Join us for the November Geauga Economic Leadership (G.E.L.) breakfast on Friday, November 6, 2026, co-sponsored by Geauga Growth Partnership and Kent State University at Geauga. This monthly breakfast series brings together local business, nonprofit, and community leaders to network, learn, and collaborate while fostering awareness of the people, services, and opportunities shaping our region.
Join the CPHHS Student Ambassadors for Mind Over Matter: Study & Unwind, an evening dedicated to student wellness, mental health, and semester success. Presented by the College of Public Health and Health Sciences Ambassadors and sponsored by CPHHS, this event offers students an opportunity to take a break, connect with peers, and prioritize their well-being.
Mansi Patel
Current Title:
Senior Analyst, Merchandising Operations
AI Ambassador, Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Degree(s):
B.S. in Fashion Merchandising, Kent State University, 2021
M.S. in Information Systems, Iowa State University, 2024
Career Bio:
Mansi is a Senior Analyst in Merchandising Operations at Lowe's Companies, where she leads AI and Retail Tech initiatives. She holds a Master's in Information Systems (2024, Iowa State) and a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising (2021, Kent State).
Division of Student Life
For generations of Kent State University students, alumni, faculty and staff, there were certain places that felt like home.Ray’s Place was one of them.And Charlie Thomas was one of the people who made it that way.Thomas, the longtime owner of the iconic downtown Kent restaurant and bar and a 1974 Kent State graduate, died Sept. 14. He was 81.For more than 45 years, Thomas was the familiar face behind the bar at Ray’s, a place that became much more than a restaurant. It was a gathering place where Kent State students celebrated, alumni returned, community members crossed paths and generations ...
College of the Arts
Taryn McMahon, M.F.A., interim director of Kent State University’s School of Art, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Jim Hopfensperger Fellowship for Emerging Arts Administrators through the National Council of Arts Administrators.The fellowship supports emerging arts administrators through professional mentorship, national peer exchange and participation in the council’s annual conference. As part of the fellowship, McMahon will receive a one-year council membership, complimentary conference registration and a yearlong mentorship with Jeff Beekman of the University of Arizona.For Kent Sta...
