Department of Political Science
How a Non-Traditional Student Became Portage County's Top Health Official
When Becky Lehman walked into her first class at Kent State University, she was in her 30s, raising kids and working at an embroidery shop in nearby Mogadore, Ohio. Today, she is the health commissioner for the Portage County Health District – a career milestone she credits directly to the degrees she earned close to home at Kent State.
Pre-Law Center Propels Graduate to Top Law School
Sydney Roche is thriving as a first-year law student at Case Western Reserve University on a full-ride scholarship, and she credits much of her success to the foundation she built at Kent State University. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, the 2025 graduate discovered Kent State through a fri…
From Kent to London
Meredith Blair’s passion for politics started at a young age, but it was her time at Kent State University and abroad that strengthened her commitment and showed her a path forward. Blair graduated from Kent State in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in advertising. …
Peace, Conflict and the Courtroom
Alumnus Evan Gildenblatt said Kent State University’s peace and conflict studies program initially appealed to him because it was so broadly applicable to everyday life. Today, he uses the skills he learned while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies in his role as a judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati.
Political Science Graduate Student Awarded USIP Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowship
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) recently announced its 2023-24 cohort of Peace Scholar Fellows and a Kent State University graduate student is one of the 21 award recipients. Laura Mendez Carvajal, a Ph.D. candidate and adjunct professor (with an emphasis in Transnational Politics and Conf…
Polls Might Underestimate Republican Support in Ohio
Kent State Today recently reached out to Michael Ensley, associate professor of Political Science, about what to watch for in the final weeks leading up to the November 8 election. Ensley sees the economy, immigration, crime and access to abortion as key issues for voters while also providing insight into polling.
Honors Thesis Student Analyzes Social Justice Movements
Anna Sinclair is a third-year Honors College student from Canfield, Ohio, majoring in political science and minoring in history and sociology. Though sociology is only one of her minors, Anna hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD in sociology, ultimately teaching sociology at a univer…
Kent State Ranks in Top 20 in the Nation for Library and Information Studies Program in U.S. News 2022 Best Graduate Schools Rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranks Kent State University in the top 20 Best Library and Information Studies Programs in the country in its 2022 edition of Best Graduate Schools. Overall, Kent State is recognized in 12 new national rankings in the 2022 edition of Best Graduate Schools, including three specialty rankings.
Kent State Ranks in the Top 100 of Best Graduate Education Schools by U.S. News & World Report
In its 2020 edition of Best Graduate Schools, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Kent State University in the top 100 of Best Graduate Education Schools.