Biodiversity is a common ecological term, but how many of us truly grasp the gravity of its power to sustain life at every level? If you are a student of Josephine Naji, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at Kent State Geauga, you won’t just learn about the concept through reading assignments, research and lectures. Dr. Naji drives home her lessons on biological diversity with up-close, in-person, hands-on field trips out in nature and among the prehistoric exhibits at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It is when students are learning to identify ephemeral spring wildflowers at...

Kent State University School of Art senior lecturer, Juliann Dorff, has been named The Ohio Art Educator of the Year for her outstanding contributions and commitment to art education. The OAEA Art Educator of the Year award is given to art educators who have previously received other OAEA awards within their division. Recipients have exhibited dedication to OAEA and art education over their years in the field.  Juliann Dorff is the former president of the Special Needs in Art Education Interest Group of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and currently is a senior lectur...

Kent State University’s inaugural Anti-Racism Conference kicked off Oct. 6 with several hundred students, faculty and staff taking part.  The conference, which organizers intend to make an annual event, featured a series of discussions, roundtable talks, workshops, art and performances, exploring key themes, including racism in the workplace and classroom, and how members of the Kent State community can be empowered to make a change.   The conference began with a three-hour teach-in presented by Kent State faculty and staff, aimed at raising awareness and empowering ...

Steve Sefner, local author and former Kent State sports announcer, appeared at the Kent State Bookstore on Oct. 1 to promote his 2022 book recounting the tale of the 2001-2002 Kent State men’s basketball season. That season was Kent State’s first and only appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, marking the greatest single-season record in Mid-American Conference history.  Twenty years later, Sefner, the play-by-play announcer for Kent State basketball that year, wrote “The Golden Dream” to commemorate what is considered one of the greatest Cinderella stories ...

Volunteers from Main Street Kent decorated downtown sidewalks and the Main Street bridge in advance of Rainbow Weekend, October 7 and 8. For the complete schedule of events, including the Rainbow Run, benefiting the Kent State LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund, visit: https://www.kent.edu/lgbtq/rainbow-run-5k and https://www.mainstreetkent.org/events/kent-rainbow-weekend/.     ...

KENT, Ohio – For as long as she can remember, Lauren Hollis has enjoyed being an entrepreneur. Her love for entrepreneurship began as a young child as she made bookmarks from strips of paper and sold them door to door in her neighborhood. At the age of 12, she asked her parents to help her obtain a vendors’ license so she could sell handmade jewelry at a community art show. “I have always loved being able to give people a product in exchange for money,” Hollis said. “I love the feeling of knowing that someone has a smile on their face when they receive something I made.” It came as no s...

While we are always happy to help, the Employee Benefits team doesn’t have the authority or expertise to resolve some of the concerns that are brought to us. To serve you better with quicker responses, the list below is some of the common problems/situations that can arise and what department to contact for better assistance.  Address Changes: self-service through Flashline. Learn to change your address online. Bereavement: HR Records Holiday Schedules: HR Records Name Changes: Academic Personnel (faculty) or HR Records (staff) Opting out of OPERS: Students who are hired re...