College of Arts and Sciences
From Introverted Freshman to Confident Resident Surgeon
When Tom Sonnanstine V transferred to Kent State University as a second-semester freshman from Dublin, Ohio, he was recovering from a hip injury that had ended his football career at Johns Hopkins University. Introverted and unsure of his path forward, he chose Kent State for its proximity to family…
College of Arts & Sciences
Kent State biologists build genomic roadmap to study how birds adapt to thin mountain air
How do animals cope when oxygen levels suddenly drop? That question is at the center of research led by Sangeet Lamichhaney, Ph.D., associate professor and MA coordinator in the Department of Biological Sciences, whose team has assembled the first complete genome of the black redstart, a s…
College of Arts & Sciences
From Ice Age to Our Age
Allyson Tessin, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kent State University’s Department of Earth Sciences, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award to support her research on how the seafloor and ocean interact in rapidly changing Arctic envir…
College of Arts & Sciences
“If You Will It, It Is No Dream”: Kent State Alumnus Publishes Chronicle of Jewish Life in Mexico
When Josh Kogan, a 2018 graduate of Kent State University, began his senior honors thesis, he intended to research a history that was deeply personal to him: the story of Jewish life in Mexico, where he was born and raised. The project would grow into a comprehensive, community-supported histor…
College of Arts & Sciences
Carrying Forward a Legacy
Mathematical Sciences Professor Jenya Soprunova, Ph.D., in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Kenneth B. Cummins Endowed Professorship in Mathematics, a role created to advance the teaching and learning of mathematics and strength…
College of Arts & Sciences
Turning Acid Mine Drainage Into Opportunity
A new three-year, $833,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant is fueling research at Kent State University that explores the environmental risks and resource potential of acid mine drainage (AMD) in Appalachian Ohio. The project involves science education initiatives, engaging Kent State s…
College of Arts & Sciences
From Kent State to KeyBank: Cameren Hicks Builds Career in Fraud Modeling
When Cameren Hicks graduated from Kent State University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a minor in finance, he knew he wanted to build a career rooted in numbers, problem-solving and analysis. Today, Hicks is a fraud modeling and analytics lead associate at KeyBank, …
College of Arts & Sciences
From Kent State to Capital One: How A Math Degree Opened Doors for Alexander Margetis
When Alexander Margetis took his first trigonometry class as a high school student in Stow, Ohio, he discovered that math came naturally to him.“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life and my career,” Margetis said. “But when you’re unsure, you always go with what you’re good at in sch…
College of Arts & Sciences
Kent State Alumna Turns Math into a Meaningful Career
Sarah Cook’s early interest in math turned into a major and eventually a career as a senior actuary at Pacific Life, a leading insurance company.Today, Cook helps ensure financial stability for thousands of policyholders through complex modeling, financial forecasting and risk analysis. Her path to …
College of Arts & Sciences
David Liszewski’s Path from Kent State to a Career in AI
For David Liszewski, choosing a college major wasn’t about chasing a dream job. It was about chasing good problems.“I love solving problems,” he said. “I knew [mathematics] would be a great degree as a launching platform for what I wanted to do.”This mindset led him to Kent State University, where h…
College of Arts & Sciences