Student Spotlight
The Arc Institute is proud to recognize and support faculty-led research conducted by students at Kent State University, highlighting their commitment to academic excellence and innovation.
Summer 2025
Environmental Studies
Mentors: Dr. Yin & Dr. Hsiao
"For my research with SURE over the summer, I will be working on the Two-Eyed Seeing Project where I will use remote sensing and GIS datasets to monitor land use changes on Californian Native lands. This will be done for the purpose of identifying susceptibilities to wildfires on Native lands. I hope to hone my geospatial analysis skills and help create a database that can be utilized by Native communities in California in order to monitor vegetation and wildfire risk."
International Relations
Mentors: Dr. Barnes & Dr. Taylor
"I’m excited to return to the SURE program this summer and continue working with Professor Barnes. We will be studying ownership patterns among rental properties in Summit and Portage counties, which is crucial for addressing housing uncertainty. By understanding who owns these properties, we can explore solutions like rapid re-housing to increase access to dignified housing in the region. I look forward to deepening my research skills and building on the experience I gained through the program last year."
Psychology
Mentors: Dr. Barnes & Dr. Taylor
"This is going to be my first experience working in real-world research. I look forward to gaining more skills and confidence in research through the SURE program this summer collecting data on local housing insecurity with Professor Barnes and Professor Taylor."
Summer 2022
The Institute supported an innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration among three SURE students representing the fields of Public Health, International Relations, and Aeronautics. In addition to their individual research projects with SURE mentors, Kristen DiCresce, Naidi Valverde-Romero, and Jacqueline Johnson worked together to develop a synergistic project
that united their diverse academic perspectives around a shared goal: making complex systems—whether in healthcare, aviation, or global diplomacy—more accessible and navigable.Their project, FlySafe, is a prototype app designed to support travelers by offering essential information on recommended documentation and airport procedures, particularly in situations involving legal or immigration-related concerns. By combining expertise in public health, aviation systems, and international affairs, the students created a practical tool aimed at enhancing well-informed and confident travel experiences.
Projects like FlySafe demonstrate how students can transform academic knowledge into practical solutions and highlight the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation.