Diplomatic historian, Director of East Asian Studies at Ohio State. Former director of Institute for Korean Studies, former SHAFR president. Boxer, hockey player, beer drinker, Democrat, Red Sox fan. Gets hurt a lot (especially lately). https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mrpk2vpkm22wThis is just like that time I got a paper cut in class while handing back papers but continued to teach for the entire session and even stayed late to answer a few questions. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/us/montana-hiker-impaled-pole.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawTVkPhwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5N3jXldxEHeC4gBFcJmYPDWpTdogdAPZpHRS4GS41-j4bYDbIJo7SjqR6u7A_aem_Zc_jxBoUgqzf6utBOotESQ28 Jul 2026 13:42 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrpk2vpkm22whttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mpcgwzocsb2fIn honor of the US World Cup team, I chaired my conference panel today with strict time limits: at 12 minutes, each speaker got a yellow card warning, and if they hit 15, they got a red card expulsion.27 Jun 2026 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpcgwzocsb2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mmshm4gv522zWhat's the most corrupt and unethical pair of senators to serve from the same state at the same time since WWII? And could they be worse than Cruz and Paxton? James Eastland and Theodore Bilbo seem to be the top choice. Jesse Helms and Lauch Faircloth, maybe? Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell?27 May 2026 02:30 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmshm4gv522zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mjcixa3w642fSome professional news: https://mershoncenter.osu.edu/news/mitchell-lerner-appointed-new-director-mershon-center12 Apr 2026 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjcixa3w642fhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mhguhi2iic2a19 Mar 2026 20:42 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhguhi2iic2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3meqzzjceop2jThis is really sad news. I switched to the history program after getting an M.A in American Studies at UT, but the broad training I got those first two years shaped my career significantly. [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Feb 2026 17:32 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3meqzzjceop2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3memto7yde72iI really thought I would finish my career at OSU, but based on my LinkedIn page today, there’s another offer coming that I can’t refuse. I am guessing the Sox saw the grainy black-and-white film of me as starting second base in Little League in 1976, and have decided to make an offer.12 Feb 2026 01:28 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3memto7yde72ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3memqggcfg22nAlthough you might not notice if you just glance quickly, there is in fact a slight size difference between Mitch Lerner and a former all-pro NFL linebacker.12 Feb 2026 00:30 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3memqggcfg22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3memnop6eds25You know what isn't fun? A steroid shot in your inner ear. I haven't has spins like this since I saw the Grateful Dead in NYC in 1988.11 Feb 2026 23:41 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3memnop6eds25https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mdxl6gsoke2iAfter a week off because of the weather, my art teacher wife returns to the classroom and is quickly given a reminder of the critical role our teachers play in molding the next generation of leaders.03 Feb 2026 14:30 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdxl6gsoke2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mdwbeowvf22mI assume any time someone sees Les Miserables, they spend the next week singing "Do you hear the people sing," right? Because people at the gym gave me some strange looks today. I suppose they could be supporters of the monarchy of Louis Philippe (1830-48), but that feels unlikely.03 Feb 2026 02:02 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdwbeowvf22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mdgxlgtd3j26I can only assume that Mother Nature, back in August, said something like: “Hell will freeze over before the Patriots play in the Super Bowl!”27 Jan 2026 23:57 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdgxlgtd3j26https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mdcdh7n6vc2rLooks like Jets finally found a good QB! Of course, he is now playing for the Seahawks, but still...26 Jan 2026 03:46 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdcdh7n6vc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mczxdwfnyc2nI encourage everyone in central Ohio to be sure to have adequate supplies on hand for the upcoming storm.22 Jan 2026 19:48 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mczxdwfnyc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mct2kdhbrx26I have a google alert set up for my name to see when it pops up in the media. I am happy to report there has been a huge outbreak of references to "Mitchell Lerner" lately! I am not necessarily happy about why (to be clear, this is a different Mitchell Lerner). https://hudsonvalleypost.com/new-york-teacher-accused-of-showing-porn-to-kids-for-good-behavior/20 Jan 2026 01:57 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mct2kdhbrx26https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mcqrbxqqg22vThank god the patriots finally made it to the AFC championship game. It’s been a long period of suffering for we Pats fans. I mean, there are college students in Boston who were in high school the last time they got to see this! We surely deserve this after those arduous 6 years!19 Jan 2026 04:06 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcqrbxqqg22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3mcloqif6fj2hI had a very small part in making this happen. It’s pretty cool. https://www.cfr.org/ten-best-ten-worst-us-foreign-policy-decisions/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHjPnGtjb_J3QK1G-RJqBm1dc_F8iTWB3YCws8NQ8e-D_78CdCOnsw7fmlR4c_aem_KoDOs5dhOWeAH-cKz7tQlg17 Jan 2026 03:37 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcloqif6fj2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3m52c7g5noc2dSophisticated and cutting-edge analysis from the NYT! https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/style/zohran-mamdani-millennial-style-suits.html07 Nov 2025 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3m52c7g5noc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3m3grnrinny2lA Bose-Einstein condensate is a phenomenon through which scientists dramatically slowed and even stopped light by creating ultra-cold atoms and shining a laser pulse through, causing the light to propagate at shockingly slow speeds. Still, it moved way more quickly than the movie “Smashing Machine.”18 Oct 2025 02:49 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3grnrinny2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lzkdpv6xj223I know with great certainty that robots with AI will someday rise up and kill us all. But considering how awful the umpires are in the Red Sox-Blue Jays game, I think that if the first step toward the elimination of human life on earth is the rollout of robot umpires, I am in favor of it.24 Sep 2025 02:00 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzkdpv6xj223https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lyw6zdapos2jEast Asianists: OSU is hiring in modern Japan! We prefer candidates with a chronological focus on years the Red Sox won the World Series and a methodological approach that emphasizes the immense contributions of short red-headed jazz fans, but we can be flexible! https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37884726/assistant-professor-of-modern-japanese-history/16 Sep 2025 01:43 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyw6zdapos2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lxnaenmri72zTexas hasn’t been really good since Vince Young and Mitch Lerner left for the next level.30 Aug 2025 18:48 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxnaenmri72zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lxn6ijjk7k2xHaving the ball on the OSU 8 yard line and running the qb between the tackles three times is your weekly reminder that there is no IQ test to be a football coach.30 Aug 2025 18:14 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxn6ijjk7k2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lxn4cyvdys26So far, Arch Manning has sucked. I haven’t seen a much-hyped debut collapse this quickly since William Henry Harrison.30 Aug 2025 17:35 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxn4cyvdys26https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lvr7n5igqk25When Roman Anthony's new contract with the Red Sox ends, the Mets will still have one more year of paying Bobby Bonilla.06 Aug 2025 21:55 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvr7n5igqk25https://bsky.app/profile/mitchelllerner.bsky.social/post/3lvr77flzgk2cRoughly 100-120 billion people have existed on earth since its creation. With numbers of that magnitude, it seems possible that at least 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 people in that group were at one point as sick as I am right now. But, it's doubtful. Damn COVID! Someone bring me some horse de-wormer!06 Aug 2025 21:47 +0000at://did:plc:d2akcxsn4bpdhcddxangduni/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvr77flzgk2c