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For the Media
University Communications and Marketing is available to assist members of the media in obtaining information about Kent State University, finding an expert source or arranging an interview or visit. Requests for interviews with the university should be directed to University Communications and Marketing. Contact the Media Relations team.
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Kent State Public Relations Students Place Second in National Competition The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) named a team of Kent State University students as the second-place finisher in the national PRSSA 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition. The team consisted of five Kent State seniors majoring in public relations, and its team name was KSU Blue. The announcement was made May 10.
- Posted May. 17, 2013 -
Kent State Receives Funding to Support Student Retention and Improve Graduation Rates Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has received funding, estimated at $80,000, from Ohio Campus Contact for two AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members who will support student retention at the university through the Connect2Complete program.
- Posted May. 16, 2013 -
Kent State Makes Two New Appointments in Provost’s Office Todd Diacon, Kent State University senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, today announced two new leadership appointments in the Division of Academic Affairs. The Division of Academic Affairs is responsible for all academic programs at the university, including all of Kent State’s colleges, campuses and a variety of other initiatives.
- Posted May. 16, 2013 -
Kent State Wins Prestigious Gold SABRE Award for “Experience for Life†TV Campaign Kent State University earned a Gold SABRE Award for its “Experience for Life†television campaign at the Americas 2013 SABRE Awards that took place on May 7 in New York City.
- Posted May. 15, 2013 -
Trustee and Alumnus Richard Marsh to Lead Kent State Presidential Search Committee The search for Kent State University’s 12th president became official today (May 14, 2013) when the university’s Board of Trustees named Trustee and Kent State alumnus Richard H. Marsh to serve as chair of a broad-based presidential search committee.
- Posted May. 14, 2013 -
Long-Serving Faculty Member Yoost Awarded for Work with Kent State Honors Students Kent State University College of Nursing faculty member Barbara L. Yoost, MSN, RN, CNS, CNE, ANEF, received the Distinguished Honors Faculty Award for 2013 for her work with nursing honors students.
- Posted May. 13, 2013 -
Kent State School of Art's Downtown Gallery Presents "Capture: Photographs by Drew Smith" The Kent State University School of Art’s Downtown Gallery will present “Capture: Photographs by Drew Smith†from May 22 through June 15. The Downtown Gallery is located at 141 E. Main Street in Kent, Ohio. The gallery will host an opening reception on Thursday, May 23, from 5-7 p.m. The opening reception is free and open to the public.
- Posted May. 9, 2013 -
ADVISORY: Kent State University Board of Trustees Meeting, May 14 The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold its next regular business meeting Tuesday, May 14. The Board will convene at 2 p.m. in the George Urban Board of Trustees Conference Room, which is located on the second floor of the Kent Campus Library.
- Posted May. 9, 2013 -
Kent State Fashion Design Students to Show Collections in New York Fashion Week Two Kent State University Fashion School students will compete in the Supima Design Competition, a fashion design contest that culminates in a New York Fashion Week runway show at Lincoln Center with a $10,000 grand prize.
- Posted May. 8, 2013 -
Kent State College of Education, Health and Human Services Seeks Hall of Fame Applications for 2013 Kent State University’s College of Education, Health and Human Services seeks applications for its fourth annual Hall of Fame Award Ceremony. Applicants must be alumni of the college who have committed their lives to serving others to make the world a better place.
- Posted May. 7, 2013 -
Spring Commencement Ceremonies for Kent State Occur May 10 & 11 Spring 2013 commencement ceremonies for Kent State University are scheduled for Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11. All of the Kent Campus commencement ceremonies take place at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).
- Posted May. 6, 2013 -
Kent State's School of Journalism and Mass Communication to Host Second Kent Multimedia Workshop, June 6-8 Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication will host its second Kent Multimedia Workshop – a three-day, hands-on video and photography multimedia storytelling workshop – June 6-8 in Franklin Hall on the Kent Campus.
- Posted May. 3, 2013 -
Kent State Program Makes Paid Internships Available to Freshman and Sophomore Math or Science Majors The Kent State University Robert Noyce Summer Internship Program is available to freshman and sophomore math or science majors. Noyce interns will be paid $450 per week for four weeks in June-July 2013 depending on students’ schedule and site.
- Posted May. 2, 2013 -
Kent State’s College of Public Health Food Drive Results in More Than 3,500 Donations Kent State University’s College of Public Health completed its second annual food drive to benefit the Kent Social Services’ food pantry (The Lord’s Pantry) with more than 3,500 donations.
- Posted May. 1, 2013 -
Kent State Announces Events for 43rd Annual Commemoration of May 4 Kent State University will hold its 43rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events taking place from May 2-5. The annual commemoration provides an avenue for the university community to come together to remember those lost and injured during the tragedy and also to reflect on the meaning of May 4 for today.
- Posted Apr. 29, 2013 -
Groundbreaking for Kent State’s Field House Locker Room Project Takes Place May 3 The groundbreaking for Kent State University’s Field House Locker Room project will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 3, at the Kent State Field House located at 2227 Summit St. in Kent, Ohio.
- Posted Apr. 26, 2013 -
Kent State Students Earn Enterprise Architect Certification in the School of Digital Sciences Through a unique arrangement between Kent State University and the Enterprise Architecture Center Of Excellence (EACOE), undergraduate students can now earn certification as Enterprise Architects. The first group of students earned the enterprise architect certification in December 2012.
Enterprise architecture is a professional area of practice that assists enterprises in designing solutions to achieve their current and future business objectives.
- Posted Apr. 26, 2013 -
Kent State University Holds Third Annual Alumni College The Kent State University Alumni Association will host the third annual Alumni College. The event offers Kent State graduates and friends an opportunity to reconnect with each other and the university. The 2013 Alumni College will focus on topics from the university’s College of Arts and Sciences with renowned faculty members, as well as former NASA astronaut and Kent State graduate Carl Walz.
- Posted Apr. 25, 2013 -
Kent State’s Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies Awarded $400,000 in Grants Kent State University professors Brian Baer, Ph.D., and Theresa Minick, from the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, have been awarded nearly $400,000 in grants to fund the 2013 Foreign Language Student Academy and the Teacher Leadership Academy at the university.
- Posted Apr. 24, 2013 -
Kent State Hosts its Inaugural Neuroscience Symposium on April 29 Kent State University hosts its inaugural Neuroscience Symposium “The Neuroscience of Mental Health†on April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva on the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 22, 2013 -
Kent State Hosts 39th Annual Meonske Accounting Conference, April 25-26 The Ohio Council of the Institute of Management Accountants will host its 39th annual Meonske Accounting Professional Development Conference and Workshop on April 25-26 at Kent State University.
- Posted Apr. 19, 2013 -
Kent State’s Special Education Program Receives $1.3 Million Grant, Seeks Applicants Kent State University’s Special Education program seeks applicants for its Early Intervention in Natural Environments Specialization Training through Distance Learning program to prepare individuals at the graduate level to work with infants and toddlers who have identified disabilities or delays and their families.
- Posted Apr. 17, 2013 -
Kent State President Announces Retirement Plans Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton announced today he will retire from the presidency of Ohio’s second largest public university, effective July 1, 2014. He has served as Kent State’s chief executive officer since July 1, 2006.
- Posted Apr. 17, 2013 -
Kent State and the City of Kent Honored with Inaugural Award for Town-Gown Collaboration Kent State University and the City of Kent have been selected as the winners of the Larry Abernathy Award from the International Town-Gown Association (ITGA). The award honors the town-gown relationship that best represents the spirit of ITGA.
- Posted Apr. 16, 2013 -
Kent State Senior Selected to Serve on Steering Committee for National Campus Leadership Council Evan Gildenblatt, a Kent State University senior from Cincinnati majoring in applied conflict management and executive director of Kent State’s Undergraduate Student Government, was selected to serve on the 2013 Steering Committee for the National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC).
- Posted Apr. 15, 2013 -
Owners of Successful Snack Dip Business to Speak at Kent State’s Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series David and Nique Mealey, owners of Back 9 Dips, will present their entrepreneurial success story at the Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series on Tuesday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. The event is free and open to the public.
- Posted Apr. 11, 2013 -
Kent State Hosts Its Second Annual Organic Photovoltaics Symposium on April 17 Kent State University hosts its second annual Symposium on Advances in Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) on April 17 from 9 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Moulton Hall Ballroom on the Kent Campus. The symposium is a platform for discussions of OPV research, opportunities and development.
- Posted Apr. 10, 2013 -
Kent State University Maintains Prestigious AACSB Accounting Accreditation Kent State University has maintained its accounting accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.
- Posted Apr. 9, 2013 -
Kent State’s Fashion School Spring Fashion Show Highlights Cream of the Crop Design Students, April 27 Kent State University’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 2013 Fashion School Fashion Show, “FS2†on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Building on 1325 Theatre Drive at the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 9, 2013 -
Kent State Holds Third Annual Hablemos (Let’s Talk) Conference on April 19 Kent State University organizations the Latino Networking Caucus (LNC) and the Spanish and Latino Student Association (SALSA) proudly invite the community to the third annual Hablemos (Let’s Talk) Conference in the Kent Student Center on April 19. Registration and check-in for the conference begins at 9:30 a.m
- Posted Apr. 5, 2013 -
Limited Number of Elie Wiesel Tickets Available for April 11 Event at Kent State A limited number of $50 tickets for Nobel Peace Prize winner and Boston University Professor Elie Wiesel’s appearance at Kent State University has been released and is available for purchase. Wiesel will speak at the second Kent State University Presidential Speaker Series on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center on the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013 -
Kent State Presents the 27th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on April 19 Kent State University will host the 27th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on Friday, April 19, at the Hilton West in Fairlawn, Ohio. The theme for the conference, presented by Kent State’s Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC), is “Employee Ownership: Building Jobs, Wealth & Communities.â€
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013 -
MEDIA ADVISORY: Kent State Presidential Speaker Series Presents An Evening With Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize winner and Boston University Professor Elie Wiesel will speak at the second Kent State University Presidential Speaker Series on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center) on the Kent Campus. Media are welcome to cover the event.
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013 -
Two Kent State Students Receive National Design Awards Two Kent State University lighting design students placed first and third place in a national lighting design competition at the 64th Annual Southeastern Theatre Conference in Louisville, Ky.
- Posted Apr. 3, 2013 -
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins Visits Kent State University Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins visits Kent State University on Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom as part of the Wick Poetry Center’s annual U.S. Poet Laureate Reading in celebration of National Poetry Month. The reading is free and open to the public.
- Posted Apr. 3, 2013 -
Kent State Announces Winning Architecture Team for University’s New, $40 Million Architecture Building After holding a competition that drew the interest of internationally recognized architects, the architecture team that will design the new $40 million building for Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design has been determined.
- Posted Apr. 2, 2013 -
University Statement Regarding Kent State Student Joseph J. (“JJâ€) Marino The Kent State community is sad to learn of the passing of Joseph J. ( "JJ") Marino, one of our students, following a car accident in Alabama.
- Posted Apr. 1, 2013 -
University Statement Regarding Social Media Report of Student Death (posted 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 31) The university is aware of the social media report that a Kent State student has died following an accident on I-65 in Alabama. At this time, we cannot confirm that information through official channels.
- Posted Mar. 31, 2013 -
Kent State’s College of Public Health Awarded NSF Grant for Biofilm Research Kent State University’s College of Public Health recently received the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Grant while partnering with Sterionics Inc. for work on advancing and commercializing a wound therapy biotechnology product.
- Posted Mar. 28, 2013 -
Kent State Student Team Performs Strongly in Urban Design Competition A team of urban design graduate students from Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design received an honorable mention from the 2013 Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition. The competition received 149 submissions. 

- Posted Mar. 26, 2013 -
Kent State’s Annual Virginia Hamilton Conference Features Authors Angela Johnson, Gary Schmidt and Yuyi Morales Kent State University’s 29th Annual Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth will be held on the evening of Thursday, April 4, and all day Friday, April 5, at the Kent Student Center. The conference provides a forum for discussion of multicultural themes and issues in literature for children and young adults.
- Posted Mar. 25, 2013 -
Kent State Named to National Honor Roll for Community Service Kent State University has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
- Posted Mar. 25, 2013 -
Kent State’s College of Public Health Fights Food Insecurity Through Community Food Drive The Kent State University College of Public Health announces its second annual food drive to benefit the Kent Social Service’s food pantry – The Lord’s Pantry.
- Posted Mar. 20, 2013 -
Kent State Wins at the 2013 Akron ADDY Awards Four Kent State University creative groups won awards at the 2013 Akron ADDY Awards. The competition was hosted by American Advertising Federation-Akron.
- Posted Mar. 20, 2013 -
Education is Key as Ohio Insurance Industry Launches Insuring Ohio Futures Career Awareness Program Insurance companies in Ohio face a dramatic shortage of career professionals, a talent gap that could harm the industry’s standing as an economic engine for the state. A public-private partnership is now taking concrete steps with the launch of Insuring Ohio Futures, the first effort in the nation designed to attract skilled workers to the insurance sector.
- Posted Mar. 19, 2013 -
Registration Open for the Spring 2013 Bowman Breakfast, April 16 The spring 2013 Bowman Breakfast will take place at Kent State University in the Kent Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, April 16. The featured speaker is Roger Di Paolo, editor of The Record-Courier. Di Paolo will speak on the topic “Beyond Audacity: Celebrating 21st Century Kent.â€
- Posted Mar. 18, 2013 -
Film Director Oliver Stone, PBS News Anchor Gwen Ifill to Help Dedicate Kent State University’s May 4 Visitors Center Film director and producer Oliver Stone, and PBS news anchor Gwen Ifill will join Kent State University to mark its 43rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with the dedication of the May 4 Visitors Center.
- Posted Mar. 18, 2013 -
Kent State’s College of Public Health Hosts the 71st Human Services Institute, March 25 The 71st Human Services Institute, Northeast Ohio’s longest-running institute focused on health and human services, comes to Kent State University from 10 a.m. to noon on March 25 in the Kent Student Center Kiva.
- Posted Mar. 15, 2013 -
Kent State School of Library and Information Science Advances in U.S. News & World Report Rankings The School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University has moved up in the rankings of the nation’s top schools of library and information studies, according to the latest edition (2014) of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.â€
- Posted Mar. 15, 2013 -
Kent State Recognizes Outstanding Research and Scholar Award Recipients on March 19 Three Kent State University faculty members will be recognized during a ceremony on March 19 as the university honors its Outstanding Research and Scholar Award recipients. The recipients of the 2013 award are Michael Loderstedt, School of Art; Katherine Rawson, Department of Psychology; and Carrie Schweitzer, Department of Geology, Kent State University at Stark.
- Posted Mar. 14, 2013 -
Kent State Designs First-of-its-Kind Graduate Program in Fashion Kent State University’s fashion school is leading the academic runway with the creation of a master of fashion degree that is the first of its kind in the nation. The university’s Board of Trustees formally approved the path-breaking graduate program today (March 13), allowing the university’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising to begin enrolling students for fall semester 2013, pending approval by the Ohio Board of Regents.
- Posted Mar. 13, 2013 -
Kent State’s College of Business Administration Holds Graduate Program Information Night Kent State University’s College of Business Administration will hold Graduate Programs Information Night on March 18 in Room 310 of the Kent Student Center on the Kent Campus, and a Stark MBA Night on March 21 in Room 234 of the University Center at Kent State University at Stark, from 6 to 8 p.m. on both evenings.
- Posted Mar. 11, 2013 -
Kent State’s MBA Team Wins Regional Competition Kent State University’s MBA team took home the grand prize in the Cleveland Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Competition that took place at the Union Club in Cleveland. The regional competition’s case focused on mergers and acquisitions.
- Posted Mar. 8, 2013 -
Innovation Triumphs at the 2013 Kent State Business Idea Competition Advancement in headgear technology and protection was recognized when Jake Wolfe, a Kent State University sophomore, won first place in the annual Kent State Business Idea Competition for his business, WolfeCon Cushioning Solutions.
- Posted Mar. 7, 2013 -
E-cycleMania at Kent State Offers Opportunity to Recycle Unwanted Electronic Products Kent State University continues its participation in the annual RecycleMania competition, where colleges and universities strive to reduce waste and increase recycling. From now through March 30, Kent State will join in the E-cycleMania phase of the competition, collecting and tracking the amount of unwanted electronics, such as computers, printers, consumer electronics and other e-waste materials. University Facilities Management at Kent State is coordinating this phase of the competition by helping faculty, staff, students and community members get rid of unwanted electronic products.
- Posted Mar. 7, 2013 -
Kent State Students Get Rare Behind-The-Scenes Look at Concert Business Five Kent State University students will be working alongside the road crew of the rock group Bon Jovi in Cleveland this weekend as part of the band’s community service initiative recognizing students with top leadership skills and a history of volunteerism.
- Posted Mar. 6, 2013 -
ADVISORY: Kent State University Board of Trustees Meeting, March 13 The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold its next regular business meeting Wednesday, March 13. The Board will convene at 1:45 p.m. in the George Urban Board of Trustees Conference Room, which is located on the second floor of the Kent Campus Library.
- Posted Mar. 6, 2013 -
Kent State University’s 2013 Homecoming Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 Kent State University will celebrate its 2013 Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Golden Flashes will take on the Northern Illinois Huskies at Dix Stadium. Other activities will include the Homecoming parade, the annual alumni continental breakfast and parade viewing party, Kiss on the K and much more.
- Posted Mar. 5, 2013 -
Journal Published By Kent State University Press Awards 2013 Hubbell Prize Carol Sheriff has won the John T. Hubbell Prize for the best article published in Civil War History during 2012. Her study, “Virginia’s Embattled Textbooks: Lessons (Learned and Not) from the Centennial Era,†Civil War History (March 2012), was selected by the journal’s editorial advisory board.
- Posted Mar. 4, 2013 -
Kent State Honors Cleveland’s WKYC Anchor With 2013 McGruder Award for Media Diversity at 10th Anniversary Event Russ Mitchell, managing editor of evening news and lead anchor of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on WKYC Channel 3 News in Cleveland, has been named the 2013 winner of the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity by 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.
- Posted Mar. 1, 2013 -
Kent State Program Makes Available $15,000 Scholarships to 10 Science and Math Undergraduates The Kent State University Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program will award 10 scholarships in the amount of $15,000 each to science and math undergraduate students wanting to pursue a one-year master’s degree in teaching (MAT) to become a certified teacher.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2013 -
Study Conducted by Kent State Professors Reveals Economic Impact of Akron Marathon Kent State University economics professors Shawn M. Rohlin, Ph.D., and Nadia Greenhalgh-Stanley, Ph.D., conducted an economic impact analysis of the 2012 Akron Marathon on the city of Akron, Ohio. Their study reveals that $6 million was generated by the race and more than 60 full-time jobs were created.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2013 -
Kent State and Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center Collaborate to Streamline Research, Encourage Commercialization Kent State University and the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center (www.tbeic.org), a federally funded center aimed at the development and commercialization of early-stage clean technologies, have announced a Master Research Agreement for energy-related research.
- Posted Feb. 27, 2013 -
James Blank Reappointed Interim Dean of Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences Kent State University Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Todd Diacon has announced the reappointment of James L. Blank, Ph.D., as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Blank, who has been serving as interim dean since Nov. 1, 2012, will continue to hold the position through June 30, 2015.
- Posted Feb. 26, 2013 -
Kent State Presents Spanish and Latin Film Series, March 1-16 During the month of March, Kent State University will present five Spanish and Latin films. The films will be shown in the Schwartz Center auditorium (room 177).
- Posted Feb. 25, 2013 -
World-Renowned Scientist Ron Mallett to Keynote College of Nursing's “Driving the Future 2013†Kent State University’s College of Nursing presents “Driving the Future 2013,†an event focused on inspiration and innovation and their roles in the education, science and healthcare of the future. The event will take place on Monday, March 4, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature a series of TED TALK-style presentations. The event will take place at the Kent Student Center with morning sessions at the Kiva. Registration is required by Wednesday, Feb. 27.
- Posted Feb. 22, 2013 -
Kent State and Area Health Departments Awarded Grant to Improve Public Health Services Kent State University and three health departments in Portage County, Ohio, are pleased to announce receipt of a $125,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to explore how “cross-jurisdictional sharing†can enable greater protection and promotion of public health.
- Posted Feb. 21, 2013 -
Kent State Hosts “Explore Kent Chemistry Day†for High School Juniors and Seniors, Feb. 23 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. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Williams Hall on the Kent Campus.
- Posted Feb. 20, 2013 -
Kent State Honored With Tree Campus USA Designation for Fifth Consecutive Year The Arbor Day Foundation recently honored Kent State University with a Tree Campus USA designation for the fifth consecutive year. Tree Campus USA was created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities across the nation for campus forest management and engagement in conservation goals.
- Posted Feb. 19, 2013