College of Public Health

A student wears a Kent State mask during the COVID-19 pandemic

Two professors have conducted much-needed research on face coverings that use alternative textiles to protect the public from COVID-19 and how to keep those masks virus-free.

A student wears a Kent State mask during the COVID-19 pandemic

Two professors have conducted much-needed research on face coverings that use alternative textiles to protect the public from COVID-19 and how to keep those masks virus-free.

Photo of the necks of beer bottles lined up at an angle

While it's no secret that many college students drink alcohol, how COVID-19 affected these behaviors and patterns is the focus of recent research published in the journal Addictive Behaviors by the collaboration of William Lechner from the Department of Psychological Sciences and Deric Kenne from the College of Public Health. The pair sought to study the effects that a major stressor such as the pandemic could have on addictive behaviors and how vulnerabilities such as anxiety and depression played a part in the coping process of college students. 

Division of Research & Economic Development
Photo of the necks of beer bottles lined up at an angle

While it's no secret that many college students drink alcohol, how COVID-19 affected these behaviors and patterns is the focus of recent research published in the journal Addictive Behaviors by the collaboration of William Lechner from the Department of Psychological Sciences and Deric Kenne from the College of Public Health. The pair sought to study the effects that a major stressor such as the pandemic could have on addictive behaviors and how vulnerabilities such as anxiety and depression played a part in the coping process of college students. 

Kent State's College of Public Health has created a new 100% online MPH in epidemiology degree.PH

The 100% online MPH, with a concentration in epidemiology , will have an official launch in fall semester 2020.

A student uses a computer.

We all know the world has changed, perhaps forever. The overall lesson of the COVID- 19 pandemic is that we need a public health workforce, prepared at all levels, to monitor the world for emerging infectious diseases, to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases, to develop new treatments and vaccines, and to invent novel approaches never seen before. Kent State University’s College of Public Health is addressing this workforce challenge, in part, by hosting the 2020 Virtual Public Health Academy.

Virus and medical worker stock image

Tara C. Smith, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology from Kent State's College of Public Health, discussed the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 and what's ahead for our state and country during a recent conversation on Facebook Live. 

J.R. Campbell, executive director of Kent State University’s Design Innovation Initiative, tries on a face shield produced by the Kent State team.

A team of 25 faculty, staff and students use innovation and creativity to help health professionals in Northeast Ohio protect themselves from COVID-19. 

Virus and medical worker stock image

Tara C. Smith, Ph.D., epidemiology professor in the College of Public Health, shares her perspective on the current coronavirus pandemic: "It seems like years have passed since the world first heard of an 'atypical pneumonia' circulating in the Hubei province of China in December 2019. When we’ve seen similar reports in the past, the illnesses have had a variety of causes, but all were eventually containable..."