eInside Briefs

Kent State Professors to Teach in China This Summer

Eight professors from Kent State University will teach at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, this summer as part of a partnership between both universities. The three-week intensive summer session, known as International Course Weeks, will run from June 30 to July 21, and is an opportunity for students at Sichuan University to gain international experience from seasoned professors.

“Twenty-five universities around the world were selected to participate in the Sichuan University program,” says Ediz Kaykayoglu, assistant director for education abroad in Kent State’s Office of Global Education. “Professors from each university who are interested apply, and then Sichuan University makes its choices.”

The Kent State team includes George F Bigham III, lecturer in the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology; Pratim Datta, associate professor, Department of Management and Information Systems; Rozell R. Duncan, assistant professor, and Nichole Egbert, associate professor, both from the School of Communication Studies. Others include Shawn Fitzgerald, director, School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration; David Hughes, professor, College of Architecture and Environmental Design; Julia Levashina, assistant professor, Department of Management and Information Systems; and Phillip Wang, associate professor, College of Education, Health and Human Services.

Applicants were provided a list of courses available for teaching at the university and were asked to rank their top three choices. They also had the option to create a class of their own.

Hughes will teach Comparisons of Chinese and Western Culture – Architecture, a course he designed, and Appreciation of Western Painting, during a three-week, intense summer intercession. In the Comparisons of Chinese and Western Culture – Architecture class, Hughes looks at how architecture has had an impact on the world. The western influence used will begin in Egypt.

“My strengths over the years due to my travel, my research and my studies have included Egypt and Africa,” Hughes says. “But we’ll cover much more in this course.”

Hughes, who has been traveling abroad for 46 years, will bring new ideas from his experience to Kent State’s curriculum and the courses he teaches. He says it is more effective if you have been to the places you are lecturing about.

Egbert is excited to share knowledge and American experiences with students in China. She will teach Introduction to Interpersonal Communication and Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures.

“I have met a lot of interesting and cool people from China and have always wanted to visit,” she says. “I want my students to learn how nonverbal and verbal communication form systems of meaning and how to be more competent communicators.”

Kaykayoglu says that all eight professors will have the opportunity to not only represent Kent State in China, but also impact the students there.

“It is important to our international programs and it also will enhance our education-abroad programs,” Kaykayoglu says.

For more information about Kent State’s Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.

Kent State Lecturer to Study U.S. Retirees in Panama with Fulbright Grant

Kent State University lecturer Craig
Zamary will travel to Panama this July to
conduct research on ways U.S. companies
can tap into the resources that American
retirees in the Central American country
represent.

Panama is one of the top destinations for retiring U.S. baby boomers because of its climate, accessibility, cost of living and welcoming attitude. Kent State University lecturer Craig Zamary will travel to the Central American country this July to conduct research on ways U.S. companies can tap into the resources that these retirees represent.

Zamary, a faculty member in Kent State’s College of Business Administration, plans to connect with both local residents and U.S. expatriates. His goal is to learn what opportunities may exist for U.S. companies and universities to utilize the knowledge and experience of U.S. citizens relocating in Panama.

Zamary is an approved Fulbright Specialist, and his monthlong research trip to Panama is a Fulbright-funded project. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. U.S. faculty and professionals apply to join a Fulbright Roster of Specialists for a five-year term. Roster candidates are reviewed by peers in the same discipline and by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Once approved, specialists can propose short-term projects to the Fulbright team.

“I am interested in finding ways Panama and the U.S. can work together more and increase business between both countries in the areas of import-export, student exchanges, academic partnerships and course offerings for both sides to mutually benefit,” says Zamary, who teaches in Kent State’s Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

The program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves to promote the international engagement of academic scholarship and build linkages between U.S. and overseas eligible institutions.

Through the Fulbright Specialist program, U.S. scholars and professionals undertake short-term collaborative projects with their counterparts at higher education institutions and nonacademic institutions whose primary goals include education-focused programming, the expansion of partnerships between universities and specialized institutions, and the promotion of international and cross-institutional cooperation in eligible countries.

Zamary will travel throughout Panama conducting interviews and meetings. He will publish his findings and results at the end of the project and share the knowledge via blog posts and formal reports. International travel costs and a post-project honorarium will be paid by the U.S. Department of State.

Zamary also plans to explore opportunities for U.S. expats who are living or retired in Panama to use their knowledge and expertise to help in strengthening business between the two countries.

“I feel the project will add value to the U.S. Embassy and to U.S. citizens looking to explore Panama for business, personal or academic purposes,” Zamary says. “I hope this project can become a model for other U.S embassies around the world to adopt.”

For more information about the Fulbright Specialist program, visit www.cies.org/specialists.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, visit www.kent.edu/business.

Kent State Dance Marathon Raises More Than $13,800 to Fight Childhood Cancer

Kent State students dance during the Flash-A-Thon dance
marathon at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
The students raised more than $13,800 for the Showers
Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders
at the Akron Children’s Hospital. 

More than 300 members of the Kent State community participated in the Flash-A-Thon dance marathon in April at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, raising more than $13,800 for the Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Akron Children’s Hospital.

The 12-hour Flash-A-Thon dance marathon is part of the Children’s Miracle Network and featured patients who have been treated at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Jacqueline Cornell, co-president of Flash-A-Thon, says the event was emotional for all of the dancers. According to Cornell, most of the students wanted to stay the whole time to support the patients.

“Those 12 hours actually meant something to them,” Cornell says.

Pamela Holtz, director of Annual Giving at Akron Children’s Hospital, says the hospital is blessed to have generous and loyal support from the community and is grateful for the support from Kent State students. 

“It was amazing to see so many different communities of Kent State join together to raise awareness and funds for the Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders,” Holtz says.  “It was all about the students coming together to take a stand against pediatric cancer — to be part of something so much larger than them,” she says.

Holtz says the students treated the families and patients like rock stars.

“Having so many people surround them and offer their support was the greatest gift that the dancers could give. Not only did they have fun, they were reminded that they are not alone,” Holtz says.

Ashley Whittlesey, fashion merchandising major, says Flash-A-Thon was an amazing experience.

“Being there, seeing so many people laughing and dancing together for these kids was just amazing to be a part of,” Whittlesey says. “The atmosphere was almost electric, and the happiness that was present in the room was wonderful to feel.”

Holtz says the Showers Center for Childhood Cancer depends on individuals and organizations like the Kent State Flash-a-Thon. 

“Your generosity enables the hospital to continue to provide comprehensive programs and services to our patients fighting cancer and blood disorders and to care for the entire family while their child battles their illness,” she says.

Looking for Your Google Docs in FlashLine? Same Place, New Name

Google Docs in FlashLine is now located behind the
triangular "Drive" icon versus the previous "Docs" icon.

For those of you who login to FlashLine to access your Google Docs, you will notice a slight change, effective Monday, June 24. You will continue to find it in the same place: in the blue FlashLine masthead at the top of the Web page, but now it will be located behind the triangular "Drive" icon versus the previous "Docs" icon. You will also find the documents, folders and materials that you created or that have been shared with you there. Need help? Contact the helpdesk at http://support.kent.edu.

Kent State Football Game Times Announced

Kent State’s Dri Archer breaks free for a big gain during
the second quarter of the GoDaddy.com Bowl game in Mobile,
Ala. Kent State has announced its football schedule for this
fall, which begins with the Aug. 29 season opener against
Liberty.

Kickoff times for eight of Kent State University’s football games this fall have been announced by the Mid-American Conference (MAC), including four of the Golden Flashes’ home games. Two additional broadcasts were also added to the Golden Flashes’ growing number of television and live video appearances.

Kent State’s final two games of the regular season against East Division rivals Miami (Nov. 13) and Ohio (Nov. 19) will both kick off at 8 p.m. The Wednesday home tilt with the RedHawks and the Tuesday night finale against the Bobcats will both be broadcast live on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

In addition, the Aug. 29 season opener against Liberty will kick off at 6 p.m. on ESPN3. The Golden Flashes’ Sept. 7 home game with Bowling Green will begin at noon as part of the ESPN Regional/ESPN Plus/ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3Watch ESPN package with the MAC. More television announcements for the 2013 season are expected and will be announced as that information becomes available.

Western Michigan will host Kent State’s first conference road game on Sept. 28 under the lights at 7 p.m.

The following Saturday will be the Golden Flashes’ homecoming, hosting Northern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. in a rematch of the 2012 MAC Championship Game.

Homecoming for Ball State will be Oct. 12 at 3 p.m., in a rematch of last year’s 45-43 shootout victory for Kent State. The Golden Flashes look to retain the Wagon Wheel for a fourth consecutive season at Akron on Nov. 2 at 3:30 p.m.

Kickoff times for Kent State’s Oct. 26 game against Buffalo and its three nonconference road games are yet to be determined. All football games can be heard live on 640 WHLO and Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio.

Season ticket packages start as low as $40. Call the Kent State ticket office at 330-672-2244. Season ticket holders receive benefits such as parking passes, merchandise discounts, priority seating at MAC Championship and bowl games and the opportunity to purchase tickets at LSU and Penn State games. 

Travel packages to New Orleans and the Sept. 14 game at LSU are available at www.kentstatesportstravel.com.

Game times for the MAC’s three direct bowl tie-ins were also announced, all of which can be seen on ESPN. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will be Dec. 21 at 5:30. The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl will be Dec. 26 at 6 p.m. and the GoDaddy.com Bowl will be Jan. 5 at 9 p.m.

• College Football Performance Awards released its national Watch Lists for the 2013 season. Roosevelt Nix was one of 32 defensive linemen. Luke Wollet was one of 37 defensive backs and Dri Archer was one of 34 running backs.
• Archer and Nix were both named to Athlon’s preseason All-MAC First Team. Wollet and Pat McShane were named to Athlon’s All-MAC Second Team.
• Wollet was one of three college athletes honored by the United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley at the eighth annual Champions Among Us Dinner.
• Phil Steele rated Kent State No. 8 among the nation’s top running back units in the nation for the upcoming season.
• Former cornerback Josh Pleasant has started six straight games for the AFL’s Chicago Rush, recording two interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
  

Kent State Graduate Students Place at the First-Ever “Anthropology Bowl”

Kent State anthropology graduate students
Ghassan Rafeedie and Matt Buttacavoli
won the first-ever “Anthropology Bowl” at
the Central States Anthropological Society
conference in St. Louis, Mo. The two-hour
competition pitted students from colleges and
universities all over the Midwest against each
other.

Two Kent State anthropology graduate students Matt Buttacavoli and Ghassan Rafeedie won the first-ever “Anthropology Bowl” at the Central States Anthropological Society conference in St. Louis, Mo. in April. The competition, which divided students into six teams, was part of the three-day conference.

“It felt good to represent the anthropology department here at Kent State,” says Rafeedie. “The department has done a lot for us as students and for me personally, and I think they deserve to be represented well.”

The two-hour competition pitted students from colleges and universities all over the Midwest against each other. Contestants were quizzed on four fields of anthropology: cultural, biological, linguistics and archaeology.

Both Rafeedie and his professor, Richard Feinberg, hope to see the competition expand into a larger portion of the conference.

“The general feeling is that the competition was pretty successful,” says Feinberg. “It stands a good chance at becoming annual.”

The winning team won free admission into next year’s competition. Rafeedie encourages all anthropology students to attend both the Central States Anthropological Society conference and the “Anthropology Bowl.”

“It was a great opportunity to listen to the ideas of my colleagues around the Midwest and talk to fellow anthropologists about my work,” says Rafeedie. “We have a small department here at Kent State, so an opportunity to get in touch with a number of other anthropologists is a good thing.”

For more information about Kent State’s Department of Sociology, visit www.kent.edu/sociology.