eInside Briefs

Kent State University at Stark Announces Speaker for Fall 2012 Commencement Ceremony

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Provost of Kent State University Todd A.
Diacon is the speaker for the Fall 2012
Commencement Ceremony at Kent State
University at Stark.

Todd A. Diacon, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost of Kent State University, is the speaker for the Fall 2012 Commencement Ceremony at Kent State University at Stark. The commencement ceremony will take place on Friday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. The ticketed event will be held at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, located on the Canton McKinley High School campus. More than 100 graduate candidates, receiving bachelor’s, master’s and associate degrees will participate in this semester’s commencement exercises.

Diacon is responsible for all aspects of Kent State’s academic enterprise, including the university’s seven Regional Campuses. Before his appointment at Kent State, Diacon served as the deputy chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He spent 21 years at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, serving as a tenured professor, department head and vice provost.

An author and historian of Brazil, Diacon’s book, Stringing Together a Nation, won the Warren Dean Prize for the best book published on the history of South America’s largest country. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., and his master's and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For more information about Kent State University at Stark, visit www.stark.kent.edu.

Kent State University Board of Trustees Meeting

The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold its next regular business meeting Wednesday, Dec. 12. The Board will convene at 2 p.m. in the George Urban Board of Trustees Conference Room, which is located on the second floor of University Library.

Trustees will retire into executive session at 8:30 a.m. in the Urban Conference Room to consider specific topics as provided for under Ohio’s “Sunshine Law.”

Board committees will meet as follows:

• Academic Excellence and Student Success Committee – 10-11 a.m. in the Urban Conference Room.
• Audit Committee – 10-11 a.m. in Room 222.
• Finance and Administration Committee — 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in the Urban Conference Room.
• External Relations and Development Committee – 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in Room 222.
  

The Board meeting agenda will be made available at www.kent.edu/bot/meetings/index.cfm.

What’s Kent State University President Lefton Been Up to Lately?

President Lester A. Lefton waves to students and Kent
residents during the 2012 Homecoming parade.

This fall, Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton engaged in a variety of on- and off-campus activities to further university goals and partnerships. Some of Lefton’s engagements have included speaking to seniors at the Mulberry Gardens Assisted Living Community, connecting with alumni and the Kent State community at Homecoming, honoring veterans during Kent State’s Veterans Day commemoration, sharing his interest in photography with Kent State community members, and more.

Visit the President’s Page on the Kent State website to see photos and archives and to learn more about Kent State’s president. The page also features a photo essay of some of the activities and events Lefton attends or hosts on behalf of the university.

Click here to view the photo essay.

Nominations Open for “Mothers, Mentors and Muses”

“Mothers, Mentors and Muses” is the Women’s Center signature event that honors Kent State University faculty or staff. The recognition honors women who have made a significant difference in the life of a student or colleague. More than 100 women across the university have received this honor.

You are invited to nominate a Kent State woman for the 2013 “Mothers, Mentors and Muses” Women’s Center annual scholarship fundraiser.

This award is intended to honor women of Kent State who have served in any of three roles:

• Mother – one who has helped “birth” ideas, thoughts and academic endeavors in others, or who serves as a nurturing individual to others.
• Mentor – one who serves as a trusted counselor, colleague and role model.
• Muse – one who inspires creativity and artistic/academic passion in others.
  

Who can be nominated?
Any female Kent State faculty or staff, except those who have previously been honored at this event.
See the honorees from 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Who can nominate?
Any member of the Kent State community, including faculty, staff, emeriti and students can nominate.
To nominate a “Mother, Mentor or Muse,” click here to fill out the nomination form.

Nominees will be celebrated at the “Mother’s, Mentors and Muses” Women’s Center annual scholarship fundraiser in early March.

On-Campus Latino Organization Excels for the Third Year

Pictured above are T. David Garcia, chair of the Latino
Networking Caucus Executive Board, Sara M. Sobeh,
vice chair, and Richard Roldan, secretary/treasurer of the
board.

In June of 2010, T. David Garcia, Kent State University’s associate vice president for enrollment management, formed the Latino Networking Caucus, an organization composed of students, faculty and staff who have an affiliation or interest in the Latino culture. Today, the Latino Networking Caucus boasts 56 members and brings several interesting activities to campus, one of which is the annual Latino Networking Caucus Hablemos “Let’s Talk” Conference. Mark your calendars to attend the next conference on April 18, 2013. More details regarding this free event will be released in the future. 

Garcia shares the following words (palabras): “When I came to Kent State three years ago, I noticed a clear absence of a faculty/staff organization that focused on the Latino culture. After my first year, I called for a meeting in the summer of 2010 for anyone who had an interest in the Latino culture. We had about 15 faculty and staff attend. Many of those who attended commented on how they had been working at Kent State for a long time and were never invited to a meeting that focused on Latinos. It was at that moment I knew creating the Latino Networking Caucus was the right thing to do.”

If you would like to know more about the Latino Networking Caucus, please click here to read the fall 2012 Latino Networking Caucus newsletter. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Latino Networking Caucus or have any questions, ideas or comments, contact Garcia at 330-672-4050.

Deck the Halls and Conserve Energy

Kent State University employees are encouraged to help
the university conserve energy while on break for the
holidays.

Kent State University is officially closed between Christmas and New Year’s, but employees can help conserve energy while they are home for the holidays.

Although the university is closed during the holidays, Melanie Knowles, sustainability manager, says there is still “an amount of activity that goes on” around campus during that time.

“Someone will still be operating the Power Plant and our essential employees will still be here,” Knowles says.

For buildings and offices that are empty, the heat is set back to 68 degrees to minimize energy use. Knowles also says that the Facilities Planning and Operations department sends “post-it” reminders to faculty and staff suggesting that they help conserve energy use while not on campus, by:

• Turning off and unplugging computers. “A lot of the electronics have a ‘vampire load,’ which means those items still use energy even when they are turned off,” Knowles says. “It’s about taking the extra step and also unplugging those things.” 
• Closing and locking windows.
• Pulling down the shades.
• Turning lights off.
• Submitting a request for repairs on things, such as leaky windows. “This is also a good time to mention repairs,” Knowles says. “It’s a good time to report these repairs by submitting a request.” Maintenance requests can be submitted at https://flashtrack.kent.edu.
  

And here are some tips from Knowles about conserving energy at home over the holidays:

• Look for holes or leaks in your windows and weather stripping.  “You can lose energy, and you can lose comfort if it’s always colder by the windows,” she says.
• If you don’t have efficient windows, add sheets of plastic to them.
• Unplug appliances, such as the coffee pot when not in use. “Those appliances will continue to suck energy when they’re not being used,” Knowles says.
• And for a Christmas twist: “Many Christmas lights are now LED lights,” says Knowles. “LED lights are more efficient. They have fewer risks of getting hot and causing problems.”
  

To learn more about sustainability at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/sustainability/index.cfm. 

Kent State University’s NYC Studio Weathers Superstorm Sandy

Kent State University fashion students work at the university's
New York City Studio. The Kent State NYC Studio weathered
the storm that devastated parts of New York City.

Photo credit: Kent State NYC Studio website

In late October, when Superstorm Sandy hit the Northeastern coast of the United States and devastated parts of New York City, the Garment District studio of Kent State University’s School of Fashion Design and Merchandising weathered the storm.

While classes in Kent were cancelled for a day on Oct. 30, classes at the New York studio were cancelled for an entire week during the storm and its aftermath.

“Only people in the evacuation zone evacuated,” says Young Kim, interim director of Kent State’s NYC Studio. “I personally did not, but some students left the city.”

Kim kept in contact with her students and the Kent Campus during the storm through telephone calls and emails.

“I monitored multiple channels via Web and televised sources to update the students, faculty and staff,” Kim says. “I also sent out email communications, which gave a detailed course of action.”

Luckily, the studio sustained no damage and it never lost power.   

Classes were cancelled from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2, due mostly to public transportation suspension throughout the city. Classes resumed their normal schedule Nov. 5.

“I did my best to inform all of us in NYC, as well as the Kent State family in Kent, about the storm,” says Kim. “I am most definitely sure that the information and updates comforted them and prepared them. Many in NYC and in Kent expressed their gratitude for the information.”

For more information about Kent State’s NYC Studio, visit www.kent.edu/artscollege/fashion/studyAway/nycstudio/about/index.cfm.

Kent State Welcomes a New Cyber Café on Campus

A new cyber café, Food 4 Thought 2, has opened in Bowman Hall on the Kent Campus. The cyber café, which offers several healthy options, such as whole-wheat wraps, salads, soup and more, is one of the many positive results from campus-wide renovations. The first Food 4 Thought cyber café opened in White Hall on the Kent Campus in 2007.

Micheal Bruder, director of design and construction in the Office of the University Architect, explains that Kent State President Lester A. Lefton was in favor of the renovations to further improve students’ experiences on campus.

“The president supports a vision for a campus that is comfortable and inviting for students and that promotes scholarship and friendships outside of the classroom,” Bruder says. “He strongly supported and took an active role in the corridor and lobby improvements to Bowman Hall to improve the students’ experience in this busy building.”

Bruder says that the café was created for Bowman Hall because of its central location on campus and how it complements the now-modernized building.

“Bowman Hall is a particularly busy building that hosts many Kent core classes and so is visited by nearly every student at one time or another in their time on campus,” Bruder says. “It’s important to provide a space that accommodates the large numbers of students before and after classes, and encourages them to work together on group projects or just to study. It’s part of providing an environment that promotes student success.”

A team of architects and engineers from the Office of the University Architect worked to design the café and guarantee that it met the needs of the vendor.

Greta Siler, Food 4 Thought 2 manager, says that operating plans began during the summer, and she was happy to open the café in November.

Siler says that the café has been successful, and she plans to build her success with increased marketing and advertising.

For more information about Food 4 Thought 2 menu options, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs/cafe/menu.cfm. 

e-Inside Takes a Break

The e-Inside newsletter will take a break between semesters. The Dec. 10 issue is the last for the Fall 2012 semester. e-Inside will return on Jan. 14. Copy submissions for this issue should be emailed to einside@kent.edu by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

Thank you for reading and contributing to e-Inside.

Happy Holidays!