This fall, Kent State University and its College of Communication and Information (CCI) will welcome Roseann “Chic” Canfora, Ph.D., as a Professional-in-Residence in the School of Media and Journalism.
Canfora is an eyewitness and survivor of the shootings at Kent State on May 4, 1970. The Ohio National Guard killed four students and wounded nine, including her brother, Alan, on May 4. A Kent 25 defendant, she was indicted by the Ohio grand jury, and later exonerated, for activism during a weekend of protests against the Vietnam War. Canfora has been a regular contributor to and speaker at May 4 Commemoration events and is a member of the May 4 Presidential Advisory Committee.
Canfora has served for a decade as the chief communications officer for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and has taught high school journalism for more than 20 years. She has taught as an adjunct in Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism since 2006.
“For me, it’s like coming home,” Canfora said. “It was at Kent State that I was inspired to safeguard our democracy through a lifetime of service in journalism and education. The opportunity to continue that work with student journalists at Kent State today is a privilege beyond comparison.”
Canfora has earned three degrees at Kent State, including a doctorate. She is a recipient of the Kent State Alumni Leadership Award, and Ms. Magazine has recognized her as one of the 100 Women of the Century in its Millennium issue. She is a stalwart advocate for May 4 remembrance and for the importance of connecting the lessons of the anti-war movement to emerging movements today, including Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives.
This fall, Canfora will teach two courses in the School of Media and Journalism: the Media, Power and Culture course and the Ethics and Issues in Mass Communication course. As a Professional-in-Residence, Canfora will also work collaboratively with the Office of the President and the May 4 Presidential Advisory Committee in planning the university’s May 4 Commemoration and developing May 4 initiatives for the future. In 2019, the Kent State Board of Trustees affirmed a commitment from the university’s Office of the President to hold the annual May 4 Commemoration as a university-level event and to preserve the important traditions that have been established over the years.
“Chic is an inspiration to student activists around the world,” said Amy Reynolds, Ph.D., dean of Kent State’s College of Communication and Information. “She has inspired me as I have worked with her on the May 4 Presidential Advisory Committee. I appreciate her deep commitment to preserving the history of May 4 and what we all have learned from it. Her leadership in our CCI classrooms and in the Office of the President is vital, especially for this current generation of students who understand the power of advocacy and the First Amendment in leading social and cultural change.”
“We are so pleased to have Chic joining our faculty in August,” said Emily Metzgar, Ph.D., director of Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism. “She brings with her a wealth of experience and insight that will help our students explore the universe of opportunities open to them as they prepare to enter the workforce as professional communicators.”
For more information about Kent State’s College of Communication and Information, visit www.kent.edu/cci.
For more information about Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism, visit www.kent.edu/mdj.
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Photo Caption:
Kent State University and its College of Communication and Information welcomes Roseann “Chic” Canfora, Ph.D., as a Professional-in-Residence in the School of Media and Journalism this fall.
Media Contact:
J Keirn-Swanson, jkeirnsw@kent.edu, 330-672-7579