eInside Briefs

Kent State Designs First-of-its-kind Graduate Program in Fashion

A group of Kent State students from the School of Fashion
Design and Merchandising have their work critiqued by a
panel of judges from the industry. The fashion school is
set to begin a Master of Fashion degree that is the first of
its kind in the nation.

Kent State University’s fashion school is leading the academic runway with the creation of a Master of Fashion degree that is the first of its kind in the nation. The university’s Board of Trustees formally approved the path-breaking graduate program on March 13, allowing the university’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising to begin enrolling students for Fall Semester 2013, pending approval by the Ohio Board of Regents.

Kent State’s fashion school, which is the largest fashion program in Ohio and one of the largest in the nation, already has earned a widespread reputation for academic excellence, innovation and highly prepared graduates. The popular fashion magazine Fashionista.com ranks Kent State’s fashion school third best in the nation and 13th best in the world. In addition, the Ohio Board of Regents designated the school an Ohio Center of Excellence in the state’s Strategic Plan for Higher Education.

The new degree program is geared toward professional practice, responding to the fashion industry’s growing use of integrated technologies and the trend toward entrepreneurship that spawns small- to medium-sized businesses that manufacture goods locally or within the United States. It is designed for students with undergraduate degrees in fashion merchandising, fashion design or related fields who want to expand their employment options in the $300-billion, global fashion industry. Graduates of the program, who will be able to customize a course of study with a high level of specialization, will be prepared to advance their careers, expand their entrepreneurial opportunities or pursue initial careers in academia.

Click here to see the summary of board actions on March 13.

Kent State School of Library and Information Science Advances in U.S. News & World Report Rankings

A student in youth services librarianship delivers a
presentation in the Reinberger Children’s Library Center,
one of the unique teaching facilities in Kent State's  School of
Library and Information Science.

The School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University has moved up in the rankings of the nation’s top schools of library and information studies, according to the latest edition (2014) of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”

Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science is now ranked overall at number 18, up from number 20. The school’s Services for Children and Youth program now ranks in the top 10, up from number 13.

“This is wonderful news for Kent State,” says Tomas Lipinski, J.D., LL.M., Ph.D., director of the School of Library and Information Science. “It proves that the school is headed in the right direction. It also testifies to the excellence of our faculty and staff, as well as the success of our alumni and students.”

Lipinski became director of the School of Library and Information Science this past January.

U.S. News ranked 51 master's degree programs in library and information studies in the United States that are accredited by the American Library Association. The rankings are based solely on the results of a fall 2012 survey sent to the dean, program director and a senior faculty member in each program, asking them to choose top programs noted for excellence in each specialty area. The rankings will be featured in the "Best Graduate Schools 2014" edition, available on April 9.

Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science has Ohio’s only accredited Master of Library and Information Science degree program, offering courses in Kent, Columbus (State Library of Ohio) and through a fully online option. The school also offers a Master of Science in information architecture and knowledge management and participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the College of Communication and Information. It is one of the largest library schools in the country, with more than 650 students.

For more information about the School of Library and Information Science, visit www.kent.edu/slis.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Kent State University is studying provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to determine its effect on the number of hours worked in relation to healthcare eligibility.  At this time, the university is awaiting guidelines from the federal government. Those guidelines are expected to be released in June 2013.

For more information regarding the Affordable Care Act, visit www.healthcare.gov/law/index.html.

Detecting and Preventing Diabetic Foot Ailments “From the Ground Up”

Sonia Alemagno, dean of Kent State's College of Public
Health, speaks during the Corporate Research Forum that
took place recently at Kent State's College of Podiatric
Medicine.

Each year, an estimated 600,000 diabetic patients acquire foot ulcers, resulting in 80,000 amputations, according to the American Diabetes Association. To address some of the challenges involved in the detection and prevention of diabetic foot ailments, Kent State University brought corporate leadership and faculty researchers together in a Corporate Research Forum, “From the Ground Up,” which took place at the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine on Feb. 26.

Kent State researchers are currently studying a wide variety of issues in this area, including faculty from the College of Podiatric Medicine, College of Public Health, College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education, Health and Human Services.  

“This multidisciplinary approach to healthcare is exactly what the U.S. needs,” says Paulita LaPlante, chief executive officer of Vasamed Inc., who spoke at the event.  “This forum was very forward-looking and timely for me.” Vasamed, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., develops, manufactures and sells hemodynamic diagnostic products.

Kent State researchers also heard presentations and discussed potential research collaborations with representatives from GOJO (Akron, Ohio), Incedo Orthopedics (Lehighton, Pa.), The Orthotic Group (Markham, Ontario) and Theravasc (Cleveland, Ohio).

“This forum went very well, and we’ve come away with quite a few new ideas,” says Vincent Hetherington, Ph.D., senior associate dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine. “It was a good fit to bring our researchers together to see these new technologies and discuss similar applications.”     

For more information about Kent State’s College of Podiatric Medicine, visit www.kent.edu/cpm.

Exclusive Discount From Porthouse Theatre

Students from the Porthouse Theatre Academy put on a
performance learned during their classes. 

The Kent State Porthouse Theatre announces an exclusive offer for Kent State faculty, staff, students and alumni. These members of the Kent State community will receive a $50 discount on the Porthouse Theatre Academy: High School Division, a summer intensive program for high school students interested in performance and who are entering their freshman, sophomore, junior or senior years.

The program is ideal for:

• Students looking for an intensive summer learning experience in theatre, particularly those interested in learning more about theatre as a profession;
• Students who are planning to audition for acting programs on the university level and are seeking training to set them apart from other high school students; and
• Students who would like more performance experience.
  

Why Enroll?
Porthouse Theatre offers students the opportunity to receive advanced training in acting and musical theatre and audition preparation, get a head start in preparing for university auditions, and interact with and learn from professional theatre artists from across the country.

Where Will Classes Take Place?
All classes will be conducted at the Kent Campus, in the Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance.

When Will Classes Take Place?
Session 1: June 24-28
Session 2: July 29- Aug. 2

Porthouse Academy: High School Division Culminating Project
All students will participate in a cabaret-style performance, created from the songs, monologues and dance from academy classes. The showcase will be performed for Porthouse Company on the final Friday of the session.

For full details, please contact Lisa Marie at lschuell@kent.edu. 

Kent State Connects Blog: Spring Planting and National Alcohol Screening Day

Spring Planting

Michael Fiala, executive chef for Dining Services – Schwebel
Room, plants peas on St. Patrick's Day as part of his family's
spring planting rituals.

Photo credit: Linda Fiala

Michael Fiala, executive chef for Dining Services – Schwebel Room, discusses spring planting and his family ritual on the Kent State Connects employee blog.

“As one of our family rituals, we have taken to the practice of planting peas and sunflowers on St. Patrick’s Day. It is our chance to get dirty and start to build the anticipation for this year’s garden. Best of all, the peas do not seem to mind the still chilly and damp soil. As we tend to our chores, we talk about the upcoming garden and reminisce about last year’s harvest and wonder if the swallowtails will remember to lay some eggs again this year.”

Click here to read more from Fiala’s blog post.

National Alcohol Screening Day at Kent State University

Scott Dotterer, coordinator for the Office of Health Promotion at University Health Services, writes about National Alcohol Screening Day at Kent State.

“National Alcohol Screening Day is a free public health event that provides anonymous screening for alcohol-use disorders. One of the goals behind this outreach promotional effort is to reduce and prevent at-risk drinking. Can faculty and staff participate? Yes!”

Click here to read more from Dotterer’s blog post.

Click here to subscribe to the Kent State Connects blog and receive an email notification when a new post has been published. It is the easy way to always keep up with what your Kent State colleagues are writing about on the blog.

Graduate Student Trustee Search

Underway is an important search that will result in the appointment of a graduate student trustee to the Kent State University Board of Trustees. Applications from interested students for this two-year term position are being accepted now by the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. Currently, Chelsea Knowles and Alexander Evans are Kent State’s Student Trustees, graduate and undergraduate, respectively. Knowles is completing her term of office this year and will serve as chair of the Student Trustee Search Committee, as required by university policy.

An overview of the student trustee position, including expectations, responsibilities and qualifications, is available at www.kent.edu/emsa/students/student-trustee.cfm. The deadline for submitting nominations is Wednesday, March 27. Documents necessary for completing an applicant’s file are: application form, résumé and three letters of recommendation (two from individuals affiliated with Kent State University and one from a personal source not affiliated with the university). Students may choose to include additional relevant information with their application.

Students may access a copy of the application for the position online or by contacting the office located in Room 250 at the Kent Student Center. Complete applicant files will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, April 5. At the conclusion of the process, the names of five students will be forwarded to the Governor’s Office for final selection of the successful candidate.

The new term for the graduate student trustee will begin on the date of appointment specified by the governor, and will end on May 16, 2015.

For more information, please contact Pat Dennison at 330-672-4050 or pdenniso@kent.edu. 

Kent State University Faculty/Staff Spring Plant Exchange

Faculty and staff interested in an opportunity to begin, grow or spice up their summer plant and flower gardens are invited to participate in the first Spring Plant Exchange, which will take place mid-May.

Maria Terleckyj, special assistant for human resources records, is coordinating the event.

“This will be an easy and cost-effective way for people to begin or continue to build their flower garden,” says Terleckyj.

Recommended plants for the exchange include perennial flowers that are easy to divide such as: daylilies, hostas, black-eyed susans, perennial grasses or any plants you may have just recently started from seed.

The exchange will take place at the Human Resources building with the date and time pending upon the number of responses. If you are interested in participating in the plant exchange, contact Terleckyj at mterleck@kent.edu by Friday, April 5, for more details.

Kent State Senior Dustin Kilgore Becomes Four-Time MAC Champion

Kent State student Dustin Kilgore tackles an opponent during a
wrestling tournament. Kilgore is the sixth four-time
Mid-American Conference champion in conference history
and the second in program history. 

Kent State senior Dustin Kilgore, from Berea, Ohio, continued on his path to wrestling glory, winning a 197-pound Mid-American Conference crown at the University of Buffalo's Alumni Arena. With a 17-5 major decision over Missouri's Brent Haynes in the final, Kilgore became just the sixth four-time MAC champion in conference history and the second in program history. He was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Joining Kilgore with automatic bids to the NCAA Championships were seniors Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio) and Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio). Mitcheff entered the competition as the No. 3 seed, but came away with a second place. In the toughest bracket of day, Newburg claimed a fourth place. Kent State freshman Mack McGuire (Union, Ohio), sophomore Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Sam Wheeler (Copley, Ohio) were awarded at-large bids to the 2013 NCAA Championships, giving the Golden Flashes six NCAA qualifiers.

"Dustin does what he does and it was great to see him get Outstanding Wrestler," says Head Coach Jim Andrassy. "Stevie wrestled about as well as he could wrestle and Casey's bracket had some of the best guys in the country in it."

As a team, the Golden Flashes finished in fourth place with 82.0 points, just one point behind Northern Iowa in third and six points back of Central Michigan in second. No. 4 Missouri took the team title with 136 points in its inaugural tournament appearance.

Kilgore (39-0) notched his 18th pin of the season in the opening round against Central Michigan's Jackson Lewis. He then won by injury default in the semifinals, before putting together six takedowns and two reversals in the championship round.

The NCAA Championships will be held this month. 

For more information about Kent State athletics, visit www.kentstatesports.com.