First-year students arrived Wednesday to a campus buzzing with welcome—parent cars lined up, moving carts stacked high, and volunteers from Movers and Groovers ready to help families haul everything from clothes and mirrors to shelves and stools.

  • For Nathan Smith, the first lesson came before he met Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Ask. The Kent State student and newly elected student body president of the university’s Undergraduate Student Government spent three hours alongside the governor at the Ohio State Fair – an opportunity he says grew out of the confidence and relationships he built during his first two years at Kent State.

  • During her recent high-profile UNESCO assessment of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France, Mary Ann Devine meticulously documented how the island's medieval architecture inherently limits universal access.

  • Melody Tankersley, Kent State’s executive vice president and provost, drew on “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” to share five leadership lessons with summer 2026 graduates at the August commencement.

Today's Stories

IN A FLASH: Commencement Caps

Some kept it simple, some went all out. As more than 1,000 students crossed the stage for Summer 2026 Commencement, the fashion choice of the moment was the decorated cap.

Read More »

In a Flash

Want to see YOUR photo here?
Submit a Photo »

University News

Student Life

Kent State Works

  • Laurie Ann Moennich, Ph.D., didn't arrive at Kent State University planning to change healthcare. She came to study graphic design. But Kent State had a way of opening doors she didn't even know existed.

  • When Cameren Hicks graduated from Kent State University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a minor in finance, he knew he wanted to build a career rooted in numbers, problem-solving and analysis. Today, Hicks is a fraud modeling and analytics lead associate at KeyBank, where he helps protect customers and the company against fraudulent credit and debit card activity.

  • 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.

Recent Media

Kent State Commencement 2026 | The Ramp Moment

Global Perspective: Why Kent State Stands Out

Global Reach

Research

Profiles

Arts & Community

Sports