The Rural Scholars program at the Kent State University Columbiana County campuses received $7,500 from the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. The funds will be used to support mentors and transportation costs for scholars. Foundation representatives Jessica Jung, director of sales, property and casualty at Oswald Companies, and Jeremy Bryant, executive vice president at Britton Gallagher, presented the grant at the organization’s Ohio Chapter Class of 2016 Grantees Reception. Wendy Pfrenger, Rural Scholars program director, Matthew Butts, executive director of advancement for Regiona...

Sixty-eight years ago, the Kent City Council and mayor dubbed Kent, Ohio, the state’s Tree City. This year marks the ninth year Kent State University is being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program. Created in 2008, the Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. To be recognized by the program, colleges and universities must meet five core standards: a campus tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, annual expenditures for campus trees, service-lea...

Kent State University’s unique programs and majors have attracted students from all over the world, including a few from the largest state in the nation. Currently, six students from Alaska – two undergraduate and four graduate – are taking classes from Kent State. Freshman aeronautics major Savannah Ramsey is more than 3,000 miles from her home in Juneau, Alaska. She says it took her four flights and nearly 12 hours to come to Kent State.  Ramsey says she came to Kent State after looking at universities with air traffic control programs, including schools from Washington...

Richard Feinberg, Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, served as commentator on “ASAO Histories” during the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania’s meeting held Feb. 20, 2017, in Lihu’e, Hawaii. On the 50th anniversary of its founding, the association is compiling a history of the association. Several long-term association members presented formal papers. Feinberg’s role was to offer critical commentary, add missing pieces and correct errors, based on his four decades of experience, including many years in a variety of leadership positions. This past year, Feinberg was elected to the...

A new study abroad program will be offered in Costa Rica this coming summer. The program will be run in collaboration with the School of Biology of University in Costa Rica. Participants in this program will be registered in two course: Natural History of Costa Rica and Ecology of Coastal Ecosystems.  These courses will be taught by eminent Costa Rican scientist; Drs. Gerardo Avalos and Jorge Cortes, experts in ecology and marine biology, respectively. The program will be based in the main campus of University in Costa Rica, but it has a strong field component that includes two weeks v...

Kent State University students in the College of Arts and Sciences will get the opportunity to travel to Japan to do collaborative research in a world-class institute, specializing in primate biology, thanks to a recently signed memorandum of understanding with the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. By studying primates as a model for humans, the researchers hope to address a variety of topics, including evolutionary genetic analysis, Alzheimer’s disease and aggressive behavior.       The memorandum, signed by Kent State’s Todd Diacon, Ph.D., senior vice ...

University is rooted in its commitment to tree care Sixty-eight years ago, the Kent City Council and mayor dubbed Kent, Ohio, the state’s Tree City. This year marks the ninth year Kent State University is being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program.  Created in 2008, the Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. To be recognized by the program, colleges and universities must meet five core standards: a campus tree-advisory committee, a campus tr...

An undergraduate education is a steppingstone for many to figure out their path in life. Some students pick their programs and career goals before their first semester begins. For others, it can take new majors, new perspectives and new materials to find the right fit. Brian Kupiec, a marketing major in Kent State University’s College of Business Administration, found his career path and passion through his love for jeans by co-founding a small business with the help of LaunchNET Kent State. Kupiec and two of his friends, Valentin Garkov and Garrett Durica, spen...

Several new and renovated Kent State University buildings received Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) recognition in 2016, bringing to 11 the total number of certified buildings on Kent State’s campuses. LEED is a rating system that comes from the U.S. Green Building Council. There are four levels of certification: LEED certified, silver, gold and platinum. The projects most recently LEED certified include: The Center for Undergraduate Excellence – LEED Gold The Aeronautics and Technology Building – LEED Gold The Center for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement – L...