Bridget Mulvey, PhD (left) and David Singer, PhD (right).In an inspiring initiative that blends education, environmental science, and community outreach, the Local Environment-Based Authentic Discovery (LEAD) project is transforming how students in Akron public schools engage with science. A 2019 Seed Grant from the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI) brought together Kent State faculty Drs. Bridget Mulvey (School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies) and David Singer (Department of Earth Sciences) in a new collaboration. The pair created and facilitated ...

 Autism Acceptance Month takes place every April to help people understand and accept people with autism.Dr. Lisa Audet, the Neurodiversity Research Initiative director, which works to advance research in the area of neurodiversity, said she hopes the Kent community takes the time to understand people with autism instead of relying on preconceived judgments.Cultivating an acceptance on-campus communityStudent Accessibility Services Director Amanda Feaster said the Kent State community can support autistic individuals by “embracing the idea that there is no ‘normal.’“Different behavio...

Portage Park District Foundation Annual AwardsPortage Park Distric Foundation's 27th Annual Environmental Conservation Awards Dinner was held on Saturday, April 26, 2025.  Watch the video of the award recipients!Portage2025 Awardees:Lifetime Achievement: Sally KandelEnvironmental Activism: Eric GorczynskiEnvironmental Education: Todd & Ann CartnerEnvironmental Education: Kim PeaseEnvironmental Stewardship: "Throw N Go" ProgramGreen Business: Bell Tower Brewing Co.Kent Environmental Council Edith Chase Award for Conservation: Bob "RC" WilsonVolunteer of Distinction: Judi...

Many students end their high school career anxious about what comes next. For those with food allergies, that anxiety can feel even more intense.The transition from high school to college not only means figuring out how to safely eat, but also how to navigate large social events that center around food.“Students who are required to live on campus are also required to have a meal plan, in part because we don’t have full kitchen facilities in every residence hall,” said Amanda Feaster, Director of Student Accessibility Services. “However, accommodations through SAS might include a reduction in t...

While more than 90% of Ohio’s wetlands have vanished over the past few centuries, a new nature docuseries aims to show there is hope — and a lot of work being done to protect what remains.The series, By Nature’s Design: Exploring Our Native Wildlife, premieres its first episode, “Welcome to the Wetlands,” at 8 p.m. this Earth Day on April 22 on PBS Western Reserve. A special live screening is open to the public and will air from noon to 2 p.m. on April 26, in the Science and Nursing Building at Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Ave. NW in Jackson Township.The series dives into th...

 Jill JenkinsFrom spring break to move-out, thousands of students pack their bags and leave the residence halls. When they leave, sometimes they throw away useful items, non-perishable foods or clothes with years of life left in them.Throw ‘N’ Go, Kent State University's annual move-out program, is currently underway to keep those useable items out of landfills and in the hands of people who need them.A partnership between Kent State's Office of Sustainability and the Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center, Throw ‘N’ Go provides students with an opportunity to donate items that mi...

Every April, Kent State University celebrates Earth Month by having Earth-related events all month long. Tuesday, April 22 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, with this year’s theme being “Our Power, Our Planet.”The Kent State University Earth Month Committee’s mission is focused on growing a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future for all by implementing transformational sustainability practices into the university’s facilities, planning processes, operations, natural environment and culture. The committee has planned more than 40 events that will take place this month for the Kent...

POV shares insights from the Kent State University community on important topics. Jennifer Mapes, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, will deliver this year’s address for the Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series. Ahead of her presentation, she shares insight into her passion for the lessons of May 4 and the value of experiences and research related to a day that changed America forever.Not long after arriving in Kent in 2012, I began exploring the library’s Kent State Shootings: Oral Histories website. One of the first accounts I listened to was from Walter Adams, a biology professor. What...

April 22, 2025, marks the 55th Anniversary of Earth Day. The Kent State University Earth Month Planning Committee has organized events throughout the month of April. Check out over 40 events hosted by various departments and organizations, and campuses. And don't forget to join the celebration at Earth Fest on April 23! Over 30 on and off campus sustainability-related organizations will be tabling on Risman Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 23 for a fun-filled Earth Day event. View the complete list of events here....

Our collective community tells the story of May 4, 1970, at Kent State University. What happened, who was where and what did they feel? Established in 1990, the May 4 Oral History Collection includes more than 200 firsthand accounts that give researchers a more thorough understanding of the events of May 4 and the surrounding days and years. The collection is currently managed by University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives.Kent State Assistant Professor of Geography Jennifer Mapes, Ph.D., took inspiration from Sandra Halem, who began collecting oral histories from those wh...