Two recent Kent State University alumni, Spencer Forrest and Marius Karl, are celebrating the launch of their new adult beverage brand, Jungle Juice, which is said to be the first non-carbonated alcoholic fruit punch on the market. Forrest, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, met Karl, originally from Austria, through an international students program at Kent State. Forrest graduated from Kent State in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising and a minor in business. Karl earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2021. The two Golden Flashes founded the comp...

The Wick family has a long history of philanthropy at Kent State University that began in 1984 when brothers Bob and Walt Wick first established scholarships to support undergraduate poets at the university. Bob was a sculptor and former art department faculty member at Kent State, and the scholarships were born out of a desire to honor and memorialize Bob’s son Stan (1962-1980) and Walt’s son Tom (1956-1973), both of whom died as teenagers. This most recent gift of $1 million brings the family’s total lifetime commitment to the university to more than $3.5 million. Chris Wick, the son of W...

The University Library is one of the most popular buildings at Kent State University, serving as a study spot, a place to grab coffee and an academic resource for students – not to mention being the tallest building in Portage County. With so many floors, departments and resources, it can be hard for students to navigate everything the library offers.   “University Libraries is committed to meeting the needs of every student, regardless of their major, rank or class standing,” said Ken Burhanna, professor and dean of University Libraries. "Our knowledgeable faculty and staff, welcoming...

The Glauser School of Music’s Kent State Youth Winds Ensemble has been awarded The American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance—high school division. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive award series in the performing arts. The contest has a unique scope and structure, designed to recognize the top performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the nation. Based on submitted recordings, the selected professional, college/university, community and high schools receive awards and international reco...

LaKaleb Bowen, Kent State University senior criminology and justice studies major admits that he’s become a little addicted to Kent State’s education-abroad programs.  “It’s like skydiving, if I’m being honest, because it’s unforgettable,” the Canton, Ohio, native said.  Bowen’s trip to Rwanda was his third education-abroad experience, having taken part in previous programs studying cultural foundations in Mexico and a trip to Colombia that focused on how the peace process was working in a country that had been ravaged by civil war.  However, he said neither prepare...

Kent State alumnus Richard Batyko, M.A., ’12, has committed his life and career to making the world, specifically Greater Cleveland, a better place. ...