Success Stories

Scholar of the Month
Gregory Smith
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
College of Education, Health and Human Services
2001-present

Kent State University’s 11th annual Rock the Runway student fashion competition, hosted by Kent Student Center Programming, will take place on Saturday, March 7, in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event gives amateur designers, not just fashion design or merchandising majors, a chance to display their creative talents on stage during a fun and energetic evening. 

Kent State University chemistry senior Caitlin Crosier combined creativity and science for her yearlong project on circadian rhythms and will present those findings at the university’s Undergraduate Research Symposium on March 11.

“The main goal of my research is to validate this method as a way to look at the circadian rhythm structure of an entire population because most current human circadian research is conducted on very small populations and controlled environments,” Crosier said.

Andy Lovrak does not take “no” for an answer. The Kent State University senior advertising major in the College of Communication and Information was told that making a video to benefit children battling cancer might be too difficult. But with full support from Akron Children’s Hospital, Lovrak and his team got to work to overcome obstacles.

Their nearly four-minute-long dance video is on its way to going viral.

Dangle from the ceiling upside down draped in a silk hammock. Find inner peace though massage. Balance your body with therapeutic yoga ropes.

These unique offerings are just a small sample of the holistic approach to wellness at the newly opened Centerpeace Yoga and Wellness Center in Kent, Ohio.

What is even more unique is who created and opened the studio this past January: a homegrown staff made up of Kent State University students, graduates and residents.

Scholar of the Month
Mark Bracher
Professor of English
College of Arts and Sciences
1985-present

Kent State University graduate student Ryan Schoeneman of Parma, Ohio, fell in love with guitars when he was a child. He wasn’t just obsessed with their sound, but more so their look.

“I started designing them long before I ever learned to play,” said Schoeneman with a big smile on his face. “It’s a skill I picked up in shop class in high school.”

Kent State University held its 13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. Julian Bond, a leader of the civil rights movement, served as keynote speaker at the event.

Cover your right eye and put a blinder on the outside of your left eye – that’s how Kent State University sophomore Katie Kimble, from Rocky River, Ohio, sees the world after nine eye surgeries. 

“I’m not cool with it, but I accept it,” Kimble said. “I’m thankful for the vision I have.”

Scholar of the Month
Rui Liu
Assistant Professor
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
2013-present

Rui Liu is an assistant professor in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. His research primarily focuses on resilient infrastructure, especially in the areas of innovative construction materials, intelligent design, inspection, rating, maintenance and repair of infrastructure for sustainable development.