Together, we navigated the first full year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t without its challenges, as we faced new and sustained difficulties. I am so proud of our faculty and staff, students, alumni and friends who persevered, found new ways to navigate, and stepped in when presented the opportunity to help others. Recently, we all came together during Flashes Give Back Week, and EHHS was proud to host a food and school supply drive that benefited students on campus and our extended community through Kent Social Services.
We had a return to in-person commencement this spring and welcomed our EHHS graduates as Kent State alumni. Dozens of those graduates would not have made it to commencement without the help of our alumni and friends who graciously provided scholarship support to ensure they had a financially stable path to their degree when experiencing hardships sustained from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our annual EHHS Hall of Fame was celebrated virtually this year. If you haven’t seen the video or read about our deserving recipients you can check them out here. We held the annual Schwebel Guest Lecture virtually for the first time, which was the cap on a year that resulted in big changes for our Hospitality and Event Management program. We miss seeing you on campus at our events. There are plans to offer a safe and celebratory return to campus for Homecoming 2021, and I hope to see you there!
Throughout the year, our students have been achieving incredible milestones: Speech Pathology and Audiology junior Makayla Sejat was named Kent State’s first Newman Civic Fellow, two Exercise Physiology graduate students received an American Kinesiology Association Award, Hospitality students in Kent State’s Club Management Association of America received the 2021 Student Chapter Idea Fair award in Crisis Management at the 2021 CMAA Virtual World Conference, and Kent State’s Rho Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma was honored this year for the chapter’s efforts in health education and health promotion for two of their special events.
We’re planning for next year: a fuller return to campus, offering more opportunities for in-person learning while remaining flexible for our students and faculty, a thoughtful return to study abroad and the opportunity to gain global citizenship. We remain hopeful and committed to delivering excellence on campus, in the virtual classroom, and in ensuring our students have clear and supported paths to their degrees and personal growth.
Thank you for all you have done for EHHS, Kent State, your loved ones and your communities during the past year. We truly are in this together and I am walking right beside you to the other side.
In health and sincere appreciation,
James C. Hannon, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education, Health and Human Services
Kent State University