eInside Briefs

Governor Appoints Richard H. Marsh to Kent State Board of Trustees

Richard H. Marsh was recently appointed
to serve on the Kent State University Board
of Trustees.

Gov. John Kasich has appointed Richard H. Marsh of Akron to serve on the Kent State University Board of Trustees. Marsh’s term is from July 27, 2011, through May 16, 2020.

Kent State’s Board is composed of 11 members who are appointed by the governor of the state of Ohio, with the advice and consent of the state senate. Trustees, with the exception of two student trustees, are appointed to nine-year terms of office.

Marsh served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of FirstEnergy Corp. He retired from FirstEnergy in July 2009 after 29 years with the company. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and also holds a Certificate in Management Accounting.

He currently serves as chair of the Summa Health System Board of Directors. In addition, Marsh serves as a board member of the Kent State University Foundation and chairs the Distribution Committee of the Sisler McFawn Foundation. In 1973, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Kent State; he went on to earn a Master of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Akron.
 
Marsh replaces Andrew Banks, chairman and CEO of Mid-America Consulting Group, who completed his term in May.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Kent State. By Ohio law, the Board is responsible for selecting and appointing the president; setting the operating budget; approving personnel appointments; granting all degrees awarded by the university, including honorary degrees; establishing tuition and fee rates; approving contracts; and approving all rules, regulations, curriculum changes, new programs and degrees of the university.

For more information about Kent State’s Board of Trustees, visit www.kent.edu/bot.

Welcome, Class of 2015!

Welcome Weekend will take place Aug. 25 - 28.

The fall semester at Kent State University will begin with Welcome Weekend, a three-day orientation program that takes place Aug. 25 - 28. Welcome Weekend includes a series of fun, exciting events designed to make students feel at home at Kent State and provide them with the information necessary to transition to life on campus.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to wear their “Ask Me” yellow buttons and to be ready to provide assistance to new students and their families who will be on campus during this time.

For more information on Welcome Weekend, visit www.kent.edu/destination/welcome.

Kent State Students Excel in Entrepreneurship Immersion Week

Kent State University students, pictured with advisor Julie
Messing (front row, right), took third place in the 5th Annual
Entrepreneurship Immersion Week.

Kent State University students took third place in the 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Immersion Week held Aug. 7 – 12. This year’s event was hosted by Ashland College where five member teams from nine Northeast Ohio colleges and universities participated in the weeklong entrepreneurship boot camp that culminated with a competition.

The five Kent State students who participated are Ashley Greenawalt, Steven Hunsicker, Tom Kelly, Genia Kollie and Brandon Smith. Their faculty advisors were Denise Easterling and Julie Messing. The Kent State team presented an idea for a new product, Teddy Alert. According to Messing, director of Center for Entrepreneurship, the product is designed to offer peace of mind to parents of small children with a smoke detector inside a teddy bear. “Teddy Alert is a portable device that can go with the child to campouts, sleepovers or grandma’s house,” says Messing.

In addition to Kent State, participating schools included Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Lake Erie College and the University of Akron. The event was organized and led by the entrepreneurship directors and faculty from the nine member schools. They comprise the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium, which is funded by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

“I am so proud of our Kent State team,” says Messing. “Five students were selected for this event and they came together for an intense week, developed a strong idea, prepared their feasibility analysis and presented their idea in a professional and enthusiastic manner. The prize is only a minor reflection on the quality of their teamwork and results of their hard work and dedication.”

The Campus Kitchen at Kent State Highlights Community Needs

The Campus Kitchen at Kent State University works closely
with Kent Social Services and other community partners to
address the needs of area residents.

The Campus Kitchen at Kent State University works closely with Kent Social Services and other community partners to address the needs of area residents. Kent Social Services and the Center of Hope are currently struggling to meet the need for food in our community. Both agencies serve hundreds of clients each day, and many clients include families with children. 

Summer is a season when thoughts turn to vacations and family fun. Requests for help from needy families continue through the summer months, but contributions to stock the shelves decrease, according to community activist Judy Kirman. Summer is also a time when there are no food drives in local schools, and some church groups take a hiatus.

The Kent State community is encouraged to help during this critical time. Here's what you can do:

1. Bring a bag or two of groceries to Kent Social Services. Items that are especially needed include peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, rice, tuna, macaroni and cheese and complete box meals.
2. Bring or mail a check or cash donation to Kent Social Services, located at 1066 South Water St.
   

“Our clientele at Kent Social Services is changing,” says manager Christie Anderson. “Every day, we are assisting new people who have lost their jobs and have never had to seek assistance before.  In the past three months, we’ve added 85 new Kent households to our food pantry program.  For many, it’s devastating to one’s self esteem to ask for help.”

The need is urgent and based upon what is happening with the economy, it will be even more critical in the days to come, according to Ann Gosky, senior special assistant in Quality Initiatives and Curriculum. “The university community is very generous, and every contribution is deeply appreciated,” says Gosky.

Other initiatives are attempting to address community needs. According to Gosky, the Campus Kitchen at Kent State has recently developed relationships with a number of local growers and with the Haymaker Farmers Market. The growers have been tremendously responsive and have provided a variety of produce for use in the kitchen and to share with Kent Social Services. Gosky estimates that nearly 1,000 pounds of food has been recovered from those generous donors.