Kent State Today

Kent State University will welcome more than 1,000 new graduates to its alumni family during summer commencement on Aug. 8. The ceremony, held at 10 a.m. at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, will confer 1,010 degrees across associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and educational specialist levels.

Philip Wagner’s story begins in Northeast Ohio, but the arc of his career has always bent toward Kent State University.

When Kent State University sophomore Parker Lamy went to see Idina Menzel perform with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center on July 26, she wasn’t expecting to sing a duet onstage with the Broadway star. Fortunately, she was dressed for the occasion.

Kent State is introducing a $1,000 scholarship for domestic, prospective first-year undergraduate students who visit in person and enroll at the Kent Campus and eliminating the undergraduate application fee for all domestic, Ohio residents – two new steps to make a college education more accessible and affordable.

Kent State University has been named one of the Best Global Universities by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-2027, the highest-ranked public university in northern Ohio on the list. The recognition reflects Kent State’s global research impact, international student enrollment, education-abroad programs and partnerships spanning more than 60 countries.

Kent, Ohio, is officially the No. 1 college town in Ohio.

For many students at Kent State University, talking about mental health or wellness can feel intimidating. But for those who connect with Certified Peer Educators, those conversations often start with something simple: another student who understands.

Kent State University students had the opportunity to reflect on the impact of philanthropy during Flashes Give Back Week in April, including Thank-A-Giver (TAG) Day, an annual event designed to highlight the role of donor support across campus.

Kent State University’s VA Work-Study Program has been working to expand its reach, servicing military-affiliated students to help them turn their service experience into academic credit, while providing meaningful hands-on opportunities for student workers.  

Laurie Ann Moennich, Ph.D., didn't arrive at Kent State University planning to change healthcare. She came to study graphic design. But Kent State had a way of opening doors she didn't even know existed.

Kent State University graduate Emma Sherrie, '09, always had a feeling she would study anthropology, but still she took the time to check out all the other options available before finally settling on her original plan. Kent State’s Exploratory Program, which helps undecided students sample different disciplines before committing to a major, was a key part of Sherrie’s experience, and the main reason she chose Kent State in the first place.

Healthcare professionals trained in other countries often find that they need additional training before they are permitted to practice in the United States. For foreign-trained physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, Kent State University provides a way to bridge that gap.

Kent State University's partnership with Rwanda to train the next generation of pilots was recently featured on News 5 Cleveland.

Kent State unveiled plans for the proposed Kent State University Rwanda and School of Fashion at a Kigali symposium, aiming to train designers and entrepreneurs to grow Africa's fashion industry.

Kent State University Professor Pratim Datta, Ph.D., a faculty member in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship's Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, was a featured guest on a recent episode of Cybersecurity Today.

A Kent State professor and students helped Walls Elementary recover a time capsule.

For 19 Kent State students, the 2025–2026 academic year was more than a series of classes, assignments, and exams. It was an opportunity to tackle real-world challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and turn ideas into action through the John and Fonda Elliot Design Innovation Student Fellows Program.

The future of engineering at Kent State reached an important milestone this spring as the College of Aeronautics and Engineering welcomed its first class of inductees into the Order of the Engineer. 

A Kent State University alumna has been named one of Ohio's top educators.

Kent State University Grounds Manager Rebekkah "Bekkah" Berryhill came to Kent State to get a teaching degree. What she learned while working as a student groundskeeper helped her find her passion and lasting happiness in the outdoors. 

For nearly 60 years, Porthouse Theatre has brought the power of theatre to the Northeast Ohio community while training the next generation of theatre artists. The annual summer-long program has become a beloved regional icon that produces three musicals, attracts more than 20,000 visitors and employs more than 100 student and professional artists each season. 

Students and recent graduates from Kent State University's School of Media and Journalism captured two regional Student Production Awards at the 2025 Central Great Lakes Student Production Awards, presented by the Central Great Lakes chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

This summer, the Kent Blossom Art Intensive program welcomed over 80 artists from around the world, participating across five studio disciplines.

Justine Siegal started her journey with Kent State University before she was even enrolled as a student. She had heard about the sports studies and while she knew she would not be accepted on her test scores alone, she felt her lifelong passion for sports would carry some weight. 

Kent State Athletics announced today that the Golden Flashes football program has scheduled a game at Notre Dame on Saturday, October 2, 2027.

The Kent State Dr. Paula Treckel women's golf team claimed its 27th consecutive Mid-American Conference championship Tuesday at Firestone Country Club's Fazio Course — and junior Veronika Kedronová made sure there was no suspense about who led the way.