eInside Events

Groundbreaking Scheduled for Kent State’s New Integrated Sciences Building on Oct. 2

The groundbreaking for Kent State University’s new Integrated Sciences Building will be Oct. 2 from 2-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Following the groundbreaking, Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences will host a showcase of science and technology demonstrations, along with refreshments, music and fun, on the Student Green. Kent State President Beverly Warren and James Blank, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State, will speak at the event.

Construction is scheduled to start this fall on the $37.5 million building, which is expected to be complete by July 2017 and open for fall 2017 classes.

The building will house classrooms, instructional labs, research lab space and faculty offices for the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and Physics. It will be adjacent to the Student Green and Williams Hall, and will wrap around and connect to the existing Williams Hall in the Science Mall. The building will be approximately 57,000 gross square feet with an additional 13,500 square feet in an unfinished basement.

This project, approved by the Kent State Board of Trustees in December 2014, is part of a more than $90 million upgrade to multiple existing science buildings, including Cunningham, Smith and Williams halls.

“In addition to the new building, the chemistry teaching laboratories in Williams Hall will be completely remodeled,” states Michael Tubergen, Ph.D., chair of Kent State’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We are eager to provide laboratory instruction in an environment that enhances student learning. The new Integrated Science Building will be a spectacular place for science research and instruction. Its open design will prominently display the impressive work being done in the sciences at Kent State.”

The new building is part of Kent State’s Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future initiative, which involves the construction of new buildings, facility upgrades and establishment of dynamic and new spaces. The goal of this initiative is to create the most outstanding academic experience for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community enriched by the university.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.kent.edu/cas.

For more information about Kent State’s Foundations of Excellence initiative, visit http://foe.kent.edu.

Liquid Crystal Institute to Celebrate 50 Years of Innovation

Glenn H. Brown, Ph.D., (1915-1995)
established the Liquid Crystal Institute,
later named in his honor, on March 18,
1965, and served as its director from
1965-1983.

The Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute® and the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University will host a 50th anniversary celebration on Sept. 25 starting at 10 a.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva on the Kent Campus. The event will kick off a yearlong celebration that will culminate with the International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC) at the Kent Campus on July 31-Aug. 5, 2016.

At the Sept. 25 event, Kent State President Beverly Warren, Ph.D., and James Blank, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will give opening remarks, which will be followed by tributes to former directors Glenn Brown, Ph.D., Bill Doane, Ph.D., John West, Ph.D., and Oleg Lavrentovich, Ph.D. At 11:30 a.m., Kent State alumnus Sung Tae Shin, Ph.D. ’94, physics, professor at Kyung Hee University and retired vice president of Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display Co., will present "Technology Strategy for New Jump in the Display Industry." A lunch buffet and tours of the institute will follow from noon until 2:30 p.m.

Blank will present "The Future of Liquid Crystals" at 2:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. Other afternoon speakers include Achin Bhowmik, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of Perceptual Computing Group, Intel Corporation; Kent State alumnus Cheng Chen, Ph.D. ’06, chemical physics, director, Panel, Process and Optics Engineering at Apple Inc.; Shin; and Noel Clark, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Colorado. Hiroshi Yokoyama, Ph.D., director of the Liquid Crystal Institute, will provide the closing remarks at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required by Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. at www.kent.edu/lci/50.

The 2015-2016 academic year also will mark the first year for the new Master of Science in Liquid Crystal Engineering degree program, a first in the United States.

“Through hands-on experience in liquid crystal device design and fabrication, as well as fundamental studies of the science and technology, this new program will prepare the next generation of corporate engineers in the liquid crystal field,” Yokoyama says.

Students also can pursue a Ph.D. in chemical physics, offered since 1994, and participate in basic and applied research with faculty through graduate assistantships. Many of the students publish in prestigious journals, present their research at international conferences and patent new technologies.

About the Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute

Bill Doane, Ph.D., joined the Kent State Department of
Physics faculty in 1965 and served as director of the
Liquid Crystal Institute from 1983-1996 and first director
of the ALCOM Center from 1991-1996. He co-founded
Kent Displays, Inc. in 1993.

The Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State is world-renowned for liquid crystal technology research, development and education that advance our everyday lives. Founded in 1965 by Glenn H. Brown, it is recognized for the invention of the twisted nematic cell, the heart of liquid crystal display and it continues to lead liquid crystal research and discovery.

Kent State’s Liquid Crystal Institute advances basic research by providing state-of-the-art facilities and research programs focused on liquid crystal science and display development. The institute focuses on research for a range of multidisciplinary topics from biomedical sciences to smart materials for new energy applications. Pivotal contributions include display tablets, optical shutters, variable transmission windows, projection display devices, flexible displays and more.

Institute alumni are employed in both academia and top technology companies across the globe, including Apple, Samsung and LG, and continue to make substantial technological advancements in their respective fields. The institute partners with major corporations and government agencies - ChemImage, Kent Displays, Hewlett Packard, NASA Langley Research Center and more -- to continue the advancement and application of liquid crystal technology.

From 1991 to 2002, a $25 million award from the National Science Foundation for a Science and Technology Center for Advanced Liquid Crystalline Optical Materials (ALCOM) allowed Kent State researchers to partner with polymer scientists at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron. This collaboration catalyzed nearly $60 million in additional basic and applied research funding, which also led to the creation of several new companies, including Kent Displays, AlphaMicron, FITOS, CoAdna Photonics, Hana Microdisplay Technologies and Crystal Diagnostics.

The Liquid Crystal Institute has recently received grant awards from the State of Ohio, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy and NASA, and formed research partnerships with liquid crystal display companies such as LG and BOE.

For more information about Kent State’s Liquid Crystal institute, visit www.kent.edu/lci.

Click here to view a video featuring researchers at Kent State’s Liquid Crystal Institute discussing the institute’s history.

Key Tag Entrepreneur, School of Communication Studies Alumnus to Speak at Kent State

Rick Warther, president and CEO of Vanguard ID Systems
and a Kent State University alumnus, will speak about how
to become an entrepreneur on Friday, Sept. 25, in Taylor
Hall.

Kent State University's College of Communication and Information will host a lecture led by Vanguard ID Systems President and CEO Rick Warther at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, in Room 146, Taylor Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Warther, a 1979 Kent State School of Communication Studies alumnus, will share tips for becoming an entrepreneur and advice about patenting your work during his lecture titled “Become a ‘Solutioneer’ Entrepreneur.”

“As I have met with alumni of the college these past couple of months, the importance of entrepreneurship and knowing how to protect creative work is a topic that comes up a lot,” says Amy Reynolds, Ph.D., dean of Kent State’s College of Communication and Information. “Rick has a wealth of expertise and experience in this area, and I am grateful that he is willing to share his knowledge with Kent State students.”

Warther has patented 20 bar-coded, magnetic-striped and radio-frequency (RFID) transaction devices. He was the first to laser print on plastic, creating the first bar-coded membership identification card, and he invented the first bar-coded key tag. He founded Vanguard ID Systems in 1987 to manufacture transaction cards for customer loyalty, membership, gift and debit programs, and access control.

“Rick is an innovator,” Reynolds says. “His inventions and his company are great examples of the global success our students can achieve with their College of Communication and Information degree. We are excited to welcome him back to campus and learn from his many accomplishments.”

For more information about Kent State’s College of Communication and Information, visit www.kent.edu/cci.

New Forum Series Established to Discuss National and Global Issues

Four Kent State University professors in the College of Arts and Sciences are working together to organize a forum series called Safe Spaces, designed to immerse students in discussions with faculty, staff and the public on important national and global issues.

The first event in the Safe Spaces series, “Are you Entertained Yet? The Politics of Discriminatory Sports Mascots,” will be held on Sept. 24 in the Kent Student Center Kiva on the Kent Campus. It features three speakers: Dave Zirin, a sports journalist who writes about the politics of sports for the Nation Magazine and hosts a weekly show on Sirius XM Radio; Cynthia Connolly, a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and member of the Cleveland Native American Community; and Margie Villafane, a Hunkpapa Dakota and enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota who has been involved in the struggle to eliminate the use of Native Americans as sports mascots since 1992. The event will be moderated by Patrick Gallagher, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies at Kent State. All of the events are free and open to the public.

Kent State’s Joshua Stacher, Ph.D., associate professor, and Julie Mazzei, Ph.D., associate professor, in the Department of Political Science, Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pan-African Studies, and Gallagher set out to design what they describe as a “socially relevant event series” that will both educate and engage students regarding social and political issues at home and abroad.

“First, we want to create a space where difference, diversity of thought and ways of being are welcome so that students know that there are conversations, discussions, research and action occurring at Kent State that include and value their particular historical and current life experiences,” Gooden says. “Second, we want to create a space where faculty, staff, students and community activists with similar social justice research and interest can connect and collaborate.”

Safe Spaces plans to hold at least three events per semester, with the goal of sustaining an on-going conversation on campus and in the surrounding communities.

“We hope that this conversation isn’t something we have once per semester or even once per event, but a discourse that we can consistently engage in our classrooms, our campus and our community, and build upon as we learn and are challenged by each successive event,” Mazzei says.

“What we hope to highlight is the part of Kent State academic culture that recognizes and researches interactive and oppressive social patterns and invite students and the community into an ongoing conversation," Gooden says.

The program organizers envision Safe Spaces as a unique educational experience distinct from, but complementary, to students’ classroom experience.

“This is more than just an intellectual exercise,” Gallagher says. “We want this series to contribute to Kent State faculty and inform our role as leaders on campus and in the region. We want our students to feel like there is a space where their concerns can be heard. “We want students who are searching for answers to questions that so often get drowned out in the 24-hour news-entertainment cycle to find a place where debate and difference of opinion are protected and civil, but also respectful in terms of social change and justice.”

To learn more about the Safe Spaces Forum Series, visit www.kent.edu/cas/safespaces.

Come Sample Campus Cuisine in One Convenient Location

Come get a Taste of Kent State

Students prepare food in the Kent State Dining Services’
Fork in the Road food truck.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Kent State University Dining Services will host its annual Taste of Kent State on the Student Green from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rain location is the second floor of the Kent Student Center. The event allows guests to sample food from the various campus dining locations. A Taste of Kent tradition, a 100-foot food specialty, will be featured again this year. Dining Services will feature a 100 feet of food samples from Kent State’s new eateries, Wow Bao and Wholly Habanero.

Dining locations represented include Quaker Steak & Lube, Auntie Anne’s, Starbucks, Kent Market I, Kent Market II, Rosie’s Diner and Late Night Delivery, Jazzman’s, Eastway Café, Eastway Market & Deli, Prentice Café, Munchies Market, Sushi with Gusto, Kent State’s Fork in the Road food truck and Slice Pizza. Other vendors include PepsiCo, Hershey, Sirna & Sons and General Mills.

“Taste of Kent State is an opportunity for everyone on and near campus to experience the culinary expertise and diversity we offer,” says Richard Roldan, director of Kent State’s Dining Services. “It’s a pleasure to show off our favorite foods.”

Kent State provides more than 4 million meals a semester at more than 20 locations on campus.

For more information about this event, contact Rita Mugford at 330-672-8154 or email dining@kent.edu.

Recording Artist Peter Takács Kicks Off Kent Keyboard Series’ 2015-2016 Season

Peter Takács, recording artist and
professor of piano at Oberlin
Conservatory, will perform on Sept. 27
in Ludwig Recital Hall to open the
2015-2016 season of the Kent Keyboard
Series.

The Kent Keyboard Series will begin its 2015-2016 season of celebrating Ohio’s vastly talented musicians with a performance by Peter Takács, recording artist and professor of piano at Oberlin Conservatory, on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. in Ludwig Recital Hall. Ludwig Recital Hall is located in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus.

Known for his great intellectual insight and emotional expression, Takács opens the season with an all-Beethoven program of three sonatas and Andante favori. With a recently released box set of the complete sonatas of Beethoven on the Cambria label, Takács will present a series of three concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall later in the year, titled The Beethoven Experience.

The New York Times has praised Takács as “a marvelous pianist.” He has performed widely as a soloist with major orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Takács has received numerous prizes and awards for his performances, including first prize in the William Kapell International Competition, the C.D. Jackson Award for Excellence in Chamber Music at the Tanglewood Music Center and a Solo Recitalist Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and Kent State faculty and staff, $10 for groups of 10 or more patrons, $8 for non-Kent State students, free for Kent Campus undergraduate students, and thanks to a donation by Jim Williams, all students 18 and under are able to attend all School of Music ticketed events free of charge.

Tickets are available weekdays, noon to 5 p.m., at the Performing Arts Box Office, located in the lobby of the Roe Green Center in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus. The Performing Arts Box Office accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover, in addition to cash and checks.

The Ludwig Recital Hall Box Office will open one hour prior to the performance for walk-up sales, and will accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Tickets and more information are available by calling 330-672-ARTS (2787) or visiting www.kent.edu/music.

Register for the Fall 2015 Bowman Breakfast

Paul DiCorleto, Ph.D., vice president
for research and sponsored programs
at Kent State University, will speak on the
topic “Growing Kent State Research to
Benefit the University and the Community”
at the fall 2015 Bowman Breakfast on
Oct. 7.

Growing research at Kent State is focus of fall 2015 Bowman Breakfast

The fall 2015 Bowman Breakfast will take place at Kent State University in the Kent Student Center Ballroom on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Doors open at 7 a.m., breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., and the program will follow at 8 a.m.

The featured speaker is Paul DiCorleto, Ph.D., vice president for research and sponsored programs at Kent State. He will speak on the topic “Growing Kent State Research to Benefit the University and the Community.”

The cost to attend is $12 per person, payable by cash or check at the door only. Invoicing is not available for this event. Reservations can be completed online or by contacting Mary Mandalari at 330-672-8664 or mmandala@kent.edu no later than Wednesday, Sept. 30. No shows will be billed. If you find you cannot attend, please contact Mandalari to cancel your reservation by Sept. 30.

DiCorleto joined Kent State in August from the Cleveland Clinic, where he served as Sherwin-Page Chair of the Lerner Research Institute since 2002, and from Case Western Reserve University, where he served as chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine in the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine since 2003.

As a long-serving employee of Cleveland Clinic, DiCorleto had an excellent track record of securing federal funding for his own research and for institutional programs. In 2013, he was awarded more than $10 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the National Center for Advanced Innovations-Cleveland Clinic, one of only three nationally funded centers designed to expedite the commercialization of laboratory innovations, bringing research from the lab bench to the bedside.

He served on numerous Cleveland Clinic committees, including chair of the Lerner Research Institute Leadership Committee, chair of the Research Strategic Council, and as a member of the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, Council of Institute Chairs, Capital Review Committee, Cleveland Clinic Innovations Commercialization Council and Industrial Advisory Board, and the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center Commercialization Advisory Board and Board of Directors.

An award-winning scholar and invited lecturer, DiCorleto has authored or co-authored more than 120 articles, papers and book chapters. His research has focused on the role of the endothelium in maintaining healthy blood vessels and in inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis.

A native of Hartford, Connecticut, DiCorleto earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University. After receiving his doctoral degree, he served as a senior fellow of the American Heart Association of Washington and National Institutes of Health postdoctoral trainee in the University of Washington’s Department of Pathology.

The Bowman Breakfast, a tradition since 1963, is sponsored by Kent State and the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce.

At Kent State Museum Exhibit, Art Adorns the Walls and Your Mobile Device

Pictured is the art "Red Bridge" by Peter C. Johnson, one
of the works on display at the Kent State University
Museum.

The Kent State University Museum presents @Infinitum, a cross-cultural and technologically enhanced art exhibition, now through Jan. 10, 2016. @Infinitum includes work by Kent State faculty members in art, fashion design and visual communication design, representing both Kent and Regional campuses. The museum will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5-7 p.m.

Curated by Kent State School of Art faculty members Koon-Hwee Kan, Ph.D., (art education) and Janice Lessman-Moss (textile arts), @Infinitum displays work by 18 faculty members from across the university. Juxtaposed alongside these are mounted QR (quick response) codes linked to a virtual exhibition of work by 36 Chinese artists on the @Infinitum website (http://atinfinitum.org/). Visitors to the exhibit can scan the codes on their mobile devices to access artist bios, statements and portfolios. In this way, the exhibit uses ubiquitous technology to transpose artworks from halfway around the world, presenting them in dialogue with the Kent State works.

The collaboration between Kent State artists and artists from Sichuan University and Hebei Normal University in China began in 2014, a year marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the United States. An earlier iteration of @Infinitum at Hebei Normal University Museum housed the Chinese artworks while the American ones were accessible via QR code. A third show will open at Sichuan University in March 2016.

The Kent State University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of E. Main Street and S. Lincoln Street in Kent. The museum is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday. Hours are 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m., Thursday; and noon-4:45 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18. The museum is free with a Kent State ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.

Eight to Be Inducted Into Varsity "K" Hall of Fame

The Kent State University Department of Intercollegiate
Athletics will induct eight new members into its Varsity "K"
Hall of Fame during the 37th induction ceremony on
Sept. 26.

The Kent State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced its 2015 Varsity "K" Hall of Fame class consisting of eight new members who will be introduced as part of the 37th induction ceremony on Sept. 26.

Joining the Kent State Varsity "K" Athletics Hall of Fame are Jess Bechard (baseball, 1997-2000), Julian Edelman (football, 2006-08), Kim Hamilton (women's track and field/softball, 2005-09), Kira Meixner (women's golf, 2004-08), Jermail Porter (wrestling, 2005-09), Brittney Robinson (softball, 2004-07), Nick Saban (football, 1970-72) and Tom Varner (men's gymnastics, 1983-85). The 1954 football team and 1954 men's golf team will both receive a Team of Distinction honor. Jim Phelan will be recognized as a Distinguished Athletic Alumnus. Colin MacLean will be the 2015 Varsity "K" Person of the Year, and Dennis and Sally Missimi will be this year's Honorary Varsity "K" members.

Bechard earned All-MAC First Team honors in both 1998 and 1999 and helped the Golden Flashes to a MAC regular season championship in 2000. He was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Mideast Region Second Team in 1998 and 1999. Bechard finished his career as Kent State's all-time leader in hits, runs scored, runs batted in and total bases. He is still the Golden Flashes' career leader in doubles.

Edelman was a three-year starting quarterback at Kent State and a captain on the 2008 team. He still holds Kent State’s single-season record for total yards (3,190) and is among the Golden Flashes' career leaders in both passing yards (4,997) and rushing yards (2,483). The New England Patriots chose Edelman in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Over the last two seasons, Edelman has caught 197 passes for the Patriots, helping New England to a Super Bowl XLIX victory this past February.

Hamilton was a two-sport standout in softball and track and field. In softball, she was named to the All-MAC First Team in 2006 and 2007. Hamilton was a part of MAC tournament title teams in 2006 and 2008, which included an appearance in the NCAA Regional finals. She is Kent State's career leader in runs scored and is among career leaders in home runs and stolen bases. She then went on to become a MAC Champion in javelin and an All-American after placing fifth in NCAA Track and Field Championships. Still competing today, she finished third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Meixner was a key member of four MAC Championship-winning teams (2005-08), earning MAC Golfer of the Year honors in 2008. The Medalist at the 2007 MAC Championships, she was a three-time member of the MAC All-Tournament Team and was a four-time Golf Coaches Association of America All-American Scholar. Meixner earned second-team Academic All-District honors in 2008. She is third in career tournament wins at Kent State (4) and had 13 Top-10 finishes.

Porter became Kent State's first All-American in 23 years, placing sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2009. He also was a MAC champion and MAC Wrestler of the Year in 2009, helping the Golden Flashes to a conference regular season title. Porter was named MAC Freshman of the Year in 2006 and earned a spot on the Amateur News Freshman All-America Team. He was a four-time MAC finalist and a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Porter ranks in Kent State's Top 10 for career wins and pins.

Robinson helped the Kent State softball team to three MAC East Championships, a MAC regular season title and a MAC tournament crown as both a pitcher and key hitter in the lineup. A two-time All-MAC First Team selection, she was named MAC Pitcher of the Year and MAC Tournament MVP in 2006. Robinson holds both the Kent State and MAC records for most strikeouts in a season (423). She also holds the Kent State record for wins in a season with 31. After her college career, Robinson competed for the Akron Racers.

Saban was a member of the 1972 MAC champion football team as a safety. He earned three letters in football (1970-72) and one in baseball (1972). Saban was a graduate assistant coach and defensive assistant for the Golden Flashes from 1973-76. In his first head coaching job at Toledo, Saban led the Rockets to a MAC championship in 1990. He went on to coach Michigan State, LSU, Alabama and the Miami Dolphins. As a head coach, Saban has won four national championships and two AP National Coach of the Year honors.

Varner was a three-time Great Lakes League champion in 1984 in the pommel horse, rings and the all-around. He was a three-time letter winner and captain on the 1985 team. Varner was the team's most valuable gymnast in 1984 and 1985, helping the Golden Flashes to a pair of Great Lakes team titles.

The 1954 football team will receive a Team of Distinction award. Coached by Trevor Rees, the Golden Flashes went 8-1 during the regular season and played in the program's first bowl game (Refrigerator Bowl). The 1954 men's golf team will also be getting the Team of Distinction award after becoming the Golden Flashes' first team to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Longtime residents of Kent, Ohio, and supporters of Kent State athletics, Dennis and Sally Missimi are this year's Honorary Varsity "K" members. Dennis is a major with the Portage County Sherriff's Office, and Sally has worked as a community benefit director for Summa Health System. Sally has three degrees from Kent State, including a Ph.D. in 2007. Dennis and Sally are Kent State football and basketball season ticket holders and rarely miss an opportunity to see the Golden Flashes in action. Their loyalty and generosity to Kent State has made a significant impact in the lives of many student-athletes.

Phelan, who passed away earlier this year, will be honored with a Distinguished Alumnus award. Phelan was a 1965 graduate of Kent State and three-year letter winner on the football team. Phelan was a long-standing member of the National Athletic Development Council and the Varsity "K" Club. He gave the lead gift for the "K" locker room renovations in 2007. In 2013, he was given the Champion of Life award by the GoDaddy Bowl.

MacLean is a 1990 graduate of Kent State, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education. While earning his undergraduate degree, MacLean was also a manager for the Kent State football team. MacLean currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where he works as a graphic designer for Turner Broadcasting System Inc. MacLean is a loyal and generous supporter of Kent State Athletics and spends a majority of his time traveling across the country to see the Golden Flashes.

This year's group of eight inductees brings the membership of the Varsity "K" Athletics Hall of Fame to 299 since the original 13-member charter class of 1979. The Sept. 26 induction ceremony will be held in the Kent Student Center at 10 a.m. The 2015 class and honorees will be introduced at halftime of Kent State's football game against Marshall.

For more information about Kent State's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, visit www.kentstatesports.com.