Success Stories
On March 22, 2014, a massive fire swept through historic Garrettsville, Ohio, destroying an entire commercial block and 13 businesses. Residents in the quaint Portage County village of just over 2,200 people immediately began pulling together, with efforts to relocate the local food bank, which was consumed in the blaze. Some business owners promised to rebuild, but it was clear that the tragedy dramatically changed the character of the village forever.
Kent State University’s student-athletes continued their run of success in the classroom during the spring of 2014 by posting the third highest term grade point average (GPA) in recorded history.
The athletic department finished with a 3.085 spring GPA, a number that ranks behind only a 3.11 in the spring of 2013 and a 3.10 in the spring of 2012.
The department’s current cumulative GPA of 3.139 remains the highest in recorded history.
Kent State's 20th anniversary FlashFest was headlined by Capital Cities along with Ab-Soul, Scavenger Hunt, and Evan Evolution and Dominic Parisi.
Across Kent State University’s eight-campus system, 4,551 students graduated this spring, including those receiving associate degrees.
Scholar of the Month
Wendy Umberger
Professor
College of Nursing
2002-present
Wendy Umberger is a professor in the College of Nursing. Her program of research centers on the treatment and care of people experiencing chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), psychological factors related to the pain experience, neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms in pain and inflammation, and the use of complementary therapies in pain management.
Scholar of the Month
Eric Jefferis
Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences
College of Public Health
2004-present
Eric Jefferis is an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences in the College of Public Health. His research focuses on intentional injury, violence prevention and program evaluation.
Scholar of the Month
Pratim Datta
Associate Professor of Management and Information Systems and Director of the Ph.D. Program
College of Business Administration
2007-present
Pratim Datta is an associate professor in the Department of Management and Information Systems and director of the Ph.D. Program at the College of Business Administration. His research examines global technology and supply chain management in the areas of user experience, design, security and deployment.
Scholar of the Month
Kimberly S. Schimmel
Associate Professor of the Sociology of Sport
College of Education, Health and Human Services
1995-present
Kim Schimmel is an associate professor in the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. Her research focuses on the sociology of sport, especially political economic theory, urban redevelopment and security at large-scale sporting events in local and global contexts.
Kent State University has increased enrollment, surpassing last year’s record and reaching a new all-time high with the release of the university’s official 15th day census data. For the eight-campus system, Kent State reports a strong enrollment of 42,513 students for the Fall 2012 semester. In Fall 2011, overall enrollment was 42,185 students. The unduplicated (or preponderant) headcount at the Kent Campus increased by 2.85 percent to 27,706 students with the number of full-time equivalent students, or FTEs, up 3.16 percent, so students are taking more hours.
Kent State University faculty, staff and students will notice a new building on the Kent Campus this fall when the university welcomes the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology to the Science Mall. A midpoint construction event, themed “Science Springs Forward,” took place Wednesday, April 23, on the Science Mall in front of Henderson Hall and the construction site of the new building.