eInside Briefs

Kent State’s Owen Lovejoy Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

C. Owen Lovejoy, Ph.D., stands next
to the reconstructed skeleton of “Lucy,”
a near-complete fossil of a human
ancestor that walked upright 3.2 million
years ago. Lovejoy is being welcomed
as a newly elected member of the
American Academy of Arts and
Sciences.

C. Owen Lovejoy, distinguished professor of human evolutionary studies at Kent State University, has a long list of achievements and accolades for his contributions to science and to the university. He is adding another prestigious honor to his record.

Lovejoy was announced as a newly elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in its 2014 class. Some of the world’s most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities and the arts have been elected members of the academy. Notable members include John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Aaron Copland, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia O’Keeffe, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Mary Leakey and Nelson Mandela. One of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences also is a leading center for independent policy research.

“I’m stunned and had no idea that this would ever happen,” Lovejoy said upon receiving word that he is becoming a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. “I’m kind of overwhelmed. In retrospect, there’s no question that being at Kent State had a lot to do with it. The support we’ve received for our research and graduate programs over the years have been integral to just about every success we’ve had.

“When I say I was stunned, I truly mean it,” Lovejoy added. “I never dreamed I’d be elected to something along with Al Pacino and John Irving!”

A resident of Kent, Ohio, Lovejoy has taught at Kent State for more than 40 years. He is an internationally recognized biological anthropologist who specializes in the study of human origins and recently was elected chair of Anthropology for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He was elected to the NAS, one of the highest honors given to a scientist in the United States, in 2007 and serves as an editorial board member for its prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Lovejoy is a widely published author, with nearly 150 articles about human evolution, forensics, demography, biomechanics and evolutionary theory. He holds the honor of being one of the Institute for Scientific Information’s (ISI) “Most Highly Cited” authors in the general social sciences.

Lovejoy will be inducted with the new class at a ceremony on Oct. 11 at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. The list of the new members is located at www.amacad.org/members.aspx.

Since its founding in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected leading “thinkers and doers” from each generation. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners. For more information about the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, visit www.amacad.org.

For more information about Kent State’s Department of Anthropology, visit www.kent.edu/cas/anthropology.

Kent State Holds Garment Games – Inclusion by Design Competition Featuring Fashion Show and Performances by Skylar Grey

GRAMMY-nominated artist Skylar Grey,
who co-wrote the biggest-selling single
of 2010 – Eminem’s “Love the Way You
Lie” – will perform at Kent State
University’s Garment Games – Inclusion
by Design on May 7 in the Kent Student
Center Ballroom.

(Photo credit: David Roemer)

As Cleveland and Akron prepare to host athletes in 35 sports for the 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation this summer, Kent State University senior design students from its celebrated Fashion School will take the competition to the runway on May 7 in the Kent Student center Ballroom. The university will conduct an on-campus student competition called the Garment Games – Inclusion by Design that will culminate with a Project Runway-style modeling and judging event and musical performances by singer-songwriter Skylar Grey in tribute and celebration of the spirit and purpose of the Gay Games.

Tickets for the Garment Games are available online at http://kentstate.universitytickets.com. Tickets are free for Kent State students and $5 for general admission.

The senior fashion design students have been tasked to design outfits that respond to the values of the event for the two co-chairs of the Gay Games 9 Board of Directors to wear during the opening ceremonies of the Gay Games. A model runway show will be held May 7 starting at 6:30 p.m. to showcase, judge and determine the winning male and female garment designs. Seven teams of two Fashion School students are competing.

In addition to the runway show, the event will be intermixed with messages from Kent State leadership and other individuals about the importance of diversity, inclusion and support of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community, while creating awareness of the Gay Games coming in August. During three breaks, GRAMMY-nominated artist Grey will give musical performances.

“Kent State University’s involvement in the Gay Games is an expression of inclusive excellence in action, bringing communities together regardless of sexual orientation or athletic ability to enjoy competition, food and fun,” says Alfreda Brown, Kent State’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. “As one of many sponsors, Kent State hopes to be a voice in the promotion of human rights while creating a greater sense of community among people of all ages, ethnicities, gender expression or any other difference.”

J.R. Campbell, director of Kent State’s Fashion School, says the design competition offers a tremendous opportunity for the school’s senior designers.

“The opportunity for our students to be so directly involved with an event of such magnitude is priceless,” Campbell says. “For the student designers who win, this could dramatically impact the direction of their design career.”

About Skylar Grey

Grey is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is responsible for co-writing some of the most memorable songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and iTunes sales charts, totaling more than 25 million singles globally. Included in Forbes magazine’s list of music talent in the 2012 “30 Under 30” issue alongside Adele, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Drake and Bruno Mars, Grey is already a highly regarded singer and songwriter since the release of her single C’Mon Let Me Ride, featuring Eminem, debuted in December 2012 and received more than 4 million views in the first three days.

Grey has made a name for herself having co-written the biggest-selling single of 2010: Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie, which earned her two GRAMMY Award nominations for Best Song and Best Rap Song of the Year. She also co-wrote and appeared on Dr. Dre’s I Need a Doctor, which she performed alongside Dre and Eminem on the 2011 GRAMMY Awards telecast and for which she was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. In January 2012, Grey released The Buried Sessions of Skylar Grey, which featured special acoustic performances by Grey of three songs she wrote and produced: the original demo of Love the Way Part III (the original Love the Way You Lie made popular by Eminem and Rihanna), Coming Home Part II (originally performed by Diddy-Dirty Money) and Words (originally Words I Never Said, performed by Lupe Fiasco).

About the Judges

The Kent State students competing in the Garment Games will be judged by three professionals in the fashion industry: Erich Biehle, a Swiss textile designer who presently lectures at different universities in the United States and works as a consultant for many renowned fashion brands; R. Scott French, who designs contemporary men’s and women’s sportswear after co-founding and designing the French Jenny lingerie collection, and a faculty member at the Kent State Fashion School’s New York City Studio; and Valerie Mayen, a Cleveland-based designer and artist who owns Yellowcake Shop on Cleveland’s near West Side and was a contestant on Project Runway Season 8. Campbell of Kent State’s Fashion School will serve as the host judge, organizing the judging and awards process.

Additional Information

For more information about Kent State’s Garment Games – Inclusion by Design, contact event co-chairs Kelvin Berry at kberry21@kent.edu or 330-672-3673 and Sylvia Dillard Johnson at sdjohns2@kent.edu or 330-672-0454.

For more information about Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, visit www.kent.edu/diversity.

For more information about Kent State’s Fashion School, visit www.kent.edu/artscollege/fashion.

For more information about the 2014 Gay Games, visit www.gg9cle.com.

For more information about Skylar Grey, visit www.skylargreymusic.com.

Save Energy and Costs During the Summer Months

Kent State University faculty and staff are getting in the habit of shutting down their offices when the university closes over winter break, saving energy and money. The university also can save energy and money over summer as many employees take vacation or otherwise have time away. If you plan to be away, please follow the same protocol as winter shut down for your office space:

• 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,” says Melanie Knowles, sustainability manager at Kent State. “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.
  

Some tips for saving energy at home during warm weather:

• Look for holes or leaks in your windows and weather stripping.  If your home is air conditioned, leaks will let the warm air in and increase your cooling costs.
• Ceiling fans make you feel cooler, but turn them off when you leave the room. They cool people (with a wind chill effect) not rooms.
• 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.
• When the weather and your allergies allow, use natural ventilation by opening the windows.  Let cool air in at night and close the windows to keep it inside during the day.
  

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

  Blackstone LaunchPad Client T-Shirt Design to Be Sold in Kent State Bookstore

Julie Norton wins second annual T-Shirt supremacy competition

Kent State University's Blackstone
LaunchPad T-Shirt Supremacy Winner
Julie Norton wears her winning design as
she stands with Tim Schuppenhauer,
general merchandise manager for the
Kent State Bookstore, at the future spot
where her T-shirt will be sold in the
bookstore this summer.

Branding, marketing and strategic business planning were put to the test in the second annual Blackstone LaunchPad T-Shirt Supremacy Competition held recently.

Three finalists, Braisha Owens, a fashion merchandising and marketing major, Vivaldi Gloire Kiyindou Nik, an economics major, and Julie Norton, a public relations major, competed for the opportunity to have their T-shirt design sold in the Kent State University Bookstore.

“T-shirt businesses are often a good entry-level opportunity for students to get engaged with creating their first business,” says Zach Mikrut, marketing and events manager for Blackstone LaunchPad at Kent State.  “Our annual T-shirt competition challenges students to develop a well-thought-out business strategy and pushes them to test their marketing skills by directing fans to vote online and in person for the students’ T-shirt entry over the span of a week.”

The winning T-shirt was designed by Norton, a freshman, whose T-shirt art features the word beautiful in 16 different languages.

"I am beyond thrilled to have won the Blackstone LaunchPad T-shirt design competition,” Norton says. “Entrepreneurship has become a new interest of mine, and I hope to continue to pursue it. This brand represents that although there are different outlooks of beauty, the definition remains the same across cultures and unifies each and everyone’s unique form of beauty.”

Norton was awarded a $250 gift card to the Kent State Bookstore and will have her T-shirt design sold in the bookstore for a limited run. 

“This is the second year that the Kent State University Bookstore has supported Kent State student entrepreneurs through the Blackstone LaunchPad T-Shirt Competition,” says Susan Aylward, director of the Kent State Bookstore. “We found Julie’s (Norton) winning design complementary to the message of diversity and cultural awareness that our store regularly promotes and look forward to offering her design for sale to the wider Kent community later this summer.”

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. For more information about the Blackstone LaunchPad program, visit www.kent.edu/blackstonelaunchpad.

The Kent State University Bookstore offers official logo merchandise, software and online ordering.
For more information about the University Bookstore, visit www.kent.bkstr.com.

Kent State’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation Partners With Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund

Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is launching a chapter of the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund, becoming the first college to partner with the organization. 

“We are excited to establish the Kent State University chapter of the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund," says Sergey Anokhin, Ph.D., interim director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation at Kent State’s College of Business Administration. This offers unique educational opportunities to students interested in entrepreneurship and venture financing.”

The Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund is a student-run, independent, not-for-profit organization supported by the University of Akron Research Foundation.  It gives students a chance to go through the process of choosing high-tech and innovative startup investments.   

“The opportunity to host a Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund chapter at the College of Business Administration fits with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation’s outreach mission and benefits both Kent State students and entrepreneurs in our region,” says Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business Administration.

The Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund was recently awarded $125,000 by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, matching the funds provided through the Ohio Third Frontier Commission’s Pre-seed Fund Capitalization Program, giving students a total of $250,000 to invest in companies that meet the State of Ohio’s definition of its primary industries of focus.

“Kent State University's participation is instrumental in making the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund operational and successful since funding was contingent on other universities creating their own chapters to expand opportunities to as many students in the region as possible,” says John Myers, vice president of the fund and Kent State alumnus.

The search will begin soon for student managers. Those selected will begin working as a team at the start of the Fall 2014 Semester.  Interested students should contact Mary Heidler, manager for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, at 330-672-9430. 

For more information about the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation or the College of Business Administration, visit www.kent.edu/business.

The Kent State Faculty/Staff Plant Exchange

Are you ready to beautify your yard this summer? Take part in the Kent State plant exchange

What is a plant exchange? A plant exchange is where you dig up perennials (the plants and flowers that come back every year) that you have overgrowing and taking over your flower beds and share them with others. Flower bulbs, veggie and flower seedlings also can be shared. Even if you do not have plants to share and would like to get started with gardening, you can still participate. There are plenty of plants to go around.

If you are interested in taking part in the exchange, send an email to mterleck@kent.edu. You will then be sent a link to a Google Doc where you will select what plants you would like from other participants and then list any plants you may have to exchange.

The actual exchange will take place outside of Heer Hall (the Division of Human Resources) on Friday, May 16.

This plant exchange is free and open to all Kent State University faculty and staff who sign up ahead of time for plants via the Google Doc. 

Please email mterleck@kent.edu by May 2 if you want to sign up or have questions about the plant exchange.

Kent State Wins Residence Hall Awards

Pictured is Johnson Hall, one of the residence halls on the
Kent Campus. 

Kent State University’s Black Squirrel Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary was one of eight schools to win multiple awards at the Central Atlantic Affiliate of the National Association of College and University Residence Hall regional miniconference.

The conference took place at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa. The Black Squirrel Chapter submitted five bids and won four awards.

“Historically, bidding has been done as a way for schools to showcase what they’re doing well,” says Lindsay Marx, assistant director for residence services at Kent State and Black Squirrel Chapter advisor. “Each school gets one vote, and they can choose to not select your bid.”

The chapter won the following awards: 2014 Student of the Year – Morgan Snyder; 2014 President of the Year – Megan Corder; 2014 Outstanding Chapter of the Year – Black Squirrel Chapter; and 2014  Programming Grant Recipient - Black Squirrel Chapter.

This is the first time the Black Squirrel Chapter has won the Outstanding Chapter of the Year award. Last year, the chapter won the Building Block Chapter of the Year award, which is given to a chapter that has shown the most growth.

“National Residence Hall Honorary on our campus was very small, but it has grown and has been extremely successful in the past year,” says Marx. “We have worked really hard to grow, so I’m very proud. For being relatively new to National Residence Hall Honorary, we have been able to see a lot of goals and visions happen.”

The Black Squirrel Chapter also has won multiple Of the Month (OTM) awards. According to Corder, these awards are “virtual thank you notes,” where you nominate a residence hall community and talk about why they deserve to win that month. Chapters can win on the campus level, regional level and on the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NAACURH) level. Since April of last year, the chapter has won three national OTMs and 17 regional OTMs.

Members of Black Squirrel Chapter will travel to the annual NAACURH conference from May 30 to June 2 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

“When I ran for president of the organization, one of my goals was to make National Residence Hall Honorary fun and prosper,” says Corder. “Knowing all of our hard work has been recognized is overwhelming in a positive way because we usually like to recognize other chapters, but now we have been recognized in our efforts. I’m really proud.”

Last e-Inside Issue for the Spring 2014 Semester

The last e-Inside issue for the Spring 2014 Semester will be published May 5. Copy submissions for this issue should be emailed to einside@kent.edu by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29. e-Inside will resume June 9.