Preserving the May 4 Legacy
After a national search, Alison Caplan was selected as the new director of Kent State University’s May 4 Visitor’s Center and began her new position in July 2023. She brings 25 years of experience as a museum professional, including her most recent positions as director of education for the National First Ladies’ Library in Canton, Ohio, and as director of education at the Akron Art Museum.
Caplan succeeds Mindy Farmer, PhD, who served as director of the May 4 Visitors Center from 2014 to 2022. After Farmer’s departure from the university, Lori Boes, former assistant director of the May 4 Visitor’s Center, served as the interim director.
In her new position, Caplan serves as an integral educational resource in the university’s effort to remember and commemorate the students who were killed and wounded during the shootings at Kent State on May 4, 1970. Caplan will preserve their stories for future generations while continuing to make connections to current events that keep the center relevant and help students become active, engaged citizens.
Read more about Alison Caplan.
Read Learning Through the Lens of History