Kent State University has been named as a Best Employer for Women 2021 in a nationwide ranking by Forbes and Statista. Among colleges and universities that made this year’s list, Kent State comes in at No. 8. Only 18 institutions of higher education are recognized.
“We are delighted to be recognized as a great employer for women,” said Melody Tankersley, Ph.D., Kent State’s senior vice president and provost. “Having worked at Kent State for nearly 30 years, I take great pride in how we support women and provide an environment for them to work, grow and thrive.”
Kent State is among the 300 organizations recognized on the Best Employers for Women 2021 list, ranking at No. 57 in the nation. The honored employers were chosen based on an independent survey of 50,000 U.S. employees currently working at companies and institutions with at least 1,000 workers within the U.S. The sample included more than 30,000 women.
“This award demonstrates the university’s commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all,” said Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., Kent State’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. “We greatly value the many women who are part of our diverse community and who are dedicated to serving our students every day.”
The university continues to be highly ranked as a top employer. Forbes and Statista named Kent State No. 1 among employers in northern Ohio and No. 4 in the entire state of Ohio on the 2020 America’s Best-in-State Employers list that highlighted America’s best employers. Kent State is also the top educational institution on the Ohio list. Also in 2020, Kent State was recognized for the ninth time as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a top trade publication for colleges and universities, and ModernThink LLC, a consulting firm. The 2020 results recognized Kent State in three categories – Confidence in Senior Leadership; Facilities, Workspace and Security; and Work/Life Balance – for large universities with 10,000 or more students.
Kent State currently employs more than 3,400 women, making up 58% of the university’s workforce.
Four different criteria determined the Best Employers for Women 2021 list: general work topics, topics relevant to women, indirect recommendations and diversity among top executives/board.
To view the list of Best Employers for Women 2021, visit www.forbes.com/best-employers-women.
For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797