eInside Events

Former Apollo Flight Controller Sy Liebergot to Visit Kent State on Oct. 4

As the lead flight controller for all the Apollo space missions, Sy Liebergot was a key player in the U.S. space program. Liebergot was a lead troubleshooter in the Apollo 13 crisis and played a prominent role in bringing the crew back to Earth safely.

On Monday, Oct. 4, Kent State University will host three public events with Liebergot. He will offer insight into decision making in the U.S. space program, discuss his role in the aborted Apollo 13 moon mission and sign copies of his autobiography "Apollo EECOM: Journey of a Lifetime."

Liebergot was the lead electrical, environmental and consumables manager (EECOM) flight controller throughout all Apollo manned missions and worked on all of the Skylab program missions. When an oxygen tank explosion caused severe damage to the Apollo 13 spacecraft, Liebergot was a member of the team that helped save the lives of the three-person crew.

On the international front, Liebergot was the lead EECOM for the American-Russian Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. He contributed his experience to early shuttle missions and to the space station design. As a senior project engineer, Liebergot directed the design and fabrication of the astronaut neutral buoyancy trainers for the International Space Station.

Liebergot has contributed to several projects involving Apollo 13, including the Apollo 13 movie directed by Ron Howard and the multimedia CD-ROM Apollo 13, A Race Against Time. He appeared in the acclaimed PBS documentary Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back and on the History Channel, the National Geographic Science Channel and the Discovery Channel.

For his role on the Apollo 13 operations team, Liebergot was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also has received the NASA Commendation Award for his leadership role in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project international space mission. He remains an active booster and international public speaker of NASA's space accomplishments and the importance of a good education.

Details of Liebergot's Kent State appearances on Oct. 4:

Ethics in Engineering

2:15 - 3:30 p.m., Room 115 of Van Deusen Hall

Liebergot will examine how ethical decision making (or the lack thereof) played a role in the three tragedies of the U.S. space program. Drawing on his experience as an Apollo mission flight controller, Liebergot will provide some insight into the heart-wrenching decisions engineers may face.

Apollo 13: The Longest Hour

7 - 8:30 p.m., Kent Student Center Kiva

Liebergot will speak about what it was like to be a flight controller in Mission Control when a massive failure occurred during the Apollo 13 mission. He will relate the details of this life-threatening situation as they really happened.

Reception and Book Signing

8:30 - 10 p.m., Room 204 of the Kent Student Center

Copies of Liebergot's book, Apollo EECOM: Journey of a Lifetime, will be available for purchase.

All of the events are free and open to the public. The events are sponsored by Kent State's College of Arts and Sciences and the Departments of Chemistry, English, Geology, History, Philosophy and Physics.

For more information, contact David Odell-Scott at dodellsc@kent.edu or 330-672-2315.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Kent State University at Stark to Host Financial Expert Liz Pulliam Weston

Kent State University at Stark will host finance columnist Liz Pulliam Weston, as the season's second event in the popular Featured Speakers Series.She will presentKeep it Stupidly Simple: Why Money isn't Rocket Science on Monday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m., in the Timken Great Hall, located in The University Center at Kent State Stark.

Tickets are required for this free Featured Speakers Series lecture. Tickets may be obtained by visiting the Kent State Stark information desk in Main Hall beginning Monday, Oct. 4, at 8 a.m., while supplies last. A limit of four tickets will be distributed per person. Phone reservations will not be accepted.

Weston, the Internet's most-read personal finance columnist and award-winning, nationally syndicated finance expert, makes the most complex money topics understandable to the average reader. She regularly writes an online column for MSN Money and authors the question-and-answer column Money Talk, which appears in newspapers throughout the country. Weston is the author of the best-selling book Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Protect and Improve the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future. She appears regularly on numerous television and radio programs, including NPR's Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered, American Public Media's Marketplace Money and The Today Show.

For more information on Kent State Stark's Featured Speakers Series, contact Cynthia Williams at 330-244-3262 or cdwillia@kent.edu or visit www.stark.kent.edu/about/events/featuredspeakers/index.cfm.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Special Celebration to Honor Women Athletes to be Held During Homecoming Weekend

Since 1910, athletics at Kent State University has been a model of excellence and an integral part of campus life. In the early years, Kent State women participated in campus intramural and recreational activities such as indoor baseball, badminton, field hockey, horseshoes, archery, volleyball, synchronized swimming, bowling and handball. It wasn't until after the passage of federal Title IX legislation in 1972 that official women's varsity programs were recognized for basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball on campus. It is this historic foundation upon which the current women's Intercollegiate Athletics program at Kent State University has been built.

As part of the university's Centennial Celebration, Kent State University Intercollegiate Athletics will host a celebration honoring the rich athletic history of its women's sports and publicly recognizing the pre-Title IX Golden Flashes female athletes as letterwinners during the 2010 Homecoming Weekend.

For more information about the special celebration, including a list of attendees, visit the Kent State Intercollegiate Athletics website.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Mobile Mammography Comes to Kent Campus Oct. 6 and 7

Every woman is at risk for developing breast cancer and the best way to diagnose breast disease is to have a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends that women over the age of 40 have a mammogram once a year. The Women's Center will offer screening mammograms to qualified Kent State employees and their spouses and has contracted with Tiffany Breast Care Center of Youngstown to provide the screenings.

Mammograms take approximately 12 minutes and will be conveniently provided in Tiffany Breast Care's mobile mammography unit. The van will be located on the Kent Campus in front of the Women's Center.

Mammograms will be available on both Wednesday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 7. Registration is required. Each participant's health insurance will be billed or participants may self-pay.

For additional information or to register, call the Women/s Center at 330-672-9230 or toll-free at 1-866-339-3699.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Discount Tickets to Browns Game on Oct. 10 Available Through Special Offer

Kent State's Benefits Division is proud to partner with the Cleveland Browns to bring you this exclusive discount ticket opportunity. For a limited time, you can purchase tickets to this coming weekend's Browns game for as low as $25 per ticket - that's a savings of up to $10! Share in the excitement of Cleveland Browns football - feel free to extend this offer to your friends and family. To purchase tickets, go to https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/group_corp_start.htmI?l=EN&team=browns&owner=3516369&group=807&err=&event=&customerID= and enter CRIBBS2010 as the Promo Code.

We'll see you at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. as the Browns battle the Atlanta Falcons.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Celebrating College Teaching Conference Highlights International Education

The 17th annual Celebrating College Teaching conference has announced this year's speakers. The lineup includes Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education for International and Foreign Language Education Andre Lewis; Professor Emeritus of Exercise, Leisure and Sport Robert E. Stadulis; and Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of Kent State University at Ashtabula Susan J. Stocker.

The conference kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 28, when Lewis presents the keynote address and Read Distinguished Lecture titled "The Role of the U.S. Department of Education in Internationalizing the American Campus." Lewis will speak at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva.

On Friday, Oct. 29, the conference continues at 8:30 a.m. with the Provost's continental breakfast, followed by referred round-tables, thematic breakout sessions, invited round-tables, the President's luncheon and Glenn W. Frank Lecture, the Distinguished Teaching Awards and Outstanding Teaching Awards, poster sessions and displays. At 2:30 p.m., the dessert reception honors all recipients of teaching awards and celebrates teaching excellence at Kent State.

Featured participants include Stadulis, who will host the emeritus roundtable titled "Motivating Today's Students: What Works, What Doesn't" andStocker, who will present the Glenn W. Frank Lecture titled "Reflections on Teaching: An Anthology."

Celebrating College Teaching is free and open to the public. However, registration is required for the breakfast and luncheon. Visit the link to register.

For more information about the conference, contact conference chair professor Kim Peer at 330-672-0231 or kpeer@kent.edu .

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Recognizing and Responding to Unusual, Disruptive, or Threatening Behavior Training Available

The Department of Public Safety is conducting workshops on Recognizing and Responding to Unusual, Disruptive or Threatening Behavior. This two-hour workshop was originally developed for Kent State faculty by Officer Jeff Futo and Lieutenant Monica Moll in 2008 following the shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. Lt. Moll, a doctoral candidate at Kent State, has tapped her years of experience as a hostage negotiator with the Metro S.W.A.T. Team and member of the Portage County Crisis Intervention Team to help prepare faculty and staff to deal effectively and safely with difficult persons. Lt. Moll and her trained team of Kent State police officers will facilitate the training.

All faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to attend one of the sessions.

Training Dates and Times:

October: 5 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

13 9 - 11 a.m.

19 10 a.m. - noon

November: 4 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

8 9 - 11 a.m.

17 9 - 11 a.m.

30 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

December: 1 10 a.m. - noon

8 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

To learn more about Recognizing and Responding to Unusual, Disruptive or Threatening Behavior, go to http://www.kent.edu/hr/register

For additional information contact Dan Fitzpatrick, associate director of public safety, at 330-672-3111 or dpfitzpa@kent.edu

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Kent Reads, Kent Writes, Kent State! Read-Aloud Series Begins Oct. 7

Kent Reads, Kent Writes, Kent State! is a read-aloud series presented by University Libraries. The Kent Reads, Kent Writes series features engaging and thoughtful Kent State University faculty, administrators, alumni and current students reading aloud from meaningful works of literature, poetry, original creative writings and non-fiction.

Professor Mwatabu S. Okantah will kick off the read aloud series on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 3-4 p.m. in the main library. The Kent Reads, Kent Writes series is a free event and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

Okantah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and African Studies from Kent State and a Master of Arts in creative writing from the City College of New York. Currently, he is an assistant professor and Poet in Residence in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State. A former director of the Center of Pan-African Culture, Okantah has appeared as performance poet and motivational speaker in various locations throughout the United States and West Africa.

For more information about Okantah, visit his website.

For more information about the Kent Reads, Kent Writes, Kent State! series, or to learn how to get involved, please visit: http://libguides.library.kent.edu/kentreads .

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Action Reads Program Aimed at Faculty and Staff Learning and Development

The Faculty Professional Development Center recently reprised the popular Action Reads program. Action Reads is a book club that focuses on small groups of faculty and staff that come together to read, discuss and put into action the theme of a book over a three- to four-week period.

The group is currently discussing Teaching with Your Mouth Shut by Don Finkle, a book about alternative teaching methods. That discussion concludes Oct. 6; on that same date, Teaching With Classroom Response Systems begins.

Jeffrey Pellegrino, the assistant director of the Faculty Professional Development Center, says, "Faculty and graduate students need inspiration, support and practice to become better, just like everyone else. Action Reads offers each of those through an invitation of mutual benefit. People voluntarily come together to grow with each other in a short-term learning community. Part of our goal is then helping them take further action by bringing the experience to their colleagues or participating in future Faculty Professional Development Center events."

For more information, visit the Faculty Professional Development Center website at http://fpdc.kent.edu or the Action Reads website.

By Erin Dwinnells

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Hardwiring Student Success and Advising is Topic of Oct. 12 Event

The Kent Academic Support and Advising Association announces that registration is now open for its fall event, Hardwiring Student Success and Advising. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12, in the Kent Student Center Governance Chambers.

In a time of decreasing state funding for higher education and an increase in first-generation and non-traditional students, universities across the country are examining methods for increasing student retention. Hardwiring Student Success and Advising is a group of presentations profiling best practices in elevating student success initiatives. This series is designed to help university personnel and faculty systematically identify and rapidly intervene with students exhibiting behaviors predictive of attrition or graduation delays. Sessions will focus on efforts that have proven to enhance students' academic achievements at other institutions.

The event is free to all association members. The cost for non-members is $15 per person, which includes a Kent Academic Support and Advising Association membership.

For more information on the event, including registration, visit the following website: www.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0055-0003-F00585EF3F8748668E43C9C4878ACB0C

Deadline for registration is Oct. 5.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Get Screened at National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 7

Not sure if it's just sadness or a true medical condition? Come to National Depression Screening Day on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to be screened for the telltale signs of depression. The event is being held on the second floor mezzanine of the Kent Student Center, and is open to all students, faculty and staff, as well as the larger Kent community.

As part of the free screening, participants have the opportunity to complete a questionnaire which screens for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and to talk to a clinician in the mental health field to review their results and discuss any concerns. If necessary, appropriate referrals can be made, and participants can also pick up information on depression and other mental health issues for themselves or for someone they may be concerned about.

The event is co-sponsored by Psychological Services, University Health Services, Active Minds @ Kent State University and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. In order to promote this important outreach effort and to encourage student participation, students who attend the event will have the chance to win one of two $250 scholarships provided by Coca-Cola. Food and other giveaways will also be available. All are invited to participate.

For more information, contact Psychological Services at 330-672-2487 or Dr. John Schell at jschell@kent.edu. Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Three Poets to Share Experiences That Inspired Their Writing at Wick Poetry Event Oct. 6 and 7

On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Wick Poetry Center will host poets Naomi Shihab Nye and Joanna Solfrian at 8 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva.

Nye is the author and editor of more than 25 volumes, most of which draw on her Palestinian-American heritage. She has been a Lannan Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow and a Witter Bynner Fellow. Solfrian, the winner of the 2009 Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize for her book Visible Heavens, lives in Connecticut. She has had her work appear in Margie, Spoon River Poetry Review and numerous other publications.

The poets will continue their discussion on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. Author Chana Bloch will join Nye in the Wick Poetry Corner on the second floor of the University Library where they will meet for a conversation through poetry between Israel and Palestine.

Block, who has written four books of poetry, has also translated numerous other books of contemporary Israeli poetry. She has received numerous awards for her work, including two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in poetry and translation.

Also on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m., Block and Nye will read in the Kiva.

For more information, contact the Wick Poetry Center at http://dept.kent.edu/wick.

By Erin Dwinnells

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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College of Architecture and Environmental Design Hosts Sustainability Expert William McDonough

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design will host guest lecturer William McDonough, world- renowned designer and sustainability expert. The lecture will be held in the University Auditorium in Cartwright Hall, beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12. It is free and open to the public, and no RSVP is required.

McDonough and German chemist Dr. Michael Braungart co-authored Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, one of most influential and widely read books of the American sustainability movement that has been translated into 10 languages. Time magazine recognized him in 1999 as a "Hero for the Planet," stating that, "his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that - in demonstrable and practical ways - is changing the design of the world." Time again recognized McDonough and Michael Braungart as "Heroes of the Environment" in October 2007. In 1996, McDonough received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development.

McDonough is founding partner in William McDonough + Partners, an architecture and community design firm with offices in Charlottesville, Va.; San Francisco and Amsterdam. The firm has designed landmark projects in the U.S. and beyond, such as the 901 Cherry office building for the Gap, Inc. (now home to Google's YouTube) and the NASA Sustainability Base, which is now under construction.

For more information on William McDonough, please visit www.mcdonough.com. For additional information about the lecture, contact Sarah Crombie at scrombie@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Student Accessibility Services Brings disAbility Awareness Month to Kent State in October

October marks the fourth annual disAbility Awareness Month celebration at Kent State University. The word disability is intentionally spelled with a lowercase letter 'd' and a capital letter 'A' to emphasize ability.

Student Accessibility Services, along with numerous co-sponsors, will host events on campus to promote disability awareness. "We're lucky enough to have so many members within the Kent State communitythat you really get a lot of exposure to people with all different types of abilities," Julie Ann DiBiasio, accessibility coordinator for Student Accessibility Services said. "I think disAbility Awareness Month is important to be celebrated at Kent State because of the positive effect it can have on the university community."

Please join Student Accessibility Services in our effort to increase campus awareness about issues related to disabilities. All events are free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you at this year's events!

Guest Speaker Travis Roy

The university community is invited to hear the inspiring story of Travis Roy, who became a quadriplegic during his first collegiate ice hockey game. He will speak at the Kent Student Center Ballroom Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. Roy will take his audience on his emotional journey and will inspire people to get the most out of life. This event is also free to the public and is sponsored by Kent State University Undergraduate Student Government, Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Panhellenic Council.

Tech for Success

On Oct. 6, the Tech for Success technology demonstration will take place in the DeWeese Health Center, Room 11, promptly at 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The free event will feature assistive technologies that can greatly enhance the learning experience by allowing the user to "choose" how information is received.

Dogs on Campus

Every Wednesday in October, Dogs on Campus, a pet therapy program developed by Kent State University Professor of Nursing Kathy Adamle, will allow students to relieve stress by interacting with Adamle's team of certified therapy dogs. This event will take place in the Kent Student Center Lobby from noon-1 p.m. "People don't have to be ill or have been in a disaster to enjoy pet therapy," Adamle says.

Actor Anita Hollander

The final event of disAbility Awareness Month will be a performance by Anita Hollander, an actor who lost her leg to cancer in 1977. Hollander has since gone on to have a successful career in New York and regional theatre. She created and now performs her one- woman show titled Still Standing. The musical is Hollander's survival guide for life's catastrophes and offers her "tools for survival." The free event will take place Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Kiva. It is sponsored by Kent State University Undergraduate Student Government and Active Minds at Kent State University.

By Allison Brookes

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Local Citizens Join International Rally to Halt Climate Change on 10/10/10

TransPortage, a group of Portage County residents working to build a region that is resilient to the challenges of peak oil and climate change, is organizing a day of earth-friendly transportation on Oct. 10, 2010. This "CarBan" (carbon reduction) event aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by encouraging local residents to use natural/climate-conscious modes of transportation such as walking, biking or ride-shares. This symbolic action will unite local residents with thousands of people across the country and from more than 135 countries around the globe who will be participating in similar actions on 10/10/10 to rally for a halt to global climate change.

The international event is called the Global Work Party and is headed up by 1010global.org and 350.org. The 1010global campaign aims to cut CO2 emissions by 10 percent per year. For this event 1010global is teaming up with 350.org, an environmental campaign founded by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, dedicated to finding solutions to the climate crisis. The name 350.org comes from a target concentration of 350 ppm (parts per million) of CO2 in the atmosphere to prevent global warming from causing dangerous levels of warming and long-term damage.

This year, the campaign's emphasis is on performing actions that force people to get their hands
dirty and address climate change on a practical as well as symbolic level. That's why members
of TransPortage are putting their hands to the handlebars and their feet to the pavement to
demonstrate the impact and the potential that reducing carbon emissions for just one day can have.

Thousands of pounds less carbon dioxide will be emitted if Kent and Ravenna residents choose not to drive for just one day.

The group, taking advantage of the fact that 10/10 is a Sunday, is asking local churches to encourage their congregations to find alternative transportation to Sunday services. The day will also include a group of cyclists taking to the streets of Kent. In order to make a strong visual impact, TransPortage is having participating riders meet at the Home Savings Plaza in downtown Kent at 1 p.m. for a group photo. From there they will embark on a group ride that will include a child-friendly route and a longer route for enthusiastic riders. TransPortage is also enlisting the help of local members of the national group Critical Mass, an organization of cyclists who periodically gather for bike rides through the streets in order to raise awareness about biker safety and culture. Also in the works is a friendly competition between Kent and Ravenna to see which municipality can bring out the most cyclists that day. TransPortage has set a goal of bringing out 1,000 (10 x 10 x 10) cyclists on 10/10/10.

If you are interested in participating in the group bike ride on Oct. 10 and have questions, or are interested in joining/volunteering with TransPortage, please call 330-677-4129 or contact Chris Carman at chriscarman@gmail.com

Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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Preparations Underway for Grand Opening of the New Roe Green Center

Kent State University's School of Theatre and Dance is preparing for the official grand opening of the new Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, at 6 p.m. Cost to attend is $25 per person, and the event is open to the public.The evening includes refreshments, tours, demonstrations and a production of Brigadoon at 8 pm.To reserve a space, please call 330-672-2497.

Two years in the making, the new center features newly constructed areas, as well as remodeled spaces.The new construction includes the striking new glass lobby entrance for the Music and Speech Building; a 13,000 square-foot black box theatre which seats up to 200 people and will be used for both performance and classroom space.The three new dance studios have sprung wood floors covered with marley dance surface, mirrors, fully-equipped sound systems and pianos for class accompaniment.

Renovated spaces include a lighting laboratory, a props and crafts lab, workshops and classrooms, a recording studio, a costume shop, performance support space and a welding lab. The total project incorporated 73,500 square feet at a cost of $13 million.

The project was initiated in 2005 when local philanthropist, arts patron and alumna Ms. Roe Green toured the School of Theatre and Dance and commented on how the school had outgrown its space.Soon after, the Roe Green Foundation pledged $6.5 million to meet the school's needs."Roe's generosity will greatly benefit each and every one of our students for years to come and for that, we will forever be grateful," says Dr. John R. Crawford, dean of the College of the Arts. Green's is the largest single capital gift in the university's 100-year history. The newly transformed building was designed by Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, a New York City firm that specializes in the design of theaters for the performing arts.

"Now, theatre and dance can be found under one roof for the first time since the areas merged in 1994, says

Cynthia Stillings, director, School of Theatre and Dance. "We are thrilled to have everyone in the same building and we're excited by the creative possibilities for collaborations by theatre, dance and music students."

"The architects designed a fantastic addition that provides a dynamic transforming of the building," says Michael Bruder, director of design and construction in the Office of the University Architect."The design of the new lobby and black box theatre not only improve the student learning opportunities and patron experience, the architecture reflects the caliber and creativity of the works being prepared and performed by our theatre and dance students and faculty."

The grand opening event will highlight the new spaces and will include tours of the spaces as students perform various theatrical, vocal and dance demonstrations. To order tickets, please call 330-672-2497.These tickets will not be available online.The box office is open on weekdays from noon to 5 pm. For more information, visit www.theatre.kent.edu.
Posted Oct. 4, 2010

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