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The 2023 Kent State University Alumni Award winners smile after the Alumni Awards ceremony. Pictured (from left to right) are Sonia Karkare, Danita Brown Young, Ph.D., Scott Haws, Garret Ferrara, Morgan Dawson, Thomas Iivari, Isobel Day, Haley Dees, Avery Hall and John Van Alstine.

Alumni Awards

Kent State University recognizes and honors Golden Flashes who demonstrate leadership, character and hard work and have made exceptional contributions in their professions, communities and at Kent State. 

Sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association, the Alumni Awards are highly prestigious honors presented each year to outstanding alumni, staff and students. 

Categories

Awards are presented in seven different categories each year.

Please read through each of the award categories and provide as much information as possible on why the nominee should receive that specific award. For applications, resumes and supporting documents are strongly encouraged.

Alumni Awards

  • Outstanding New Professional Award
  • Professional Achievement Award
  • Kent State Advocacy Award
  • Distinguished Citizen Award
  • Distinguished Alumni Award

Student and Staff Awards

  • Golden Flash Award
  • Outstanding Staff Member Award

Award Descriptions

Alumni Award Categories

Outstanding New Professional Award

The Outstanding New Professional Award honors the achievements of recent graduates. This award spotlights future leaders who show continued potential in their profession, commitment to their community and dedication to Kent State University. To be eligible for this award, nominees must have obtained a bachelor's or advanced degree, consecutively, no more than five years ago.

Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Award pays tribute to the accomplishments of alumni in their chosen profession. This includes any and all professions, from business to healthcare to education to the arts. This award showcases a record of remarkable achievements, complemented by a history of outstanding contributions to their profession throughout their career.

Kent State Advocacy Award

The Kent State Advocacy Award honors alumni who contribute significant time and talent to Kent State University or the Kent State University Alumni Association on a consistent basis, thus bringing favorable attention to the university.

Distinguished Citizen Award

The Distinguished Citizen Award honors alumni for their extraordinary service to the public through a nonprofit organization or community service. This award recognizes individuals who have unselfishly and generously contributed their time and talents for the enrichment of others and the betterment of their community.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the most prestigious award given by the Kent State University Alumni Association. It honors highly exceptional alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their chosen profession and demonstrated extraordinary service to Kent State University, the community, the state, the nation and/or the world.

The Kent State Alumni Association also presents awards to students and staff. 

View Student and Staff Award Descriptions

Student and Staff Awards

Golden Flash Award

The Golden Flash Award recognizes a student who promotes Kent State University spirit, pride and tradition. The recipient of this award serves as a positive role model, inspires other students and participates in campus activities, organizations and community service. To be eligible for this award, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Outstanding Staff Member Award

The Outstanding Staff Member Award recognizes Kent State alumni who are currently serving in full-time staff roles at the university and contribute significantly to the success of Kent State University and its programs, as well as the community and their profession. This individual goes above and beyond the demands of their role, providing considerable support to their peers, the university community and beyond. The alumni association also has a special award program called the Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) to honor faculty members.

Nominate a Golden Flash

Let a fellow Flash know you think they’d be a great candidate for one or more of Kent State’s Alumni Awards by nominating them for an award.

A nomination does not provide Kent State with enough information to consider someone for an award. For alumni, students or staff members to be considered for an Alumni Award, an application must also be submitted.

Nominees will receive an email asking them to complete an application. However, nominators are also able to submit the application on someone else’s behalf if they have all of the necessary information including contact information, employer information, career history, achievements and awards, resume, supporting documents, etc. 

Nominations can be anonymous.

Submit a Nomination

Apply for Consideration

If you have been nominated, please complete the application at the link below to complete the consideration process.

You are also able to nominate yourself for consideration. If you are doing so, you only need to submit an application; you do not need to fill out the nomination form.

Complete the Application

Important Eligibility Information
  • Current Kent State full-time staff members who are alumni are only eligible for the Outstanding Staff Member Award.
  • Alumni who are previous Kent State staff members will not be considered for another Alumni Award category sooner than five years after the individual’s separation from Kent State as an employee, and consideration of eligibility, accomplishments and service for any given award shall be for the time period after separation from the university as an employee.
Judging Information

Judging is done by the Kent State Alumni Association. The alumni association will review and make determinations for all award categories and reserves the right to suggest alternate awards based on the nominee’s qualifications and experience.

Additional Information

If you have additional questions about the Alumni Awards, please visit our frequently asked questions page.

Alumni Awards Frequently Asked Questions

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