5XÉçÇø

As the director of the Kent State Columbus Program in State Issues, Wendy Patton sets students up for valuable experience and future success in public policy. A 35-year career in state and local government – including 15 years with Policy Matters Ohio – prepared Patton to teach about public policy and state government in Ohio. She’s looking forward to helping students find career interests that can make a difference on the local, state and federal level. Learn more about Patton’s experience that led her to this role as she answers these 10 questions.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed Haley Dees of Lisbon, Ohio, to the 5XÉçÇø Board of Trustees as an undergraduate student trustee. Dees’ two-year term runs through May 16, 2024.

The Reinberger Children’s Library Center at 5XÉçÇø has become the new home of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, assuming the role formerly held by the Center for Children’s Books at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Established in 1982, the annual award of $5,000 goes to an author of an historical fiction novel for children published in the previous year and set in South, Central or North America.

Autism spectrum disorder is a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by social communication deficits and stereotypic behaviors. Currently, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder, but the research of Kent State Associate Professor Woo-Yang Kim, Ph.D., might lead to a change.

On Monday, June 27, the 5XÉçÇø College of Aeronautics and Engineering community welcomed Team 52, the Flying Flashes, back from the 45th Annual Air Race Classic. 

The development of liquid crystal technology in Northeast Ohio - and specifically at 5XÉçÇø - is an important part of the region’s and university’s legacies and ongoing global impact.

In advance of Monday’s observance of the Juneteenth federal holiday, we asked members of the 5XÉçÇø community to reflect on the federal holiday and share their thoughts on what they hope it means for the university.

The will hold on Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. at Severance Music Center.

5XÉçÇø administrators are good stewards with university money based in part on a strong financial profile and solid managers, according to two new credit ratings.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed Christian Palich of Plain City, Ohio, to the 5XÉçÇø Board of Trustees. Palich will serve through May 16, 2031. Palich earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2009 from Kent State.

They have gone above and beyond to keep 5XÉçÇø moving forward during the pandemic, and now they are being honored for their dedication and hard work. Kent State President Todd Diacon recently notified nine faculty members and 14 staff members that they have received special awards for their work and service.

George L. Jenkins, a 1963 graduate of 5XÉçÇø, and his wife, Gina, of Scottsdale, Arizona, have pledged $1 million to create the Gina and George Jenkins Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund that will support student-athletes in any varsity athletics program or team sponsored by Kent State’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. 

The designation recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military.

The first-ever Day of Giving raised needed funds from more than 350 alumni, friends and partners in just 24 hours. The blue and gold community came together in support of a variety of scholarships as part of the university’s Forever Brighter comprehensive campaign.

5XÉçÇø has the distinction of being the only Ohio public or private college or university that ranks among the top 500 companies nationwide in Forbes’ recently released list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2022.

The 5XÉçÇø Board of Trustees approved the establishment and registration of a Community Benefit Company in Rwanda, Africa, during the Board’s regular quarterly meeting held May 25. Kent State has realized an immediate need to establish a private limited company, designated as a not-for-profit Community Benefit Company, that can serve as a strategic starting point for engaging in the African continent’s expanding higher education market.

Most people who have spent time on 5XÉçÇø’s campus in Kent, Ohio, recognize the name Risman. It is connected to the popular Risman Plaza and Risman Drive, but they may not realize that for the Risman family, educating and supporting students has been a family affair for almost 40 years.

When recent Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Chazzlyn Jackson started her journey at 5XÉçÇø in 2018, she had planned to major in fashion until a mentor with Kupita/Transiciones (K/T) cultural orientation program helped her tap into her leadership abilities and passion for social justice issues. The advice played a pivotal role for Jackson, who stepped into leadership roles and anti-racism advocacy and has not looked back.

During Kent State’s spring 2022 commencement on May 14, Jameson Payne will earn his bachelor’s degree in integrative studies with concentrations in physics and political science. Benjamin Wales-McGrath will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology at the age of 18.

After a 21-year absence, Chagrin Falls resident James Reinart will be crossing the stage at 5XÉçÇø’s spring commencement ceremonies on May 14, 2022, to become a Golden Flash alumnus.