaus has published articles in leading academic journals and popular pieces in such venues as The New York Times. An avid disability volunteer, he is passionate about access in many forms – to ideas, to a sense of home, to one another. Ruckelshaus now leads content development and operations for an environmental software startup that aims to extend the green transition to neglected sectors of the economy.

Yecenia Tostado (left) is the executive director of Project Azul, a nonprofit that provides individuals with flexible training and financial assistance to transition from unemployment or underemployment into full-time roles offering higher wages, access to benefits and a pathway to career advancement. Tostado previously served as associate director for Indy Achieves at EmployIndy, senior program director at the Indiana Latino Institute and assistant director at IUPUI Upward Bound. 

“We are grateful and delighted to welcome our new board members. The individual strengths, experiences and perspectives they bring to our work will help us achieve our vision of an Indiana where the humanities belong to all,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities.