News and Events

2013 2nd Quarter News Releases

University Statement Regarding Kent State Student Joseph J. (“JJ”) Marino The Kent State community is sad to learn of the passing of Joseph J. ( "JJ") Marino, one of our students, following a car accident in Alabama.
- Posted Apr. 1, 2013
Kent State Announces Winning Architecture Team for University’s New, $40 Million Architecture Building After holding a competition that drew the interest of internationally recognized architects, the architecture team that will design the new $40 million building for Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design has been determined.
- Posted Apr. 2, 2013
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins Visits Kent State University Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins visits Kent State University on Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom as part of the Wick Poetry Center’s annual U.S. Poet Laureate Reading in celebration of National Poetry Month. The reading is free and open to the public.
- Posted Apr. 3, 2013
Two Kent State Students Receive National Design Awards Two Kent State University lighting design students placed first and third place in a national lighting design competition at the 64th Annual Southeastern Theatre Conference in Louisville, Ky.
- Posted Apr. 3, 2013
MEDIA ADVISORY: Kent State Presidential Speaker Series Presents An Evening With Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize winner and Boston University Professor Elie Wiesel will speak at the second Kent State University Presidential Speaker Series on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center) on the Kent Campus. Media are welcome to cover the event.
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013
Kent State Presents the 27th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on April 19 Kent State University will host the 27th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on Friday, April 19, at the Hilton West in Fairlawn, Ohio. The theme for the conference, presented by Kent State’s Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC), is “Employee Ownership: Building Jobs, Wealth & Communities.”
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013
Limited Number of Elie Wiesel Tickets Available for April 11 Event at Kent State A limited number of $50 tickets for Nobel Peace Prize winner and Boston University Professor Elie Wiesel’s appearance at Kent State University has been released and is available for purchase. Wiesel will speak at the second Kent State University Presidential Speaker Series on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center on the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 4, 2013
Kent State Holds Third Annual Hablemos (Let’s Talk) Conference on April 19 Kent State University organizations the Latino Networking Caucus (LNC) and the Spanish and Latino Student Association (SALSA) proudly invite the community to the third annual Hablemos (Let’s Talk) Conference in the Kent Student Center on April 19. Registration and check-in for the conference begins at 9:30 a.m
- Posted Apr. 5, 2013
Kent State’s Fashion School Spring Fashion Show Highlights Cream of the Crop Design Students, April 27 Kent State University’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 2013 Fashion School Fashion Show, “FS2” on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Building on 1325 Theatre Drive at the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 9, 2013
Kent State University Maintains Prestigious AACSB Accounting Accreditation Kent State University has maintained its accounting accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.
- Posted Apr. 9, 2013
Kent State Hosts Its Second Annual Organic Photovoltaics Symposium on April 17 Kent State University hosts its second annual Symposium on Advances in Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) on April 17 from 9 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Moulton Hall Ballroom on the Kent Campus. The symposium is a platform for discussions of OPV research, opportunities and development.
- Posted Apr. 10, 2013
Owners of Successful Snack Dip Business to Speak at Kent State’s Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series David and Nique Mealey, owners of Back 9 Dips, will present their entrepreneurial success story at the Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series on Tuesday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. The event is free and open to the public.
- Posted Apr. 11, 2013
Kent State Senior Selected to Serve on Steering Committee for National Campus Leadership Council Evan Gildenblatt, a Kent State University senior from Cincinnati majoring in applied conflict management and executive director of Kent State’s Undergraduate Student Government, was selected to serve on the 2013 Steering Committee for the National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC).
- Posted Apr. 15, 2013
Kent State and the City of Kent Honored with Inaugural Award for Town-Gown Collaboration Kent State University and the City of Kent have been selected as the winners of the Larry Abernathy Award from the International Town-Gown Association (ITGA). The award honors the town-gown relationship that best represents the spirit of ITGA.
- Posted Apr. 16, 2013
Kent State President Announces Retirement Plans Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton announced today he will retire from the presidency of Ohio’s second largest public university, effective July 1, 2014. He has served as Kent State’s chief executive officer since July 1, 2006.
- Posted Apr. 17, 2013
Kent State’s Special Education Program Receives $1.3 Million Grant, Seeks Applicants Kent State University’s Special Education program seeks applicants for its Early Intervention in Natural Environments Specialization Training through Distance Learning program to prepare individuals at the graduate level to work with infants and toddlers who have identified disabilities or delays and their families.
- Posted Apr. 17, 2013
Kent State Hosts 39th Annual Meonske Accounting Conference, April 25-26 The Ohio Council of the Institute of Management Accountants will host its 39th annual Meonske Accounting Professional Development Conference and Workshop on April 25-26 at Kent State University.
- Posted Apr. 19, 2013
Kent State Hosts its Inaugural Neuroscience Symposium on April 29 Kent State University hosts its inaugural Neuroscience Symposium “The Neuroscience of Mental Health” on April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva on the Kent Campus.
- Posted Apr. 22, 2013
Kent State’s Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies Awarded $400,000 in Grants Kent State University professors Brian Baer, Ph.D., and Theresa Minick, from the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, have been awarded nearly $400,000 in grants to fund the 2013 Foreign Language Student Academy and the Teacher Leadership Academy at the university.
- Posted Apr. 24, 2013
Kent State University Holds Third Annual Alumni College The Kent State University Alumni Association will host the third annual Alumni College. The event offers Kent State graduates and friends an opportunity to reconnect with each other and the university. The 2013 Alumni College will focus on topics from the university’s College of Arts and Sciences with renowned faculty members, as well as former NASA astronaut and Kent State graduate Carl Walz.
- Posted Apr. 25, 2013
Kent State Students Earn Enterprise Architect Certification in the School of Digital Sciences Through a unique arrangement between Kent State University and the Enterprise Architecture Center Of Excellence (EACOE), undergraduate students can now earn certification as Enterprise Architects. The first group of students earned the enterprise architect certification in December 2012.
Enterprise architecture is a professional area of practice that assists enterprises in designing solutions to achieve their current and future business objectives.
- Posted Apr. 26, 2013
Groundbreaking for Kent State’s Field House Locker Room Project Takes Place May 3 The groundbreaking for Kent State University’s Field House Locker Room project will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 3, at the Kent State Field House located at 2227 Summit St. in Kent, Ohio.
- Posted Apr. 26, 2013
Kent State Announces Events for 43rd Annual Commemoration of May 4 Kent State University will hold its 43rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events taking place from May 2-5. The annual commemoration provides an avenue for the university community to come together to remember those lost and injured during the tragedy and also to reflect on the meaning of May 4 for today.
- Posted Apr. 29, 2013
Kent State’s College of Public Health Food Drive Results in More Than 3,500 Donations Kent State University’s College of Public Health completed its second annual food drive to benefit the Kent Social Services’ food pantry (The Lord’s Pantry) with more than 3,500 donations.
- Posted May. 1, 2013
Kent State Program Makes Paid Internships Available to Freshman and Sophomore Math or Science Majors The Kent State University Robert Noyce Summer Internship Program is available to freshman and sophomore math or science majors. Noyce interns will be paid $450 per week for four weeks in June-July 2013 depending on students’ schedule and site.
- Posted May. 2, 2013
Kent State's School of Journalism and Mass Communication to Host Second Kent Multimedia Workshop, June 6-8 Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication will host its second Kent Multimedia Workshop – a three-day, hands-on video and photography multimedia storytelling workshop – June 6-8 in Franklin Hall on the Kent Campus.
- Posted May. 3, 2013
Spring Commencement Ceremonies for Kent State Occur May 10 & 11 Spring 2013 commencement ceremonies for Kent State University are scheduled for Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11. All of the Kent Campus commencement ceremonies take place at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).
- Posted May. 6, 2013
Kent State College of Education, Health and Human Services Seeks Hall of Fame Applications for 2013 Kent State University’s College of Education, Health and Human Services seeks applications for its fourth annual Hall of Fame Award Ceremony. Applicants must be alumni of the college who have committed their lives to serving others to make the world a better place.
- Posted May. 7, 2013
Kent State Fashion Design Students to Show Collections in New York Fashion Week Two Kent State University Fashion School students will compete in the Supima Design Competition, a fashion design contest that culminates in a New York Fashion Week runway show at Lincoln Center with a $10,000 grand prize.
- Posted May. 8, 2013
ADVISORY: Kent State University Board of Trustees Meeting, May 14 The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold its next regular business meeting Tuesday, May 14. The Board will convene at 2 p.m. in the George Urban Board of Trustees Conference Room, which is located on the second floor of the Kent Campus Library.
- Posted May. 9, 2013
Kent State School of Art's Downtown Gallery Presents "Capture: Photographs by Drew Smith" The Kent State University School of Art’s Downtown Gallery will present “Capture: Photographs by Drew Smith” from May 22 through June 15. The Downtown Gallery is located at 141 E. Main Street in Kent, Ohio. The gallery will host an opening reception on Thursday, May 23, from 5-7 p.m. The opening reception is free and open to the public.
- Posted May. 9, 2013
Long-Serving Faculty Member Yoost Awarded for Work with Kent State Honors Students Kent State University College of Nursing faculty member Barbara L. Yoost, MSN, RN, CNS, CNE, ANEF, received the Distinguished Honors Faculty Award for 2013 for her work with nursing honors students.
- Posted May. 13, 2013
Trustee and Alumnus Richard Marsh to Lead Kent State Presidential Search Committee The search for Kent State University’s 12th president became official today (May 14, 2013) when the university’s Board of Trustees named Trustee and Kent State alumnus Richard H. Marsh to serve as chair of a broad-based presidential search committee.
- Posted May. 14, 2013
Kent State Wins Prestigious Gold SABRE Award for “Experience for Life” TV Campaign Kent State University earned a Gold SABRE Award for its “Experience for Life” television campaign at the Americas 2013 SABRE Awards that took place on May 7 in New York City.
- Posted May. 15, 2013
Kent State Makes Two New Appointments in Provost’s Office Todd Diacon, Kent State University senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, today announced two new leadership appointments in the Division of Academic Affairs. The Division of Academic Affairs is responsible for all academic programs at the university, including all of Kent State’s colleges, campuses and a variety of other initiatives.

- Posted May. 16, 2013
Kent State Receives Funding to Support Student Retention and Improve Graduation Rates Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has received funding, estimated at $80,000, from Ohio Campus Contact for two AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members who will support student retention at the university through the Connect2Complete program.
- Posted May. 16, 2013
Kent State Public Relations Students Place Second in National Competition The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) named a team of Kent State University students as the second-place finisher in the national PRSSA 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition. The team consisted of five Kent State seniors majoring in public relations, and its team name was KSU Blue. The announcement was made May 10.
- Posted May. 17, 2013
Robert Sines Named Interim Dean of College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology Robert Sines has been named interim dean of Kent State University’s College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, effective immediately through June 30, 2015.

- Posted May. 21, 2013
Kent State Partners With Kauffman Foundation to Offer Ice House Entrepreneurship Program Kent State University announces a partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to provide a unique learning experience focused on igniting entrepreneurship.
- Posted May. 21, 2013
Prominent Painter James Siena to Give Free Lecture at Kent State on May 30 Kent/Blossom Art will present a free guest lecture from acclaimed abstract painter James Siena on Thursday, May 30, as part of Kent State’s College of the Arts Public Lecture Series. The lecture will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 202 of the Art Building on the Kent State campus. It is free and open to the public.

- Posted May. 22, 2013
Miami String Quartet and Spencer Myer Open Kent/Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concerts The Miami String Quartet and pianist Spencer Myer will open the Kent/Blossom Music Festival faculty concert series with a performance on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Kent State University. The concert will be held in Ludwig Recital Hall at the Music and Speech Center, located at 1325 Theatre Drive in Kent on the university’s campus.
- Posted May. 24, 2013
Kent State Student Wins Top Award in National Flight Landing Competition Kent State University aeronautics student Ryan Weber, from Chardon, Ohio, won the top spot in the power-on landing competition at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’ s Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON 2013) in Columbus, Ohio, on May 11.
- Posted May. 28, 2013
Kent State Professors to Teach in China This Summer Eight professors from Kent State University will teach at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, this summer as part of a partnership between both universities. The three-week intensive summer session, known as International Course Weeks, will run from June 30 to July 21, and is an opportunity for students at Sichuan University to gain international experience from seasoned professors.
- Posted May. 29, 2013
Kent State and Holden Arboretum Study the Effects of Urban Development on the Environment Kent State University and the Holden Arboretum will use a recently awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study the impact people have on vital organisms living in places where water and land meet in Northeast Ohio.
- Posted May. 30, 2013
Alternate Phone Number Available for Kent State Police Department Currently, the Kent State University Police Department’s administrative phone lines are not working. If you need to contact the department for other than emergency purposes, please call 330-677-0012.
- Posted May. 30, 2013
Three Leading Artists to Visit Kent State University School of Art for Free Lectures in June Kent/Blossom Art will present three guest lectures in June as part of the 2013 Public Lecture Series.
- Posted May. 31, 2013
Kent State’s Vice President for Diversity Honored With 2013 Ohio Glass Ceiling Award The National Diversity Council has named Kent State University’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, Alfreda Brown, Ed.D., recipient of the 2013 Ohio Glass Ceiling Award. The award recognizes women who have overcome barriers to climb to the top in their professions and also have made it possible for others to follow in their footsteps.
- Posted May. 31, 2013
Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative Project is Part of Chicago Cultural Center Exhibition Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) will have its “Pop Up City” initiative featured in the “Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good” exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center through Sept. 1.
- Posted Jun. 4, 2013
Kent State Study: FirstEnergy MAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament Delivered $14.5 Million Economic Impact Each spring the Mid-American Conference (MAC) brings the feel of March Madness to downtown Cleveland and Quicken Loans Arena (The Q) with the FirstEnergy MAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. As a result, the 2013 tournament brought an annual economic impact of $14.5 million for the city of Cleveland, based upon a study by Kent State University.
- Posted Jun. 6, 2013
Kent State Lecturer to Study U.S. Retirees in Panama with Fulbright Grant
Panama is one of the top destinations for retiring U.S. baby boomers because of its climate, accessibility, cost of living and welcoming attitude. Kent State University lecturer Craig Zamary will travel to the Central American country this July to conduct research on ways U.S. companies can tap into the resources that these retirees represent.
- Posted Jun. 7, 2013
Kent State’s College of Business Administration Maintains Prestigious Dual AACSB Accreditation Kent State University’s College of Business Administration has maintained its business and accounting accreditations from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
- Posted Jun. 7, 2013
Commission on Economic Inclusion Recognizes Kent State, Awards University With Commission 50 Designation Kent State University has been recognized as a member of the 2013 Commission 50 by the Commission of Economic Inclusion, a program of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. The Commission 50 designation recognizes the 50 organizations with the highest combined scores on board, senior management, workforce and supplier diversity on the commission’s most recent Employers Survey on Diversity.
- Posted Jun. 10, 2013
Kent State Hosts Global Adolescence Research Summer School Kent State University will host the annual 2013 European Society for Research on Adolescence (EARA)/Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Summer School from June 16-22. The summer school brings together established researchers, who are recognized for their expertise and teaching abilities, and doctoral students from around the globe for six intensive days of research training.
- Posted Jun. 10, 2013
Kent State School of Art's Downtown Gallery Presents the National Collage Society's Annual Postcard Collage Show The Kent State University School of Art's Downtown Gallery presents the National Collage Society's Annual Postcard Collage Show from June 19 through July 20.
- Posted Jun. 12, 2013
$5 Million Gift Is Largest Made to the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton announced today a $5 million gift from John and Fonda Elliot through the family’s foundation which will create the “Elliot Studios for Design” at the new building planned for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State. The gift also will fund endowments for The Elliot Program for Healthcare Design, The Elliot Scholars and The Elliot Professorship in Healthcare Design.
- Posted Jun. 17, 2013
Kent State’s Kent Campus Expects Freshman Class With Highest-Ever Grade Point Average This Fall Incoming freshmen to Kent State University’s Kent Campus will bring impressive credentials this fall as their class boasts a 3.3 grade point average (GPA) with nearly 75 percent having at least a 3.0 GPA. It’s another sign of the continued commitment of high-achieving students to pursue and earn their degrees from Kent State.
- Posted Jun. 17, 2013
Journalism School at Kent State University Places in Top 10 of National Competition The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University finished in eighth place in the overall national championship of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. The school also earned seventh place rankings in both the photojournalism and multimedia categories.
- Posted Jun. 19, 2013
David Shifrin and Spencer Myer To Be Featured at Kent/Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concert at Kent State, June 29 Kulas Foundation Guest Artist, clarinetist David Shifrin, and pianist Spencer Myer will perform Saturday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Ludwig Recital Hall at Kent State University as part of the Kent/Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concerts.
- Posted Jun. 19, 2013
Cleveland Orchestra Cellist Mark Kosower to Perform in Kent/Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concert at Kent State, July 3 The Kent/Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concerts continue Wednesday, July 3, with a performance by Cleveland Orchestra principal cellist Mark Kosower at 7:30 p.m. in Ludwig Recital Hall at Kent State University.
- Posted Jun. 21, 2013
Kent State’s Department of Sociology Partners With Local TimeBank for June 29 Community Event Kent State University’s Department of Sociology is partnering with the Kent Community TimeBank to host an event that will feature Edgar Cahn, Ph.D., founder of TimeBanksUSA. Cahn and his wife, Christine Gray, Ph.D., will visit Kent, Ohio, on Saturday, June 29, and present on the topic of timebanking, alternative currencies and social justice.
- Posted Jun. 24, 2013
ADVISORY: Kent State University Board of Trustees Special Meeting June 27 The Kent State University Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Thursday, June 27, to consider the university’s operating budget for fiscal year 2014, including tuition and fees for Fall 2013.
- Posted Jun. 25, 2013
Kent State’s Piano Institute Presents Its Eighth Annual Gala Concert and Series of Performances The 2013 Piano Institute, in association with the Piano Division of the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University, will present a series of master classes and recitals from July 14-20 on the university’s campus and culminate with the July 23 gala concert at Severance Hall’s Reinberger Chamber Hall in Cleveland.
- Posted Jun. 26, 2013
Kent State Keeps Tuition Increase Under State-Set Cap; Entire Increase Goes to Student Financial Aid Pointing to Kent State University’s successful efforts to meet the needs of 21st-century students and manage the university’s finances efficiently and responsibly, the Kent State University Board of Trustees today (June 27, 2013) enacted a 1.5-percent tuition increase and announced that all of it will be used to help students come to, stay in and graduate from college.
- Posted Jun. 27, 2013