Kent State Today

When we first met Julia Michalak, a senior in the Physical Education and Sport Performance program, in November 2025, she shared how the dread she felt going to gym class as a kid became the driving force behind her decision to become a physical education teacher. Now, as she prepares to graduate in May, we check back in – this time with Michalak and the two professors she credits with keeping her inspired along the way.

In an era where social media connections replace face-to-face interactions and political divisions seem insurmountable, one Kent State University professor has found an antidote: bringing college students and older adults together through simple, meaningful human connection.

"Dinner with Friends," as an in-person revival of a previously virtual event, brought together students, faculty and staff for an evening of engaging discussion. 

Kent State University’s Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Digital Engineering Design Center within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, positioning the university as a regional and national leader in digital engineering education, research and workforce development.

Former students, colleagues and educators from well beyond Kent State University are remembering Professor Emeritus Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D., for his transformative teaching and significant contributions.

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.  

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Meet Tatiana Placer, a graduate student pursuing her master’s in architecture and design at Kent State University. Placer was born in Germany on a U.S. military base and was raised mostly in Orlando, Florida. Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, her upbringing was deeply rooted in the Puerto Rican diaspora.  

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.

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. 

Poets and scientists from across the country – including current U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze and other award-winning authors – will converge at Kent State University in November for the first-ever Poets for Science Gathering.

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

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.  

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.