Kent State Today

As four astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft speed toward the moon on the Artemis II mission — the first crewed lunar voyage in more than 50 years — a Kent State University graduate is among those who helped make the moment possible.

Kent State University and the City of Cleveland have launched a new research and training initiative aimed at strengthening trust, collaboration and accountability between the Cleveland Division of Police and city residents. The project is supported by a $20,000 grant from Kent State’s Community Engaged Research Institute.

Meet Ayna Tazhiyeva, a first-year double major in communication studies and international studies, from Turkmenistan, Central Asia.  Combining her studies with a role at University Libraries, Tazhiyeva finds her voice through research and community connection.

Kent State University and the Civil Aviation Academy in Almaty, Kazakhstan, have signed an agreement to be strategic partners in establishing a joint international aviation university in Kazakhstan, to support the rapid growth of aviation throughout Central Asia.

The Kent State University Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Kent State School of Fashion announce “Fashion & Feather,” a cross-disciplinary exhibition exploring the beauty, complexity and cultural significance of feathers.

Kent State University has earned the Military Friendly^® School designation for 2026-2027, its 17th consecutive year. Marine Corps veteran and Kent State senior Richard Hlavaty shares how Kent State’s veteran support services have shaped his academic and professional journey.

Nearly 10% of all Kent State University undergraduates are participating in the groundbreaking Kent State Student Life Study, providing the university with concrete information about what it’s like to be a modern-day college student.

In the middle of this winter at Kent State, first-year finance major Mason Pranevich realized just how cold it could get and how unprepared some students were for the weather. Pranevich used his own savings to purchase 200 pairs of winter gloves to help keep his fellow Golden Flashes warm. 

First-year student Johan Kristoff will be among nine Kent State University students who will embark on a groundbreaking spring break journey to Florence, Italy, marking the first international experience designed specifically for students to discover their academic path. 

Kent State University graduate Emma Sherrie, '09, always had a feeling she would study anthropology, but still she took the time to check out all the other options available before finally settling on her original plan. Kent State’s Exploratory Program, which helps undecided students sample different disciplines before committing to a major, was a key part of Sherrie’s experience, and the main reason she chose Kent State in the first place.

As demand for behavioral health professionals continues to rise across Ohio and the nation, Kent State University is preparing graduates to not just enter the field right away, but to advance, lead and make a lasting impact in their communities. For three Kent State alumni — Cassandra Galloway, Victoria Giegerich and Jason Joyce — their paths may differ slightly, but their stories illustrate how Kent State connects education to real-world outcomes.

A group of Kent State University students spent their spring break learning in Italy and Greece and attending the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympics as part of the Business of the Olympics, an advanced sports administration course.

In December 2025, Francis Rubagumya, 37, walked across the stage at Kent State's commencement with a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language — and a plan to take every lesson he had learned back to the country he loves Rwanda.

As the world watches more than 90 countries take part in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this February, Kent State University celebrates its global community on a daily basis. From customized orientation programs specifically for international students to popular campus events like the annual International Cook-Off, Kent State provides a variety of offerings to ensure the more than 1,700 international students coming to Kent State from 95 countries find their home away from home and feel ready to thrive on their academic journeys.

Two Kent State University undergraduates brought national-level research experience to campus this year as featured presenters at the 2026 Exercise Science Summit. Liliana St. Germain and Olivia Snedeker delivered their work after using performance and biometric data collected from the Kent State women’s soccer team.

Kent State University's research impact continues to expand, with many faculty members recognized among the top 2% of the most-cited scientists worldwide, according to research metrics compiled by Stanford University scholars.

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 environments.

Lauren Cohen, a senior journalism major from Twinsburg, Ohio, has already made an impact during her internship, producing many front-page stories for the Akron Beacon Journal and Signal Akron. 

For many Kent State University students, college is about more than just getting a degree. It is about building something meaningful to take with them beyond graduation. Sometimes it’s a well of knowledge; sometimes it’s their first stream of revenue. Student entrepreneurs across campus are turning ideas into income. This is the story of five Kent State student entrepreneurs. 

In her first year at MetroHealth's dentistry program, Bonillo Farias is participating in a partnership between MetroHealth and Kent State University that integrates public health education into clinical dental training. The collaboration was made possible by a federal grant awarded to MetroHealth to strengthen dental residents' public health skills.

When Michael Bugary looks at his first published book, "The Disease of Me," he still feels a little surprised. “I was reading the final edit and thought, ‘Who wrote this?’” he said with a laugh.

Journalism is not often perceived as an emotionally challenging career, but journalists can experience any number of traumatic stress symptoms from stories that they cover, especially those involving death or human suffering. These are the topics Gretchen Hoak, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism at Kent State University, explores in her new podcast “Informed Reporting,” which launched March 16.  

Kent State University’s School of Fashion announces it will induct Fern Mallis into its prestigious Fashion Hall of Fame, recognizing her transformative impact on the American fashion industry and her enduring role in shaping what the world now knows as New York Fashion Week.

Kent State Vice President and Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond announced that women's basketball head coach Todd Starkey will depart for another coaching opportunity and is naming associate head coach Fran Recchia as the program's seventh head coach.

Lou Holtz, a Kent State University alumnus who became one of college football's most successful and charismatic coaches, leading the University of Notre Dame to a national championship and six different programs to bowl games during his storied career, has died. He was 89. 

Delrecco Gillespie, senior professional studies major and member of Kent State’s men's basketball team, was recently featured in a recent NCAA article that detailed how setbacks like injury and grief fueled Gillespie’s drive to play as if it were his last chance to be on the court.