Like most students, Mackenzie Bailey faced the typical challenges during the start of her academic career, including choosing a major and getting good grades. But that all paled in comparison to the devastating news she received her freshman year: her father had terminal cancer.

“When I was home for winter break, he ended up passing away,” Ms. Bailey said.

It’s not every day that a college student is awarded a medal or receives a special visit from a congressman. But that’s exactly what happened to a Kent State University student when he was honored for his initiative, achievement and service.

Kent State’s newly announced Design Innovation (DI) Initiative will cultivate a culture where students from a wide array of degree programs will collaborate across disciplines and create unique concepts to tackle “wicked” problems, according to J.R. Campbell, inaugural executive director of Kent State’s Design Innovation Initiative. Mr. Campbell answers some frequently asked questions about Kent State’s DI Initiative.