Points of Pride Kent State University at East Liverpool 2020-2021

Campus
 

• A new roof was installed on Purinton Hall, replacing a roof that was more than 20 years old. The work included added insulation and a new hatch for roof access. The cost of the project was $575,000
   
• A rooftop solar array of 232 solar panels was installed on the roof of Purinton Hall as part of Kent State University’s Energy Master Plan. There was no upfront capital expense to Kent State East Liverpool, but all electricity produced will be purchased at a negotiated rate with the developer.

The overall project will also benefit the utility electric grid. During the summer, with high electricity use because of air conditioning, the solar array will produce the most electricity and reduce the stress on the electric grid.

The solar panels are mounted on a weight ballasted system that does not require roof penetrations and will not compromise the new roofing system recently installed on the building. Generated electricity will be extended to the building. The minimum 25-year solar electric cost savings to the East Liverpool Campus is expected to be about $40,000 with a reduced carbon footprint of 89 tons of carbon dioxide. This is the equivalent to removing 18 cars from roadways.

• A presentation space was created in the Academic Learning Commons area (formerly known as the library) with the addition of a new AV system, screen and computer technology and painted walls.
• Rooms 108 and 115 in Purinton Hall were equipped to be used as Zoom rooms. New computers, monitors and microphones were added to each room. 
• Installed all-in-one teacher stations/computers in eight classrooms.
• Purchased and installed new microphones, cameras and stands in 20 classrooms. This provides technology to deliver instruction in a remote format.

Faculty
 

Dr. Lydia Rose

• Dr. Lydia Rose¸ associate professor of sociology, helped lead a pilot study that, in part, measured physical activity of local residents and could lead to more extensive research related to physical activity in the city. She worked with Dr. Kele Ding, associate professor of health education and promotion at Kent State University to acquire a grant from the Grace Lutheran Endowment Fund to conduct the study. Assisting them were senior students Rebekah Davis and Jamiae Sunderland, each associated with the Kent State East Liverpool Social Science Research Lab. The researchers recruit adult volunteers from East Liverpool to participate in the study that measured their physical activity over a short period of time (walking, running, biking, etc.). The volunteers each received a physical activity monitoring watch to wear as they walked, jogged or cycled at least three times each week. The watch connected to a social networking app that mapped locations residents enjoyed and that were safe for physical activities. 
  The Kent State researchers partnered with Carol Cowan and the East Liverpool Health District for the NIH grant to develop an intervention to increase physical activity. This pilot study will provide preliminary data for a much larger research project proposal to be submitted to the National Institute of Health (NIH). The researchers will focus on cycling and community involvement to develop cycling activities and routes through downtown, which is conducive to cycling because it is one of the more level areas for new cyclists. On a structural level, the research team will work with city officials to make sure the environment is safe for cycling and community level activities and will seek funding for city bikes. 

Dr. Qunxing Ding

• Dr. Qunxing Ding, associate professor of biology, accomplished the following:
  • received awards from the Center for Teaching and Learning. He earned a GOLD award for Case Study: The Assessment of Student Learning with the Principles of Metacognition Awareness; as well as SILVER and BRONZE awards for Flipped Classroom in STEM Education
  • along with Dr. Haiyan Zhu, associate professor of biology, published a book chapter: Qunxing Ding and Haiyan Zhu. Chapter 8: Flipping Classroom in STEM Education, Handbook of Research on Innovation in Non-Traditional Educational Practices, Editor: Jared Keengwe, page 155-173, Publisher: IGI Global, 2020. ISBN13: 9781799843603, ISBN10: 1799843602, EISBN13: 9781799843610
  • received an environmental grant from Heritage Thermal Services in East Liverpool. His project was Grow Plants to Save the Earth. With the grant funds, Ding purchased plants and small trees and held a plant give-away for local residents
  • received a 2021 Teaching Development grant ($430) from the University Teaching Council at Kent State, as well as a UTC mini-grant for educational technology
  • made a conference presentation: M. Abdul Mottaleb, Qunxing Ding, Kelly G. Pennell, Erin M. Haynes, Andrew J. Morris, Direct injection analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) from surface water by sample filtration and UPLC-tandem mass spectrometry, 2020 NIEHS SRP Annual Meeting, Hosted by Texas A&M Superfund Research Center, Virtual Meeting, December 14-15, 2020 

Jamie Spickler

• Jamie Spickler, adjunct clinical faculty in the ADN program, earned her MSN and will become a fulltime NTT faculty member this fall. Also earning their MSN degrees were adjunct faculty instructors Kellie Anderson, Miranda Corbin and Yolanda Moore.

Dr. Farid Fouad

• Dr. Farid Fouad, associate professor of chemistry published an article in the Journal of Liquid Crystals: 
  • Melati Khairuddean & Robert Twieg. Synthesis and liquid crystalline studies of biphenylyl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles and diphenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles: influence of side chain semifluorination and lateral ring fluorination. Liquid Crystals. 2021; DOI:10.1080/02678292.2021.1900432

Francis G. Graham

• Francis G. Graham, emeritus faculty for physics, authored the book Gravity Trains: And Other Speculations on 24th Century Technology.  It is uniquely the first book-length treatment ever published about gravity trains through the earth and their physics. 
   
• He also published the following articles in the science fiction periodical Sigma:
  • "Women in Tubes” Sigma, #415, November 2020
  • “Galileo” Sigma, #419, February 2021
  • “Mars!” Sigma, #420, March 2021
  • “1956” Sigma, # 422, May 2021

Programs
 

• Dr. Jessica Paull was appointed the interim coordinator for the Rising Scholars program on the Columbiana County campuses. She assumed the responsibility for the program as an extension of her position as an assistant professor of sociology on the Salem Campus.
   
• The Rural Scholars program phased in a new name and is now known as the Rising Scholars program. The change reflects the expansion of the program across the Kent State system and aligns the Columbiana County program with its sister programs on the other regional campuses.
   
• Following a survey visit with the Ohio Board of Nursing in October, the Kent State University’s College of Applied and Technical Studies Associate Degree of Nursing program (in accordance with Rule 4723-5-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code) met and maintained all requirements of Chapter 4723-5. The Ohio Board of Nursing reviewed the survey visit report and the confirmed the program’s re-approval status at its January 2021 meeting. The renewal is for five years. Heading up the survey project was Dr. Carol  Hrusovsky, interim senior academic program director, nursing program administrator for KSU-ADN programs and program director of the associate degree in nursing program at Kent State East Liverpool.
   
• A new program pathway was established for students in the exercise science program at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center to the PTA program established in 2020-21.
   
• The 2020 graduates of the PTA program had a 100 percent pass rate for the NPTE-PTA exam.
   
• When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, traditional healthcare facilities (hospitals, skilled nursing centers, outpatient clinics, etc.) closed to students. In response to this, Kathy Swoboda, academic program director for the OTA program, and Nina Sullivan, academic fieldwork coordinator and advisor for the OTA program, went to work to provide a Level I fieldwork experience for eight OTA students so they could progress to graduate on time.  Swoboda and Sullivan developed and implemented a new model to provide students with fieldwork experience on the East Liverpool Campus. The program consisted of:  
  • 40 hours of live standard patient labs involving 10 case studies and "live    patients" assuming diagnoses of cases;
  • 40 hours of synchronous and asynchronous Simucase simulations requiring clinical decision-making; 
  • problem solving, OT decisions and OT interventions. 

Student feedback was positive and students passed final clinicals that followed in spring 2021. A system is now in place to respond to any future situation that displaces students from their offsite OTA fieldwork experiences.

• Kathy Swoboda and Nina Sullivan also found ways to help two OTA students complete their clinical experience requirements for timely completion, making it possible for them to each graduate as scheduled and enter the workforce. This was the result of fieldwork sites closing in the spring of 2020 because of COVID. While most students were able to return to facilities by the summer of 2020, two students were kept from returning to their sites. In response to this, Swoboda and Sullivan developed alternate experiences for these two students. They developed, implemented and successfully assisted the two students completing their Clinical Experiences in Academia course. Their clinical work was completed under supervision of a full-time instructor (one on the East Liverpool Campus and one on the Ashtabula Campus) in the OTA programs. Students served as teaching assistants; lab assistants; provided guest lectures; completed lesson plans and study guides; developed and guided lab sessions; developed study resources for the class; and researched academic topics. Both students excelled in this setting and progressed successfully. This was a true example of Flashes helping Flashes.
   
• Using plastic shoe boxes, second-year Occupational Therapy Assistant students created unique teaching tools that were donated to elementary classrooms in the East Liverpool City Schools district. The OTA students were each tasked to design an activity that addresses skills such as sorting, matching, placing and basic assembly and that can be used by children from kindergarten through the fourth grade. Each shoe box is designed to incorporate the basic of the TEACCH method: Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication for Handicapped Children.
   
• Because of limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Culture Fair incorporated Islamic Day in Ohio and used its online presentations in October 2020 so that students could learn about another culture. The project was led by Dr. Lydia Rose, associate professor of sociology.
   
• The 2021 Kent State East Liverpool Earth Day Environmental Justice Virtual Conference was held via a remote format with the theme “Rethinking Food: Equity, Plant-based Consumption and Alternatives.” The keynote speaker was Denise Harrison an expert in several areas including food sourcing; food and sustainability; food activism; history of cooking; and environmental issues. The guest speaker was Dr. Jessica Krieger, a graduate of Kent State University, who is working on cultivating meat in a lab without harm to animals. This event is a collaboration between students in the Environmental Club and the faculty planning committee. The faculty members who serve on the planning committee include Dr. Lydia Rose, Dr. Darryl Hancock, Dr. Haiyan Zhu, Dr. Q. Ding and Dr. Daniel Dankovich along with staff members Paula Butler and Clayton Gellatly. The conference includes a paper competition and student presentations.
   
• Fifteen area high school seniors graduated from the Rising Scholars program. The graduates were celebrated individually with family members in a recognition program held on the Salem Campus.

Students 
 

• Margaret Villarreal, president of the Environmental Club, met with student members via Zoom during the spring semester to address environmental issues and assist in planning the annual Earth Day Environmental Justice Conference.  She also assisted Dr. Qunxing with the plant give-away.
   
• Brooke Moore, a student in the ADN program, received the Lori Grenich Clinical Excellence Award. 
   
• ADN students Melissa Kirksey and Abigail Ziegler were inducted into the Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society,
   
• Melissa Kirksey received the ADN Academic Award for highest GPA in the program and Abigail Ziegler received the Student Nurses Association Service Award.

Staff/Administration
 

• Tiffany Kiphart, PTA, ATC, M.Ed, academic program director for the Physical Therapist Assistant program, completed her two-year leadership fellowship with the American Physical Therapy Association, making history for being the first PTA ever accepted for this fellowship. In October, she was selected to make a TED talk presentation at the APTA Education Leadership Conference. Her talk focused on her project to create a pathway between the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center and the Kent State PTA program. She is now active in several Academy of Education committees. Kiphart also was featured in the December 2020 issue of the national organization’s publication, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Magazine. 
   
• Dr. Susan Rossi, formerly the assistant dean for the East Liverpool Campus, is now serving as assistant dean for both Columbiana County campuses (following the retirement of former Salem Assistant Dean Dr. Celeste Oprean last fall).

Community Involvement
 

• The second Kent State Columbiana County Volleyball Classic took place Oct. 3, when the East Liverpool Potters hosted the Salem Quakers for a full day of volleyball action.
  • East Liverpool High School defeated Salem High School, earning the right to keep the traveling winner’s plaque until next year’s battle. Because of COVID safety protocols, general admission fans were not allowed to attend the game and our activities were limited. Each team member received a Kent State t-shirt, mask and cinch bag. The Kent State County Volleyball Classic represents the strong foundation of learning in East Liverpool and Salem, as each community is home to one of the university’s two Columbiana County campuses. 
     
• The Kent State East Liverpool Campus was selected as the Business of the Month by the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce. Although the campus was the March 2020 Business of the Month, the COVID pandemic delayed the presentation of the award until October 2020. Chamber President Sheryl Gibson made the presentation to Dr. Susan Rossi, assistant dean.
   
• Students from the Kent State East Liverpool physical therapist assistant program observed National PTA Month by making monetary donations to two causes.
  • The PTA students raised $500 through fundraisers. They presented $250 to the East Liverpool City Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program and $250 to VALOR Retreat. The Shop with a Cop program pairs local law enforcement officers with area youth to help shop for Christmas gifts. The program not only provides families with help for the holidays, but also builds goodwill between the officers and community members. The VALOR Retreat is a recreational facility being built in the Hocking Hills area for combat veterans and their families, as well as Gold Star families. The name represents Veterans Are Loved, Owed, Respected.
     
• Students in the Associate Degree in Nursing program continued their support of the Salvation Army’s annual holiday gift drive.
   
• ADN students participated in the Columbiana Health Department vaccination clinics at the Columbiana Fairgrounds and East Liverpool Schools.  John Dawson, an adjunct clinical instructor for the ADN program and a nurse with the East Liverpool City Schools, coordinated the experience for the ADN students at its immunization clinic. Aside from helping with registration, crowd management and documentation, the students conducted post-injection monitoring for those who received the vaccine. The students will return to participate in the second round of immunizations. Representing the ADN program at Kent State East Liverpool were students Makayla Ammon, Matthew Bigelow, Addison Guildoo, Joelle McCoy, Jeanna Scarabino, Sierra Wells and Abigail Ziegler. 

Recruitment/Retention Efforts

• Enrollment Management and Student Services:
  • Both campuses experienced a concurrent enrollment increase from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 despite the COVID 19 pandemic.
  • Spring 2021 concurrent enrollment numbers also increased +10% for both campuses despite the COVID 19 pandemic.
  • Applications for Fall 2021 are up 34 percent at the East Liverpool Campus.
     
    • Scholarships
      • Over $400,000 in donor funded and campus funded scholarships were awarded to Columbiana County students.
      • Instead of in-person scholarship receptions, video presentations were developed to honor scholarship recipients.
         
    • Recruitment/Digital Marketing Initiatives
       
      • Continued partnership with Carnegie Dartlet which is increasing our online presence through social media, Google Ads and a more targeted marketing approach using some of our existing webpages.
      • The most recent campaign that began in March 2021 has resulted in a total of 139 requests for information that have been converted to inquiries in Salesforce.  We have also seen an increase in the need for campus visits/tours.
      • The admissions counselor participated in online college fairs in collaboration with other Regional Campuses.
      • Hosted virtual events such as Information Night and specific program information sessions.
         
    • Academic and Financial Aid Advising
      • Continued to provide virtual services to students using Teams and Zoom.  Utilized Microsoft Bookings to schedule student appointments.
      • Continued to hold STAR (Student Testing, Advising and Registration) sessions virtually to accommodate students in this remote environment.
         
• Held a drive-through DKS event to kick off the fall semester for incoming students. COVID prevented the campus from holding its traditional one-day orientation, so a parking lot was transformed into a drive-through that allowed students and staff to maintain safe distancing and still provide important information to the students. Students received Kent State t-shirts, information packets, a Welcome Box (included socks, sunglasses, a pen and other items) and a Kent State cinch bag (containing masks, hand sanitizer, key chain, etc.). 
   
• Academic Learning Commons and Peer Tutoring & Writing Center:
  • Overall, 317 peer tutoring sessions were offered between the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters;
  • During the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, the Academic Learning Commons offered virtual tutoring in math and writing. 
  • The group of peer tutors for the 2020/2021 academic year included Mariah Lanzer, Skyllar Shasteen, Katie Larabee and Hayley Shasteen (writing); and Tyler Ewing (math)
  • Student employees in the East Liverpool Academic Learning Commons returned to work on campus with the start of fall classes.  ALC student employees for the 2020/2021 academic year included Heather Kornas and Heidi Shouse.
  • Maegan Richards and Dr. George developed a Writing Center page so that students can easily sign up for remote writing sessions: https://www.kent.edu/columbiana/writing-center
    • ~ Option 1: OWL (student sends a paper in, tutors respond to paper and send back)
    • ~ Option 2: Google Meet (live tutoring)
       
• Dr. Barbara George developed a training program for online tutoring for synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The three tutors completed the online training process (including refresher modules) in early September 2020 and January 2021, providing live tutoring in mid-September and continuing in January. One tutor was trained in early January. Two tutors, Mariah Lanzer and Skyllar Shasteen, also completed a multilingual training.
   
• The Financial Aid division of the Enrollment Management and Student Services department:
  • Created 120 how-to documents (text and step-by-step graphics) on: 
  • Accessing and setting up FlashLine
  • Navigating FlashLine and tech tips
  • How to apply for FAFSA
  • Complete guide for financial aid from start to finish
  • Educational flier on grants vs. loans with tips on how to make good financial decisions
  • How to set up account for BankMobile refunds
  • How to change/add a major
  • How to apply for graduation
  • How to use smart phone as a scanner to send financial aid documents
  • Explaining financial aid status and finding award information
  • How to find scholarships and write essays
  • Added the opportunity for students to book a virtual appoint online
  • Created a system to track students who are scheduled for classes and need financial aid assistance
  • Created a system to track veterans’ enrollment and changes
  • Increased the volume of FAFSA applications received by sending weekly reminders
  • Created an all-in-one document to track and award scholarships
     
• Held outdoor commencement/pinning ceremonies for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 graduates. The ceremonies were held at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds, allowing graduates and families to be spaced out and socially distanced from each other. Two ceremonies were held to accommodate the number of graduates participating; the later ceremony including the pinning ceremonies for the ADN, BSN, Rad Tech and PTA programs. 

Institutional Advancement 
 

• The East Liverpool Fawcett Community Foundation presented a check for $4,500 to the Kent State East Liverpool Campus earmarked for scholarships to benefit students enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. The funds came from the estate of the late M. Patricia Burnett who created the endowed scholarship through the Fawcett Community Foundation. Kent State East Liverpool annually awards the M. Patricia Burnett Scholarship to a student from the OTA program. 
   
• The Friends of the Kent State East Liverpool Campus made a financial contribution to provide funding for up to 30 new scholarships totaling nearly $40,000. The funds were earmarked for scholarships beginning with the fall semester for new and returning students. Each scholarship recipient must attend the East Liverpool campus for six or more hours per semester and be a graduate of the Beaver Local, East Liverpool, Edison Local, Lisbon, Oak Glen, Southern Local, Toronto or Wellsville school districts. The funding was in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ related financial burdens. 
   
• Secured $105,000 donation from the Marion G. Resch Foundation for the Rising Scholars Program for Columbiana County.
   
• The Columbiana County Rising Scholars Program is listed again as a line item on the State of Ohio Biennium Budget for $100,000 per year for the next two years.

Personal
 

• Lead negotiations for the Mercy Health/Trumbull Campus facility collaboration.
   
• Lead conversations regarding the Draime Legacy Garden relationship with Kent State.
   
• Served as a member of the University Reopening Steering Committee which was responsible for all decisions regarding the reopening of Kent State University during the COVID-19 crisis.
   
• Co-Chaired the Regional Campuses Reopening Committee which provided insight and guidance for all regional campuses during the COVID-19 crisis.
   
• Provided leadership and guidance on identifying system integration opportunities in business operations, student support services, and shared scheduling.
   
• Provided key input and guidance as a member of the University Budget Development Group.
   
• Establish a universal bell schedule for all campuses, enabling program and faculty sharing to be expanded.
   
• Initiated the collaboration system-wide to expand and simplify online access to tutoring and other learning support services for Regional Campus students.
   
• Provided several community lectures including “The Past, Present and Future of Kent State University at East Liverpool” as part of the Legends and Lecture Series at the East Liverpool Community Center.
   
• Panel participant at the AEFIS Academy on Democracy and Assessment Series.
   
• Professional consultation on democratic leadership for Modesto Junior College, Modesto, CA.  
   

COVID-19 Activities
 

• To respond to campus needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Liverpool Campus invested $83,488.84 for various items and activities. These include:

• Other technical/technology upgrades on the campuses need to provide continuity and effective delivery of curriculum included:
  • Installing two new state-of-the art Zoom rooms per campus 
  • Updating 23 non-Zoom room classrooms with new cameras and microphones, allowing on and off campus students to participate
  • Replacing all classroom teacher’s stations that were more than four years old
  • Configuring and deploying laptops for all faculty and staff that needed the equipment to work from home
  • Installing web cameras on several office PC’s to be used for Teams and Zoom meetings 
  • Extending the Wifi to the parking lots for students and staff without high-speed internet at home
  • Configuring group learning rooms in the Academic Learning Commons area into remote learning rooms
  • Distributing laptops and Wifi hotspots for students who needed this assistance. 
     
• Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, campus leaders worked closely with the Columbiana County Health Department, as well as the East Liverpool City Health District, to monitor the COVID-19 situation and its impact on our campuses. Received guidance with implementing safety measures and practices in response to the pandemic, including classroom set-ups, gatherings, events, housekeeping measures and signage.