College of Arts and Sciences

Barbara Wien, senior professorial lecturer in the School of International Service at American University in Washington D.C., teaches a workshop in Kigali, Rwanda at Peace Education in an Era of Crisis, global peace conference.

Barbara J. Wien, a senior professorial lecturer in the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C., where she teaches alternatives to war and violence, was fresh out of college when she made her first visit to what was then, Kent State University’s Center for Peaceful Change. She was both a keynote workshop presenter and an active participant in the Kent State-sponsored conference, “Peace Education in an Era of Crisis,” which took place July 11-13 in Kigali.

 

Baby mountain gorilla at Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park.

Kent State visitors viewed mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park as guests of the Rwandan National Police, who provide security for the park and these endangered animals. 

Kent State Today
Sarah Schmidt, Ph.D., far left, instructor in Kent State's School of Peace and Conflict Studies, and the students taking part in this year's Kigali Summer Institute in Rwanda.

A group of Kent State University students departed Saturday, July 1, for Kigali, Rwanda, where they will take part in the three-week Kigali Summer Institute.

Educators from Stow-Munroe Falls City School District will attend a peace education conference in Kigali, Rwanda. Pictured (from left to right) are: Jeffrey Hartmann, Ph.D., principal of Stow-Munroe Falls High School; Kristy Prough, BA ’99, MED ’02, EDS ’04, assistant superintendent and director of special services; Associate Principal Amanda Murray; and Assistant Principal Evelyn Haught, BSE ’07.

Jeffrey Hartmann, Ph.D., principal of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, said he was interested in attending the conference to learn skills to deal with his school district’s changing landscape. 

U.S. Supreme Court

On Thursday, June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, struck down the long-standing policy of affirmative action in college admissions on the grounds it violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Kent State University Professor Christopher Banks, Ph.D., J.D., said the high court already had tipped its hand that the court was “positioned to jettison” the policy, so the ruling was not surprising. 

Kigali Rwanda on a map

Kent State University is building on the legacy of May 4, 1970, and the mission of its School of Peace and Conflict Studies, when it joins forces with the University of Rwanda in July to help advance peace education across the globe. 

 

Hollywood sign in Florence

Acclaimed television producer and writer Don Reo is coming to Kent State Florence as a guest speaker and to and receive a lifetime achievement award. 

Christina (left) and Brittany Watts

Sisterhood is a strong bond. For Kent State alumnae Brittany and Christina Watts, their sisterly love has been the cornerstone of their academic success, leading them to earn their doctoral degrees and graduate together this May.

Metin Eren, Ph.D., associate professor and director of archeology at Kent State University, demonstrates flintknapping.

For most, the craft known as flintknapping is a skilled hobby or art form that was thought to occasionally require bandages or stitches. However, new research suggests flintknapping is far more dangerous than previously understood.

Kent State University students cross Risman Plaza by the fountain.

U.S. News & World Report ranks 11 Kent State University programs among the best in the nation in its recently released 2023-2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings.