Mitchell B. Lerner

Mitchell B. Lerner is a Professor of History and Director of the East Asian Studies Center at The Ohio State University. His expertise spans US History since 1877, Diplomatic History, East Asian History, and themes of Human Conflict, Peace, and Diplomacy. He has held significant roles, including serving as editor of Passport: The Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations Review and associate editor of the Journal of American-East Asian Relations. Lerner has been affiliated with institutions such as the Miller Center for Public Affairs (University of Virginia) and the Wilson Center for Scholars.

His research focuses on modern American diplomatic and political history during the Cold War, particularly U.S.-Korean relations. Notable works include The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy (2002), which won the John Lyman Book Award and was recognized by the American Library Association. He is currently working on a policy history of the Johnson administration and a study of U.S.-Korean relations during the Cold War.

• Awards: John Lyman Book Award (2002), Pulitzer Prize nomination, Bancroft Prize nomination, Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (2005), Distinguished Teacher Prize (2019), Peter Hahn Distinguished Service Award (2022).
• Grants/Fellowships: Korea Foundation, Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library, Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

Lerner serves on the advisory board of the North Korea International Documentation Project and has delivered prestigious lectures, including the National Security Agency’s Henry Schorrek Memorial Lectures (2019). His work bridges academic research and policy, reflecting his commitment to both scholarly inquiry and public engagement.