alumni-news

Alfreda Brown (center), Kent State University’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, receives the 2020 Diversity Trailblazer Award. She is pictured with Patricia Ackerman (left) and Kent State President Todd Diacon (right).

As part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held Jan. 24, Kent State University has announced the 2020 recipients of its Diversity Trailblazer Award, Beverly J. Warren Unity Award for Diversity and Rozell Duncan Student Diversity Award.

U.S. News & World Report has named two Kent State University programs as U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2020. Kent State is recognized in the Best Online MBA Programs and Best Online Graduate Education Programs rankings.

U.S. News & World Report has named two Kent State University programs as U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2020. Kent State is recognized in the Best Online MBA Programs and Best Online Graduate Education Programs rankings. U.S. News released its 2020 Best Online Programs rankings Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Kindness means something different to everyone, but to Stephanie Sweany, ’05, it means making a stranger’s day a little better by simply smiling at them. Stephanie started the Canton Kindness Coalition to “make kindness contagious” in November 2018.

Claudia Kovach, ’03, M.A. ’09, has been part of her family business, City Machine Technologies, Inc since 2006. Her time and dedication to the company has proven successful, as Claudia was recently named the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Champion of Ohio.

Leslie Srodek-Johnson, ’01, a Kent State University journalism graduate, mother of two and lead decorator and baker at Stan’s Northfield Bakery, received the call of a lifetime in December 2018. It was from the Food Network asking her to be a part of the “Christmas Cookie Challenge.”

Kent State University’s Giving Tuesday raised more than $1.6 million to support student success, keeping Kent State students on track to their ultimate goal of obtaining their degree.

Kent State University’s Giving Tuesday 2019 raised more than $1.6 million when it ended on Dec. 3 at 11:59 p.m., shattering the previous year’s record of $1.03 million. Supporters were able to choose from more than 40 featured giving options throughout the Kent State system, including student scholarships, educational programs, athletic teams and more. 

President Khalil Looney (far right) and some fellow members of Kent State University’s Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.) pose for a photo. The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation has pledged a $10,000 matching gift for Giving Tuesday to the M.E.N. Fund.

With the launch of its 2019 Giving Tuesday campaign on Nov. 1, Kent State University has again transformed a one-day fundraising initiative into a monthlong giving campaign to support student scholarships, expanded programs, study away initiatives and modern facilities.

Photo of the 2019-2020 Kent State Alumni Association National Board of Directors

The Kent State University Alumni Association is accepting nominations from dynamic alumni who are interested in serving on its governing board. The National Board of Directors is an exciting group of Kent State graduates who volunteer their time to strengthen the bond between alumni and Kent State University.