eInside Briefs

Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine Physicians Offer Foot and Ankle Services at DeWeese Health Center

Staff and students from Kent State University's College of
Podiatric Medicine examine the foot of a patient. The college
is partnering with University Health Services to offer foot
and ankle care on Wednesday mornings at the DeWeese
Health Center on the Kent Campus.

The Cleveland Foot and Ankle Clinic, the teaching clinic for Kent State University’s College of Podiatric Medicine, is now seeing patients at the DeWeese Health Center on the Kent Campus from 9-11 a.m. on Wednesdays.

“The Cleveland Foot and Ankle Clinic is excited to partner with Kent State’s DeWeese Health Center to provide foot and ankle care to staff, faculty and students of Kent State University,” says Dr. Bryan Caldwell, interim dean of Kent State’s College of Podiatric Medicine. 

The podiatric physicians, who are faculty at the college, treat a wide array of issues dealing with the foot and ankle, including ankle sprains and strains, foot and ankle fractures, heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails and more.

“This will be a great benefit to our students, faculty and staff, who will now have convenient access to a podiatrist without having to travel off campus,” says Dr. Angela DeJulius, director of University Health Services. “The student health insurance plan, as well as the university’s Medical Mutual and Anthem plans for employees, is accepted.”

Founded in 1916, the College of Podiatric Medicine recently became affiliated with Kent State in July 2012. The college is located in Independence, Ohio, and has an enrollment of more than 400 students.

Carla Ronnebaum, director of enrollment management at the College of Podiatric Medicine, is excited about the possibilities that the recent partnership can bring.

“The College of Podiatric Medicine is relatively new to Kent, and we are excited about potential affiliations with other departments like athletic training, public health, nursing, biology and more,” says Ronnebaum.

To schedule an appointment for podiatric services at the DeWeese Health Center, call 216-231-5612.

WKSU General Manager Elected PRIMA President

Dan Skinner, executive director and
general manager for WKSU, has been
elected president of Public Radio in
Mid-America (PRIMA).

Dan Skinner, executive director and general manager for WKSU, was elected president of Public Radio in Mid-America (PRIMA) at its annual membership meeting. PRIMA is a regional membership organization that brings together managers of public radio stations from an area encompassing 20 states in the mid-section of the nation.

“I’m honored to represent PRIMA and believe that regional organizations have a vital role to play in shaping the future of public media,” Skinner says.

PRIMA serves as a liaison, working with stations as well as with other regional and national organizations and agencies. Skinner’s duties include representing PRIMA at NPR board meetings in Washington, D.C. He also will represent PRIMA and mid-America as a member of the Public Radio Regional Organizations national group.

PRIMA provides a forum for the discussion of issues and the development of consensus positions that advance the public radio industry and the services provided by its stations. It offers opportunities for management training, facilitates industry planning and encourages the sharing of ideas and perspectives among public radio industry professionals.

WKSU is an award-winning public radio station and service of Kent State University that broadcasts to 22 counties in Northeast and North Central Ohio from the station’s primary signal at 89.7. WKSU content can also be heard over WKRW 89.3 (Wooster), WKRJ 91.5 (Dover/New Philadelphia), WKSV 89.1 (Thompson), WNRK 90.7 (Norwalk) and W239AZ 95.7 (Ashland). The station adds WKSU-2 Folk Alley, WKSU-3 The Classical Channel and WKSU-4 The News Channel over HD Radio and as streaming audio at www.wksu.org.

Kent State University’s First Female MBA Graduate Receives Business Award

Kent State University alumna Judith A.
Jones will receive the first Spirit of
Women in Business Award. Jones, a
1964 graduate of the College of Business
Administration’s Masters of Business
Administration program, was the first
woman to receive an MBA from the
university.

Kent State University alumna Judith A. Jones is the first honoree of the Spirit of Women in Business Award. Jones, a 1964 graduate of the College of Business Administration’s Masters of Business Administration program, was the first woman to receive an MBA from the university.

“I wasn’t trying to be a trendsetter,” Jones says. “I just knew that was what I liked to do and it was what I wanted to do.”

Jones says she chose to attend Kent State because it was affordable and near her hometown of Canton, Ohio. After receiving her undergraduate degree in finance with Kent State in 1961, Jones was able to remain at Kent State to receive her MBA after she received a scholarship as a graduate assistant.

Jones says she originally wanted to get a job in economics but there were no careers open in that field for women; the same problem occurred in accounting firms, so she chose to study finance.

“I was really interested in the way business worked,” Jones says. “I tried education and even worked as a substitute teacher, but I didn’t like it, and nursing was out of the question. There were so many fields not open to women, but banking was doable.”

Jones says that she faced many challenges while earning her MBA. At times, Jones says, it was lonely being a woman isolated from her male study partners.

“They didn’t know if I was serious or not,” Jones says. “They didn’t know I had staying power.”

She says there were some women in her classes, but most of them wanted to teach high school.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Jones went to work for Goodyear Aerospace Corp. in Akron as a market researcher. In 1965, Jones joined Cleveland Trust, which eventually merged with KeyBank, as an administrative assistant.

After being promoted to a security analyst, she then became a portfolio manager for employee benefit accounts. From there, Jones managed not-for-profit accounts and eventually became manager of the Charitable Division, which handled more than $2 billion in assets. Her largest account responsibility was the Cleveland Foundation. In 1999, Jones retired as senior managing director of Society Asset Management, a division of Key Asset Management.

Once she earned her degree and entered the workforce, Jones says it presented her with a new set of challenges. She says one of the challenges she faced was dealing with bank customers. Jones says that her company used to meet clients at a place called the Union Club in Cleveland, but she wasn’t allowed to enter through the front and had to go in the side door. She says when they met with clients, there would be an administrator, usually a man, and Jones as the investment officer. Jones says often when asking financial questions, clients would look to the man for the answer rather than her.

“The customers were understanding,” Jones says. “But they were also cautious. People had to get used to the idea of a woman in a position of investment advisor. It was a change for them, but it didn’t feel negative to me.”

As the years passed and more women chose banking as a career path, Jones says it got easier. She says she has seen a tremendous change in the amount of women in the workforce.

“It’s night and day,” Jones says. “I think it’s wonderful. You see just as many women or more women in higher level positions; positions they earned.”

Jones believes in continuing education, earning the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1973 and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in the early 1980s. Jones served as president of the Cleveland Society of Security Analysts from 1982 to 1983 and served as a panelist for the Los Angeles Times Annual Investment Strategies Conference in 1999. She also enjoyed participating in the Wall Street Journal’s dartboard contest.

Jones, now retired, currently resides in Florida with her husband, Harry.

The Spirit of Women in Business Award goes to a Kent State alumna who excels in her profession, paving the way for women in business, and is actively involved with the university.

The Spirit of Women in Business Conference will take place on March 5 and will feature keynote speakers, Amy Cuddy and Farai Chideya. Cuddy, a Harvard Business School professor, studies the way people perceive one another. Chideya is an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur and sociopolitical analyst who looks at the future workplace and economy.

Tickets are limited for the conference that annually sells out. Register today at www.kent.edu/business/wib/index.cfm.

Kent Student Center Installs Four Charging Stations

New amenity is free and provides peace of mind when on the go 

The Kent Student Center now has four
charging stations to power up mobile
devices, such as iPhones, iPads,
Androids, Kindles and more. 

Cell phone and mobile device usage is at an all-time high, and the need to keep those devices charged and connected is a challenge for many. Thanks to a new building amenity, the thousands of people who visit the Kent Student Center on a daily basis will no longer have to worry about having a low battery. In efforts to further enhance the overall visitor experience and provide excellent customer service, the Kent Student Center now offers four charging stations conveniently located throughout the building. 

Each charging station has 10 easy-to-use lockers, which simply require a unique 4-digit PIN from the user to activate. With that PIN, users have the freedom to lock up their mobile device or tablet, walk away and come back to it charged and ready to go. Compatible devices include everything from iPhones and iPads to Androids, Kindles and Bluetooth earpieces. 

Each charging station is equipped with the following connection cords:

• Apply Lightning Connection
• Apple 30 Pin Dock Connection
• Micro USB Connection
  

Hallie D’Agostino, a senior accounting major, thinks the charging stations are really useful and convenient. 

“My battery was getting low, and I started to get anxious because I still had a few hours before I could get to my charger,” says D’Agostino. “The thought crossed my mind about driving home before my next class, just to get my charger. Luckily, the charging station saved me the trip, and I got a full charge while eating lunch.” 

The first floor of the Kent Student Center will have a charging station in the Hub. Additional kiosks will be located in the Cyber Café (lower level), outside The Nest (2nd floor) and outside the Schwebel Room (3rd floor).

The charging stations, which are free to use, are just the beginning of a larger, multiphase plan to update the Kent Student Center. The Kent State community —  students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests— will soon enjoy digital signage throughout the building, which will run university messaging as well as cable TV. In addition, many of the hallways, meeting rooms and lounges will be redesigned with new furniture and artwork to tell the story of Kent State.   

“The Kent Student Center has a responsibility to meet the needs of our students and guests,” says Timeka Rashid, Ph.D., associate dean of students, and director of the Kent Student Center and Center for Student Involvement. “Today’s students rely heavily on technology, and because of that, charging stations were a necessity. This is just another step in our efforts to ensure the Kent Student Center is meeting the technological needs and providing an atmosphere for students to thrive.”

The Kent Student Center is a 300,000+ square foot facility located on the Kent Campus, which serves as the community center for the university. Featuring 12 dining options, four lounges and a variety of services, the Kent Student Center is a destination to study, eat, get involved or simply hang out. Some of the many services offered include a U.S. Post Office, campus tour center, computer lab, Signum Design studio and University Bookstore. 

For more information about the Kent Student Center, visit www.kent.edu/kentstudentcenter.

Kent State University Competes in 2014 RecycleMania Challenge

Kent State University faculty, staff and students collected
299,552 pounds of recyclables during the 2013
RecycleMania challenge. The amount of recycling collected
per person beat the University of Akron's amount in an
informal competition that allowed Kent State to retain the
Braggin' Wheel.

Kent State University is participating in the annual RecycleMania challenge, an international competition where colleges and universities strive to reduce waste and increase recycling. The month of February marked the official start of the 2014 eight-week RecycleMania competition that runs through March 29.

RecycleMania is supported by the sustainability office, which specializes in the ongoing recycling efforts at Kent State.

There are four challenges going on in one tournament where Kent State ultimately seeks to minimize waste and increase recycling:

• Kent State is competing in various waste minimization and recycling competitions categories against 461 colleges and universities in North America including 17 schools in Ohio.
• Kent State is competing for rights to the RecycleMania “Braggin' Wheel” against the University of Akron.
• Residence Services will reward residents who recycle the most (measured in pounds per capita) in the hall vs. hall competition with a $200 Hall Council party.
• Custodial area staff in administrative and academic buildings will compete to see which area recycled the most.
  

“This will be Kent State’s fifth year participating in the tournament and the third year competing head-to-head with the University of Akron for the recycling ‘Braggin’ Wheel,’” says Melanie Knowles, sustainability manager at Kent State.

Knowles says that the eight-week tournament is a good time for students, faculty and staff to be mindful to reduce, reuse and recycle.

New this year, plastics # 1 through # 7 are accepted, instead of only # 1 - # 2. Want to win? Throw those recyclables in a blue bin!

The tournament is for the entire campus. By framing recycling in competitive terms, RecycleMania seeks to tap school spirit as a motivator. The larger outcome for the program is to build awareness, be mindful of our resources and to continue to build and reward the recycling habits of those individuals on campus.

The 2013 competition included 523 colleges. More than 3.5 million students and staff participated, collectively recycling 90.8 million pounds of recyclables and organic materials.

There will be various events around campus highlighting RecycleMania, including an online pledge, an electronics waste recycling drive held Wednesdays in March from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Administrative Services Building dock (open to the Kent Campus and community) and personal care item recycling collections for items that are hard to recycle like toothpaste tubes and deodorant packaging.

Kent State University at Stark also is competing in RecycleMania. It’s game time! Let’s go Flashes!

For more information, visit www.kent.edu/sustainability.

Blackstone LaunchPad Inaugurates Student Launch Fund

Students can apply for up to $5,000 to fund a business

Kent State University alumnus Brian Recktenwald and
Alex Kurr, a junior in the School of Visual Communication
Design, launched their motion graphics business, The New
Fuel, with assistance from Kent State's Blackstone
LaunchPad.

Student entrepreneurs from across all majors and disciplines now have an opportunity to apply and receive critical startup funding to advance their business idea with the initiation of the Blackstone LaunchPad Student Launch Fund.

“We are excited to launch this fund through the generosity of Kent State donors and alumni,” says Julie Messing, executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad program at Kent State University. “As part of the interdisciplinary nature of Blackstone LaunchPad, the Student Launch Fund is available to any Kent State student, from freshmen to Ph.D., in any major, across all Kent State campuses, to start or grow their venture.”

With three yearly funding cycles, the Student Launch Fund will offer support from $500 up to $5,000 per venture.  Students can apply for funding to help defray the costs of legally organizing their business, intellectually protecting their idea, for technological advancement or support of the business or for marketing collaterals. Any type of business from service-based to products and nonprofits are eligible for funding. Students will be required to fill out a detailed application and provide specific deliverables upon receipt of the funds. The deadline for the first application cycle is March 15.

For more information about the Blackstone LaunchPad Student Launch Fund, visit www.kent.edu/blackstonelaunchpad/events/competitions/regional-opportunities.cfm. 

For information on how to contribute to the fund, contact Messing at jmessing@kent.edu.

Kent State’s Blackstone LaunchPad promotes entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Through mentoring, workshops and events, and connecting entrepreneurs to resources, Blackstone LaunchPad helps Kent State students, faculty, staff and alumni to create new startups or grow existing businesses in Northeast Ohio.

Nominate an Outstanding Kent State Researcher

Pictured are recipients of last year's Outstanding Research
and Scholar Awards. 

Nominations are due by March 10 for the 2014 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award honoring Kent State University's exceptional faculty researchers and scholars. Kent State faculty, students, staff and alumni are invited to nominate candidates for the award, which is based on the quality of research and scholarship and its impact on society. As many as four awards will be given.

A ceremony and reception will be held Wednesday, April 16, at 5 p.m. in Cartwright Hall to honor the 2014 recipients. The award is sponsored by the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs and the University Research Council.

To nominate: Please print and submit the nomination form to Sheila Pratt in the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, 145 Cartwright Hall or via email at spratt@kent.edu.

Nomination deadline: Monday, March 10, at 11:59 p.m.

Nomination process

• Individuals may nominate only one candidate.
• Nominations should be made on this standardized form.
• All full-time, tenure-track and nontenure-track faculty members are eligible for an Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award.
• Nominees have the option of accepting or rejecting their nomination.
• After the nomination is accepted, nominees are asked to provide their vitae, a statement of research interests and achievements, as well as additional materials (or examples of creative activities) to the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs.
  

Review criteria
Recognizing that the impact of outstanding scholarship and creative activity take many different forms, candidates will be evaluated and ranked within each discipline based on criteria including but not limited to:

• Number of publications of original research in refereed journals
• Book chapters
• Book publications
• Presentations at invited lectures, national and international meetings
• Major exhibits or performances
• Major grant or fellowship support
• Other accomplishments, such as membership and leadership in professional organizations or on editorial boards
  

For more information, including the review process, visit www.kent.edu/news/newsdetail.cfm?newsitem=E37DF6C1-F3EC-F347-FC580BFBE7EBBE4F.

Important Information about Final Grading of Spring 2014 First 7 Weeks (W1) Classes

Online final grading for Spring 2014 First 7 Weeks (W1) courses meeting from Jan. 13 through March 1 begins Friday, Feb. 28, via FlashFAST. Grading is also now available for any spring 2014 course section that was flexibly scheduled and has an end date no later than March 1. The deadline for grading submission is midnight on Tuesday, March 11. Any final grades for spring 2014 First 7 Weeks (W1) courses not reported in FlashFAST by the grades processing deadline will have to be submitted using the Grade Change Workflow. These spring 2014 First 7 Weeks (W1) courses will be available in the Workflow on Thursday, March 13.

Incomplete Mark and NF/SF Grades

The administrative mark of IN (Incomplete) may be given to students who are unable to complete the work due to extenuating circumstances. To be eligible, undergraduate students must be currently passing and have completed at least 12 weeks of the semester. The timeline shall be adjusted appropriately for flexibly scheduled courses. Graduate students must be currently earning a C or better grade and are unable to complete the required work between the course withdrawal deadline and the end of classes. Instructors are required to complete and submit an Incomplete Mark Form to the department chair when an incomplete mark is assigned. Access the form from your Faculty Toolbox in FlashLine.

The grade SF (Stopped Attending–Fail) denotes that the student stopped attending the course and did not formally withdraw and must be accompanied by a date of last attendance in the course.

The grade NF (Never Attended–Fail) denotes that the student neither attended one class session nor formally withdrew from the course.

For complete information on university grading policies including Incomplete Mark and NF/SF grading policies, procedures and timelines, please visit the Grading Policies and Procedures section in the university catalog at www.kent.edu/catalog.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQs may be found on the Office of the Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty member needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus Registrar's Office during normal business hours for assistance.

To access FlashFAST to post your final grades, login to FlashLine from www.kent.edu (click FlashLine Login from top right menu bar) then click the Faculty & Advisor Tools tab. Locate the Faculty Toolbox, and select Final under the Submit Grades heading.

Troubleshooting TIP: FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. We recommend that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues.

Important Information Regarding Midterm Grading for Freshmen

Online midterm grading for freshmen in full-term spring 2014 courses begins Thursday, Feb. 27, via FlashFAST. Please remember that midterm grading applies ONLY to courses that meet for the full semester. PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for midterm grade submission is midnight on Thursday, March 6.

No midterm grade can be reported after the deadline. The Grade Change workflow cannot be used to report midterm grades after the fact, and the Office of the University Registrar will not accommodate other late submission requests.

To access FlashFAST, login to FlashLine at http://flashline.kent.edu and click the Faculty & Advisor Tools tab. Locate the Faculty Toolbox, and select Midterm under the Submit Grades heading.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQs may be found on the Office of the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty member needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus Registrar's Office during normal business hours for assistance.

Troubleshooting TIP: FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. We recommend that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues.