Research & Science

Division of Research & Economic Development
Stigma Image with Adjectives. Photo: Courtesy of Christian Hopkins

When it comes to our physical health, regular upkeep and preventative measures are not only expected, but encouraged within our society. However, mental health disorders have yet to be looked upon with the same grace and understanding. Kristen Marcussen, associate professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology, was recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her proposal titled, “Understanding Social Stigma, Stigma Resistance and the Mental Illness Identity.”

Division of Research & Economic Development
SURE banner

As once stated by educational Pioneer and famous American Philosopher John Dewey, all that we learn is derived from experience. Kent State continues to foster innovation and promote the development of hands-on learning through various collaborative efforts focused on building experience and training. Among the opportunities offered through the university, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program provides undergraduate students with the chance to engage in an intensive research project during the summer break.

The Heavy Flavor Tracker at the center of the STAR detector. BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY/FLICKR

Edwin Duckworth, a physics doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University, is among 65 students from 29 states recently selected for funding by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The program aspires to “address societal challenges at national and international scale.”

A graphic of a megaphone speaking towards icons of a phone, magnifying glass, lightbulb, and YouTube logo by Mudassar Iqbal from Pixabay

The back-to-school season is in full swing, and students, faculty and staff are preparing to take on the increased workload once again. While the process is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, often the fast-paced lifestyle leaves little time for much else. However, Kim Laurene, Ph.D. and Deric Kenne, Ph.D., professors in the College of Public Health, and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., are committed to prioritizing mental health upkeep by supporting and expanding pre-existing services and programs offered at Kent State. 

Veronica Dexheimer

What happens when two neutron stars collide? What extreme densities and temperatures are reached? What new states of matter exist within the core of a neutron star? One Kent State College of Arts and Sciences theoretical astrophysicist, Veronica Dexheimer, associate professor in the Department of Physics, is diving headfirst into these questions as a co-principal investigator collaborating with her peers at multiple institutions on a recently funded cyberinfrastucture research grant project.

Division of Research & Economic Development
At left: image of a 3D printer by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay At right: an image of excavation by JamesDeMers from Pixabay

The Farris Family Innovation Awards support the research of tenure-track faculty members who are not yet tenured at Kent State and who have shown promising drive for their field of study. In May 2021, Faculty Affairs announced the recipients of this year's Farris Family Innovation Awards: Michelle Bebber, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, and Elda Hegmann, assistant professor in the Materials Science Graduate Program. 

Students at the Black Lives Matter protest on campus.

Kent State has established a new school within its College of Arts and Sciences focused on the social sciences and humanities. The School of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences & Humanities will provide an academic home for innovative approaches to complex questions.

The image on the left features a computer scientist coding with code in the background and the image on the right is of a scientist researching with a vaccine in the background.

Kent State's Jonathan Maletic, Ph.D., in the Department of Computer Science and Tara Smith, Ph.D., in the College of Public Health are the winners of the 2021 Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSAs). The ORSAs recognize the hard work and dedication of faculty members who have been with Kent State for more than 10 years. Read more about the winners and how they display the highest levels of scholarship.

Kent State University students make their way to the Integrated Sciences Building on the Kent Campus.

A research group in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University is searching for potential treatments for men who have suffered spinal cord injuries and hope to regain bladder control and sexual functions.

Left image of stone tools by Peter Holmes from Pixabay and right image of a bowl of fruit from Couleur on Pixabay

Kent State has announced the winners of the 2021 New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSAs). The ORSAs recognize the hard work of junior faculty members who have been with Kent State for less than 10 years. The 2021 winners are Shana Klein, Ph.D., in the School of Art and Metin Eren, Ph.D., in the Department of Anthropology.