Kent State Today

During the commencement ceremony for the Fall Class of 2025, Kent State President Todd Diacon discusses how commencement is more than the ceremony on the stage. “At commencement, the stage is where it’s at, but the ramp is who we are,” he said.

Two faculty members from Kent State University’s School of Media and Journalism have won top honors at the Oscar-qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival for a short film that tackles the complex issue of elder abuse. The film stars Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi, known for his role in “Captain Phillips,” as a rideshare driver who encounters an elderly woman struggling to secure housing after being displaced from a nursing home.

A lecture series in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design changed the trajectory of Kent State senior Georgia Coulter's college experience, allowing her to study abroad with Frank Barkow, an educator, researcher and architect. 

The Ohio Department of Higher Education Science of Reading Audit of educator preparation programs found that Kent State University’s preservice teacher literacy coursework was deemed “in alignment” with a score of 100% and no mandatory recommendations for improvement. 

Beginning fall 2027, Bio-Med Science Academy will relocate its grades K-6 programs to Kent State University’s Schwartz Center. The Schwartz Center, which opened in 1956 as the home of the Kent State University School, a laboratory school that served generations of student teachers, will return to its original purpose as a school building.

In a fast-paced, reality TV-style competition, students in the Club Management class in Kent State’s Hospitality and Event Management Program worked in teams alongside industry professionals to create styled table settings themed around specific holidays. 

This Thanksgiving, Kent State students are expressing gratitude for the faculty who go above and beyond in the classroom. Whether offering encouragement, sharing wisdom or simply believing in their potential, these educators have left an mark on their students' lives.

Taylor Cogdeill of Stow, Ohio, opens up about a familiar and emotional experience: the bittersweet in-between of almost graduating—eager to start the next chapter but not quite ready to let go of the transformative college experience she's leaving behind.

Throughout November, alumni, friends, faculty and staff were encouraged to find the cause that speaks to them and share their reason for giving. From Nov. 1 through Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2), the 2025 campaign raised more than $4.5 million for causes ranging from food sustainability and the environment to athletics and basic needs to education. 

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.

The International Cook-Off, an event hosted by Kent State’s Office of Global Education and International Student and Scholar Services, is beloved by many international and domestic students. 

Kent State University’s associate vice president of the Office of Global Education, Paulo Mussi Agusto, Ph.D., was featured as a guest in an episode of the “On Campus – with CITI Program" to talk about the American Academy.

Kent State University’s Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education recently was awarded a $50,000 grant to help train teachers in Southwestern Nigeria.

Kent State University's Brain Health Research Institute recently held its annual Neuroscience Symposium 2025, Conference and Research Exchange. The two-day event, which took place at the Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center, highlighted the research of Kent State faculty and students.

Students who won first - and second-place for the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) were announced on Oct. 25 at a ceremony at the Kiva auditorium. 

Launching seed balls, learning about plants and insects, engaging with interactive games and coloring were just some of the events that the Kent State University Child Development Center’s preschool and kindergarten classes participated in for Pollinator Day on Sept. 5.

Kent State University at Tuscarawas’ Bachelor of Science degree in Animation Game Design (AGD) is celebrating a major achievement as Associate Professor Chris Totten has an intriguing game showcased in a new exhibition at the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Reinberger Gallery.

The School of Art Collection and Galleries is pleased to announce "Metamorphosis," a permanent sculptural installation created by Violet Maimbourg, a Master of Fine Arts graduate student at Kent State University.

Perhaps the best word to sum up Brianna Benson’s role at Kent State University is “caretaker.”

The Kent State University School of Fashion has a strong legacy of participation in the prestigious Supima Design Competition, which highlights some of the most promising emerging designers in the U.S.

As part of Kent State’s ongoing 2025-26 Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series, the university hosted seven-time Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria as a guest artist. He led master classes, rehearsals and lectures focused on music, business and social change.

Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance, Wick Poetry Center and Brain Health Research Institute joined forces for an Oct. 1 dance performance that set poetry to motion.

The Kent State Men's Basketball team (7-1) extended their win streak to seven in a row on Saturday night defeating Penn State Shenango by a final score of 123-59. Nearly every Golden Flash scored as seven players tallied double-digits.

Kent State scored on its first possession in overtime to defeat Akron 42-35. It's the Golden Flashes' first win in the rivalry since 2022 and allows Kent State to regain control of the coveted wagon wheel.

Kent State University's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center is marking its 75th anniversary this fall, celebrating more than seven decades as the heart of campus life where students begin and end their academic journeys.