Kent State Today

Mwatabu Okantah, professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies, was recently featured on WKYC-TV discussing how Black United Students helped turn Negro History Week into Black History Month in 1970, years before it became nationally recognized.  

On a November afternoon in Merrill Hall, six women walk into a Kent State University classroom. They're not guest lecturers with advanced degrees. They're currently incarcerated at the Northeast Reintegration Center in downtown Cleveland. 

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. 

Kent State University’s Regional Campuses were the focus of President Todd Diacon’s Feb. 19 Talking With Todd town hall-style Teams meeting with the campus community.

Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D., Kent State University Professor Emeritus of Sociology, who served as a faculty marshal during the May 4, 1970, campus shootings and later worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of May 4 would endure, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, at his home in Maine. He was 88.  

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. 

Measles cases are increasing nationwide, including confirmed cases at several college campuses. While Kent State has not reported any cases, understanding this highly contagious disease can help our campus community stay informed and protected.

Kent State University is experiencing a healthy demand for on-campus housing as more students recognize the benefits of living in the heart of campus. For many students, it is not just about the proximity to campus and classes but also the connection. 

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.

For high school students considering Kent State’s entrepreneurship program, William Elffers, ’15, encourages them to take the leap. “Deep down everybody has an idea for a business, but somewhere along the way, somebody tells them, just choose the safe route,” he said. “Four years at Kent, five years, six years at Kent is a great time to really explore what your possibilities are with starting a business. It's a safe environment. You can fail and get picked back up and learn.”

For Kent, Ohio, native and 2018 Kent State University graduate Stan Zalewski, mathematics has always been a big part of his life. Now a senior actuarial consultant at Nationwide Insurance, Zalewski recently reached a significant professional milestone — completing the multi-year process to earn the title of Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

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.

A group of Kent State University students will spend their spring break learning about the business of the Olympics, spending time in Italy and Greece and attending the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics.

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.

Whether you call them roundabouts or traffic circles, this increasingly popular feature on American roadways can have some drivers spinning. But while roundabouts are considered safer than traditional intersections for vehicle traffic, how safe are they for pedestrians?

Meet Lettie Friona, a senior integrated social studies major with a concentration in history and minors in classics and mild to moderate special education from Steubenville, Ohio, whose leadership positions have helped shape her experience at Kent State.  

Tara L. Conley, Ed.D., assistant professor in the School of Media and Journalism, is being recognized for her documentary “Dry Bones” in coverage from Ideastream and The Chronicle-Telegram after Karamu House and The Greater Cleveland Film Commission hosted a sold-out screening of the film.  

Former club manager turned Kent State instructor Mandy Ulicney explains how cultivating partnerships with Greater Cleveland industry leaders gives hospitality students the same passion and real-world experience that shaped her own career.

A call for entries from Main Street Kent invites artists to showcase their talents on the iconic 3D KENT sculpture.

Kent State University’s Glauser School of Music is receiving statewide recognition as the Kent State Wind and Flute Ensembles were selected to perform at the 2025 Ohio Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference.  

Every semester, Kent State University reopens the door to a diploma for students who left college without finishing a degree.

A job opportunity, a family crisis, military service or running out of money – there are many reasons why students leave college without completing their studies.

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.  

The Kent State baseball team captured a 9-5 victory over #13 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, clinching their first series win over a ranked opponent in the Jeff Duncan Era and their first since 2012.

Kent State Men's Basketball (20-7, 11-3 MAC) clinched a berth in the 2026 MAC Tournament with a 78-71 victory over Bowling Green State University on Tuesday night at the Stroh Center.