News

U.S. News & World Report has named two Kent State University programs as U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2020. Kent State is recognized in the Best Online MBA Programs and Best Online Graduate Education Programs rankings. U.S. News released its 2020 Best Online Programs rankings Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Kindness means something different to everyone, but to Stephanie Sweany, ’05, it means making a stranger’s day a little better by simply smiling at them. Stephanie started the Canton Kindness Coalition to “make kindness contagious” in November 2018.

Claudia Kovach, ’03, M.A. ’09, has been part of her family business, City Machine Technologies, Inc since 2006. Her time and dedication to the company has proven successful, as Claudia was recently named the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Champion of Ohio.

Leslie Srodek-Johnson, ’01, a Kent State University journalism graduate, mother of two and lead decorator and baker at Stan’s Northfield Bakery, received the call of a lifetime in December 2018. It was from the Food Network asking her to be a part of the “Christmas Cookie Challenge.”

Kent State University’s Giving Tuesday 2019 raised more than $1.6 million when it ended on Dec. 3 at 11:59 p.m., shattering the previous year’s record of $1.03 million. Supporters were able to choose from more than 40 featured giving options throughout the Kent State system, including student scholarships, educational programs, athletic teams and more.

Jacqueline Marino, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, dropped her papers when the door to her Feature Writing class opened. It was colleagues with cameras and balloons congratulating her on winning the Distinguished Teaching Award.

A small class assignment in college led to an off-Broadway debut for Kent State University musical theatre alumnus Scott Miesse, ’15, who will be premiering his self-written play titled “Abnormal” in January 2020.

Kent State University’s architecture and interior design graduates build such impressive skills during their studies in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design that in a national survey, hiring professionals rank them among the most-hired.

As the champagne flowed Oct. 15 in the clubhouse of the National League Champion Washington Nationals, there was a Kent State University connection in the middle of the frenzy that capped the team’s first trip to the World Series.

The Kent State University Alumni Association is proud to announce its 2019 Alumni Award recipients. Recipients are chosen based on their exceptional contributions in their chosen profession, in their communities and at Kent State.