2011 1st Quarter News Releases

• $500,000 Gift Supports Kent State Students in Unpaid Internships An Illinois-based businessman and Kent State University alumnus has made a $500,000 philanthropic grant to internships for students in the university’s College of Business Administration. The awards are given to students who embark on unpaid internships, which are a large career boost but may be out of reach for those who cannot afford to leave paid employment to gain valuable experience.
  
• “Inside Edition’s” Rita Cosby to Speak at Kent State on Feb. 7 Emmy Award-winning TV host and bestselling author Rita Cosby will give a free talk on Monday, Feb. 7, at Kent State University. Cosby will speak about her latest book, “Quiet Hero: Secrets from My Father’s Past,” a tribute to her father, who was a World War II resistance fighter and prisoner of war.
  
• 2010 National Teacher of the Year to Speak at Kent State Iowa native Sarah Brown Wessling, who was recognized by President Obama as the 2010 National Teacher of the Year, will present a Gerald H. Read Distinguished Lecture at Kent State University on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 4:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva.
  
  
• ADVISORY: Kent State University Board of Trustees Meeting, March 9 The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold its next regular business meeting Wednesday, March 9.
  
• African Community Theatre Presents "Wine in the Wilderness" The African Community Theatre of Kent State University will present its spring 2011 production of “Wine In the Wilderness†on April 15-24.
  
• Alumnus Keynotes Graduate Research Symposium, March 31
  The Kent State University Graduate Student Senate is proud to welcome Dr. Barry Franklin, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and current member of the board of directors of the American Heart Association, as keynote speaker of the 26th Annual Graduate Research Symposium on March 31.
  
• Arbor Day Foundation Names Kent State a Tree Campus USA University for Third Straight Year The Arbor Day Foundation has honored Kent State University as a 2010 Tree Campus USA university for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. This is the third consecutive year Kent State has been named a Tree Campus USA university.
  
• Award-winning YouToo Social Media Conference gives attendees hands-on experience National experts will discuss practical ways that social media marketing can enhance any business or organization at the Fourth Annual YouToo Social Media Conference. The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Kent State University’s Franklin Hall.
  
  
• CNN’s Soledad O’Brien to Speak at Kent State on March 10 Kent State University hosts an evening with CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien on March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.
  
• College of Business Recognized by U.S. News & World Report Kent State University has been recognized once more in U.S. News & World Report. The College of Business undergraduate program has earned a ranking of 159th, earning a top-tier spot on the “2011 Best Business Programs†list.
  
• College of Public Health Celebrates National Public Health Week with Series of Events Kent State University’s College of Public Health will be observing National Public Health Week April 4-10.
  
• College of Public Health Speaker Series, Dr. Joseph Keating, Feb. 21 Kent State University’s College of Public Health continues its speaker series on Monday, Feb. 21, at noon in the Moulton Hall Ballroom. The featured speaker is Dr. Joseph Keating, an assistant professor at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Disease.
  
• College of Public Health Symposium to Focus on ObamaCare John Begala, executive director for the Center for Community Solutions and former state representative, will speak at Kent State University on Monday, April 4. The symposium is titled, “Reforming Health Care Reform: What’s Wrong with ObamaCare?â€
  
• Department of Philosophy Hosts Distinguished Professor Bart Ehrman Bart Ehrman, one of the world’s leading authorities on the Bible, will speak at Kent State University on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva.
  
• Educator Named 2011 McGruder Award for Media Diversity Winner Caesar Andrews, an ethics and diversity faculty member at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, is the recipient of the 2011 Robert G. McGruder Award from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. The award recognizes the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in the field of journalism.
  
• First African-American Woman POW to Speak at Kent State The Kent State Veterans Club is hosting Shoshana Johnson, the first African-American woman prisoner of war (POW). Johnson will speak about her experience as a POW and her life as a female veteran on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva.
  
• Former NAACP President Headlines Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Former congressman and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume will be the special guest speaker at Kent State University’s Ninth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 27, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center.
  
• Free Farm Succession Planning Workshop Offered on March 10 in Athens The Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University is offering a workshop on March 10 for farmers and agricultural business owners looking to explore a business succession plan. The workshop is being presented in conjunction with the Ohio Small Business Development Center, AgCredit, Braintree Business Development Center and the Ohio Department of Development.
  
• Free Farm Succession Planning Workshop Offered on March 16 in Dublin The Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University is offering a workshop on March 16 for farmers and agricultural business owners looking to explore a business succession plan. The workshop is being presented in conjunction with the Ohio Small Business Development Center, AgCredit, Braintree Business Development Center and the Ohio Department of Development.
  
• Free Farm Succession Planning Workshop Offered on March 8 in Norwalk The Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University is offering a workshop on March 8 for farmers and agricultural business owners looking to explore a business succession plan. The workshop is being presented in conjunction with the Ohio Small Business Development Center, AgCredit, Braintree Business Development Center and the Ohio Department of Development.
  
• Graduate School of Management to Host Two Information Sessions For those interested in pursuing a graduate degree in business or a master’s degree in business administration, Kent State University’s Graduate School of Management is offering two free informational sessions this week.
  
  
• Interior Design Seniors Showcase Work at Cleveland Urban Design Center Kent State University senior interior design students will showcase their work at the annual senior exhibition and award ceremony Friday, April 1 at the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative.
  
• Kent State and Sidney-Shelby County Chamber Offer Succession Planning Kent State University is teaming up with the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center at Edison Community College to present a workshop for small business owners on exit planning. The program is designed to provide business owners with the information they need to get started with their business transition.
  
• Kent State Begins Search for New Men's Basketball Coach Kent State University will begin the search for its 24th men’s basketball head coach with the announcement today that Geno Ford has accepted a similar position at Bradley University.
  
• Kent State Campuses Issue Closings, Cancellations Tuesday, Feb. 1: Due to inclement weather, various Kent State campuses have issued campus closings and/or class cancellations. See www.kent.edu/advisory for details.
  
• Kent State Continues International Initiative, Opens Office in India Kent State University, Ohio’s second largest public university, will extend its global reach by establishing a location in India, the second most populated country in the world.
  
• Kent State Education Professor’s Documentary to Air Feb. 27 Guanlan’s Sisters: A Family Journal is a documentary about hope, strength and empowerment. It is about the passion of a woman who believes in the power of education. It is about a family’s journey to incite change in one of China’s poorest regions. The documentary airs Sunday, Feb. 27, at 2:30 p.m. on WVIZ/PBS.
  
• Kent State Fashion Design Students Head to Beijing to Show in China Fashion Week Select students and faculty from Kent State University's School of Fashion Design and Merchandising will attend China's 2011 Fashion Week in Beijing at the end of March. Seven fashion design students will show four pieces each from their senior collections.
  
• Kent State Geology Professor Presents Drought Study Findings A group of researchers have studied the history of drought in the Pacific Northwest during the last 6,000 years, a time that spans the mid-Holocene geological epoch to the present. The team includes Dr. Joseph Ortiz, associate professor of geology at Kent State University.
  
• Kent State Honored for Excellence at Pride of CASE V District Awards Kent State University recently received five awards, including three golds, for achievements in communications and marketing from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
  
• Kent State Hosts Explore Kent Chemistry Day for High School Students High school juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to learn about Kent State University’s chemistry programs at the “Explore Kent Chemistry Day” on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Williams Hall on the Kent campus.
  
• Kent State Hosts LGBTQ Benefit Event On April 2, Kent State University will host a film screening and reception in conjunction with the 35th Cleveland International Film Festival to benefit the university’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Student Emergency Scholarship Fund.
  
• Kent State Introduces New Scholarship Match Program Recognizing the potential for a reduction of state and federal aid for 2011-2012, Kent State University introduces a new scholarship program for incoming Ohio freshmen to the university’s Kent Campus this fall.
  
• Kent State Listed as Top-Ranked Communications Design School Kent State University’s School of Visual Communication Design (VCD) was recently featured as a “Top-Ranked Communications Design School†by the popular “how-to†website, eHow.com.
  
• Kent State Names New Vice President for Research Kent State University has named Dr. W. Grant McGimpsey as its new vice president for research. McGimpsey comes to Kent State from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass., where he serves as director of the WPI Bioengineering Institute, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and professor of biomedical engineering.
  
• Kent State Offers New Study in Israel Trip Comparative Religious Thought, a standard philosophy course offered by Kent State University, will be offered for the first time as a study abroad course in Israel, allowing students to study in Israel during the summer.
  
• Kent State Opens Ohio’s First Campus Kitchen Feb. 23 The Campus Kitchen at Kent State University, part of a national food recovery effort to feed hungry families, will celebrate its grand opening with a public event Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. The event will take place in the Beall Hall cafeteria on the building’s second floor, and will feature foods representative of those that will be prepared in The Campus Kitchen at Kent State.
  
• Kent State Partners with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation The notion of a partnership between Kent State University and fashion mogul Donna Karan isn’t such a strange thing to imagine. Kent State’s School of Fashion Design and Merchandising is recognized as one of the top fashion schools in the country. So it may come as surprising to learn that the new collaboration between Kent State and Karan involves not fashion, but the university’s College of Nursing.
  
  
• Kent State Partners with Lake Health and Lakeland Community College to Expand Nursing Program Kent State University at Ashtabula is partnering with Lake Health and Lakeland Community College to expand educational opportunities for nurses in Northeast Ohio. The new arrangement allows registered nurses with an associate degree to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree from Kent State by attending classes at Lake Health’s TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township, Ohio.
  
• Kent State Presents Lecture on Ireland on March 8 Kent State University will present a lecture on “Ireland’s Crisis and its Lessons for the EU and America†by Dr. Sean Kay, chair of the International Studies Program at Ohio Wesleyan University and Kent State alumnus. The talk, sponsored by Kent State’s Lyman L. Lemnitzer Center for NATO and European Union Studies, will be held on Tuesday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 313 of the Kent Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.
  
• Kent State Presents Sixth Annual Piano Institute on July 17-27 Students from grades 7-12 will have an opportunity to rub elbows with individuals from all around the world at this year’s sixth annual Piano Institute at Kent State University presented by the Piano Division at Kent State’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music.
  
• Kent State Reports 4.56 Percent Spring Enrollment Increase Kent State University reports that its spring 2011 enrollment is up 4.56 percent with the release of the university’s official 15th day census data for the eight-campus system. The spring enrollment figure sets a new record high for spring recorded enrollment for the university.
  
• Kent State Student Invited to Participate in President Obama’s Forum Kent State University student Justin Pierce has been invited to participate in President Barack Obama’s “Winning the Future Forum on Small Business†on Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Cleveland at the Wolstein Center. Pierce will be one of a few students on a panel discussing youth issues.
  
• Kent State Student Philanthropy Campaign Awards First Scholarship Kent State University’s Campaign for Change, its student philanthropy initiative, celebrated a major milestone this January in awarding its first scholarship to Kenneth Smith, a junior aeronautical systems engineering major from Streetsboro, Ohio.
  
  
• Kent State Student Receives High Honor from PCMA Kent State University student Brittany Nemeth was awarded one of the highest Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) honors. She was one of two students chosen to be a Chairman’s Scholarship recipient.
  
• Kent State Students Convert Truck to Electric Power Kent State University Assistant Professor Don Coates and his students are researching the use of rechargeable batteries for powering a vehicle. But their research is far from theoretical. The class has installed a battery-powered system in a used Ford Ranger truck, and they are getting ready to take it on the road.
  
• Kent State to Bestow Honorary Degree to Fashion Empire CEO The ceremony will be held in the Kent Student Center Kiva on Thursday, April 7 at 5 p.m. and also will include Ferragamo's Induction into the Fashion School Hall of Fame.
  
• Kent State to Hold Spirit of Women in Business Conference Kent State University’s College of Business is hosting its second Spirit of Women in Business Conference on March 7, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Kent Student Center.
  
• Kent State University Police Make Arrests in Weekend Robbery While the investigation continues, the Kent State University Police Department has made two arrests in connection with the armed robbery this past Saturday evening (Feb. 5) in the Harbourt Hall parking lot.
  
• Kent State University Police Seek Assistance in Locating Suspects Kent State University Police are investigating a robbery that was reported on campus at 11:35 p.m. Saturday evening. Two Kent State students reported being robbed at gunpoint in the Harbourt Hall parking lot by two black males.
  
• Kent State Well Represented in Advertising Award Competitions Statewide Kent State University was well represented in recent advertising award competitions held in various parts of Ohio. An advertising campaign for the Kent State Folk Festival and the “Experience for Life†television ad series were both honored recently in local ADDY Awards competitions. In addition, student graphic designers at Glyphix, a design agency housed within Kent State’s School of Visual Communication Design, were honored for their work with the design for the Healing Stanzas poetry and art poster series
  
• Kent State's Angela Neal-Barnett Receives Harold K. Stubbs Award Angela Neal-Barnett, an associate professor in Kent State University’s Department of Psychology, was awarded the 2011 Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award recognizing her important work in the study of anxiety disorders among African-Americans.
  
• Kent State's Porthouse Theatre Announces Razzle Dazzle 2011 Summer Season Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University’s outdoor summer theatre located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center, announces a razzle dazzle season for 2011. The professional theatre, celebrating its 43rd year, opens the season with the Broadway sensation “Chicago,” with book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It’s based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins. 
  
• Kent State’s African Community Theatre Holds Auditions for Spring Production The African Community Theatre at Kent State University will be holding auditions for its spring 2011 production of “Wine in the Wilderness.”
  
• Kent State’s School of Music Enters Final Phase of Steinway Campaign Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music embarks on in its final phase of a five-year Steinway Piano Campaign. Once completed, the school will receive an All-Steinway School designation – claimed by only 120 schools and organizations worldwide.
  
• Kent State’s Bike-Sharing Program Returns with Extended Hours With spring just around the corner, Kent State University’s bike-sharing program, Flashfleet, will be returning to campus on Friday, March 11. The initiative was launched at the beginning of the fall semester.
  
• Kent State’s College of EHHS Seeks 2011 Hall of Fame Nominations March 2, 2011: Kent State University’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services (EHHS) seeks nominations for its second annual Hall of Fame Award Ceremony. Nominees must be College of EHHS alumni who have committed their lives to serving others to make the world a better place.
  
  
• KSU’s Fashion School Ranks Third in U.S., 13th Best in World Kent State University’s Fashion School was recently ranked third in the country and 13th in the world by the popular online fashion magazine Fashionista.com.
  
• Lean Six Sigma Training with Health Care Concentration Offered Kent State University is offering a health care and service component of its Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training and certification, beginning March 14. Lean Six Sigma is a business methodology that teaches practices and tools designed to create a culture of operational excellence.
  
  
• Library to be Open 24 Hours a Day, Five Days a Week Supporting student success and responding to requests for extended hours, the Kent State University Library will be open 24 hours, five days a week following spring break.
  
• MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Expert on Egyptian Crisis Available for Interviews Joshua Stacher, assistant professor of political science at Kent State University, is a sought-after expert on the Middle East. He is carefully following the current crisis in Egypt situation, and he is available for interviews to provide perspective and up-to-date information.
  
• Museum and Women’s Studies Program Partner via Hepburn Class In cooperation with Kent State University Museum’s nationally recognized exhibition “Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen,†the Kent State University’s Women’s Studies Program (WMST) is offering a special course during this spring semester on the life and work of the great film star.
  
• Pan-African Studies Partners with Tri-C to Present Lecture Series As part of a new collaboration with Cuyahoga Community College’s (Tri-C) Office of Student Life, Kent State University’s Department of Pan-African Studies presents a panel lecture “West African Muslim Societies and their Contributions to World and U.S. Culture” as part of the 2011-2012 Pan-African Studies lecture series at Kent State.
  
• President Obama Honors Kent State Alum and Former LCI Researcher Kent State University alumnus Dr. Ivan Smalyukh was recently honored at the White House, receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Barack Obama. Smalyukh, who earned his doctorate in chemical physics from Kent State in 2003, was also a researcher and adjunct assistant professor at Kent State’s Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI).
  
• Public Health Speaker Series Focuses on Drug Policy March 31 Kent State University’s College of Public Health presents its second guest of its Public Health Speaker Series this semester. Dr. Duane McBride will speak Thursday, March 31, at noon in Kent State’s Moulton Hall Ballroom.
  
• Rainbow Warriors to lecture, perform classic rock at Kent State University, Feb. 10 The collective of classic rockers known as the Rainbow Warriors will make its way to Kent State University to share personal stories on Thursday, Feb. 10. The lecture and performance will be held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom at 7 p.m.
  
• Researchers Awarded $2.5 Million For Custodial Grandparents Study Kent State University is involved in a nearly $2.5 million, multi-site, four-year long clinical trial study in which several mental health interventions will be delivered to custodial grandmothers and then compared.
  
• School of Theatre and Dance Dedicates New EZ Black Box Theatre The School of Theatre and Dance will dedicate its new black box theatre to Louis O. Erdmann and William H. Zucchero - two celebrated emeriti faculty. A dedication ceremony will take place on Friday, April 8, at 7:15 p.m. in the lobby of the new Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance.
  
• Spring Bowman Breakfast Features Medical Speaker, April 7 This spring’s Bowman Breakfast topic is “Medical Research and Education: Good for the Health of Ohioans…Good for the Health of Ohio’s Economy.†Jay A. Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., president of Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, will speak at the event, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 7.
  
• State Rep. Kathleen Clyde Visits Kent State University State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Portage County’s new representative for the 68th Ohio House District, toured Kent State University on Jan. 24.
  
• Statement from Provost Regarding Dr. Timothy Chandler “I am pleased to report to the Kent State University family and community that Dr. Timothy Chandler will continue to stay here at Kent State and serve as our senior associate provost.
• Students Team Up in New Multimedia Journalism Class For the first time at Kent State University, student journalists and computer scientists will collaborate on real-world projects in a single course, Web Programming for Multimedia Journalism.
  
• Summary of Board Actions At its March 9 meeting, the Kent State University Board of Trustees took action on the following items.
  
• Tel Aviv University Professor to Speak About the Africanization of Israel Dr. Galia Sabar, chair of African Studies at Tel Aviv University, is coming to Kent State University on Thursday, Feb. 3 to speak about various issues in Israel that most people are unaware of.
  
• University Extends Hours of Security Escort Service Effective today, Feb. 21, Kent State University’s Office of Safety & Security is extending the hours of the Security Escort Service. Any student, faculty or staff will now be able to call 330-672-7004 for an escort between 6 p.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
  
• UPDATE: Campus Robbery Unfounded After further investigation of the armed robbery that was reported on Sunday, Feb. 20 the Kent State University police have determined that it was unfounded. The victim recanted their story and there was no robbery.
  
• Weather Forces Numerous Changes to Kent State Athletic Events The Wednesday, Feb. 2, forecast for snow, sleet and ice has forced the Kent State Athletic Department to make a number of changes to its upcoming schedule of events.
  
• “Project Runway†Winner Among Designers to Critique Portfolios On Wednesday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Kent State University Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rodgers School of Fashion Design and Merchandising will play host to three designers who will critique 49 senior fashion design students’ senior projects.