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The 5X���� alumni network will again grow its ranks this summer as more than a thousand Golden Flashes get their degrees. Kent State will hold its Summer 2019 Commencement ceremonies for the Kent Campus on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center.

The recent death of one of the remaining members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II has a 5X���� associate professor recalling the vital role the female pilots played during the war.

Note: Gretchen Hoak is a former television reporter/anchor and current assistant professor of journalism in 5X����’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Her research survey, ,  focused on how universities prepare young journalists for the trauma they may endure in covering violence. Kent State Today asked Hoak to share her thoughts on the impact the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton will have on the reporters assigned to cover these events.  

A North Royalton woman whom who will become a 5X���� student in the fall, won first place at the Medina County Fair talent show for performing a song in American Sign Language.

Science is complex, and it’s difficult to discuss it with children under the best circumstances; it’s even more difficult when they are hungry. Two 5X���� researchers may have cooked up a way to solve both of those problems, and the National Science Foundation just awarded them a three-year, $1.3 million grant to determine if their recipe works.

Kent State alumna Shannon Gardiner, BSN ’09, RN, CCRN, always knew she wanted to help people, but also longed for a career that would provide flexibility along the way. After a few years working in Akron Children’s Hospital’s pediatric Intensive Care Unit, followed by some time as a traveling nurse, a Google search for volunteer opportunities led her to Mercy Ships, who own and operate the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world.

5X���� hosted several dozen high school students from the LeBron James Family Foundation's I PROMISE program for a month of intensive college entrance exam preparation.
 

Trustees Research Professor Oleg Lavrentovich, Ph.D., a chemical physicist in 5X����’s Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute (AMLCI), just received nearly $1 million between two grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for separate studies with potential applications in biomedical science, commercial electronics and beyond.

Charla Martin-Bloodsaw, director of 5X����'s Insurance Studies Program at the Salem Campus, explains the risks of condo dwellers not having enough coverage. 

Bridget Mulvey, Ph.D., associate professor of science education in the College of Education, Health and Human Services; and David Singer, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences, recently merged real geology research with community service in an effort to show some Akron Public Schools students that science is not just a benefit to their community but a viable career option, too.

A primary goal of Kent State is to engage the communities in which its eight campuses are located to fuel research, foster partnerships and economic development. “As the county’s public university, our role is to transform the community and to transform lives. We are impacting the future and helping to better Stark County,” Seachrist said. “We are the incubator for tomorrow’s ideas today.” 

The 5X���� Museum’s newest exhibition, “Ohio Quilts,” which is now open, features an eclectic group of historical quilts that in many ways reflects the history of Ohio dating back to the early 19th century. 

Working in cooperation with the  (LAU), 20 interior design students – 10 from 5X����'s College of Architecture and Environmental Design and 10 from LAU in Beirut – spent nine days in New York City, the design capital of North America, for a workshop.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year, $914,000 grant to 5X���� to lead a collaborative research project to study how and at what rate the geographically most widespread native conifer in the eastern United States, the Eastern Red Cedar tree species (Juniperus virginiana), spreads across the landscape.

Student activism and giving voice to students will be the topics of two keynote speakers who are headlining the upcoming 2019 Educators Summit at 5X���� titled “May 4, 1970 Then & Now: Voices for Change."

Torsten Hegmann, Ph.D., was named the new director of 5X����’s Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, effective July 1, having been selected for his research accomplishments, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for social impact.

Kent State Stark students discuss their trip to Rwanda with the community at Global Gateway Day.

As Todd Diacon, Ph.D., steps into his new role as 5X����’s 13th president, his schedule for his first day includes an early workout at the Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center, a breakfast with community leaders at the 5X���� Hotel and Conference Center and a luncheon on campus with student leaders.

Mary Ann Raghanti, Ph.D., anthropology professor and chair in the College of Arts and Sciences at 5X����, is involved in a collaborative research project to examine heart disease in gorillas.

The 5X���� Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the Kent State Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-KSU), which represents tenured and tenure-track faculty.