Merri Rosen, Ph.D., became just the second director of the Hearing Research Focus Area (RFA) in 2019, when she took over the leadership role from Jeffrey Wenstrup, Ph.D., who had served as director since the creation of the group in 2005. The group studies the neuroscience underlying auditory perception, and dysfunction related to hearing loss and tinnitus. Read More ...

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 Woo-Yang Kim, Ph.D., associate professor in Kent State University’s Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences, might lead to a change.  As opposed to diseases, infections or environmental exposures, there is no known factor that causes autism spectrum disorder. Kim’s research started with mice,...

From one side of the advisor desk to the other, Chris Cooney has dedicated her career to helping students pursue their degrees. Cooney grew up in Canal Fulton, Ohio, and attended Canton Central Catholic High School. In 1976, she moved to Champion with her husband Tom and had two daughters, Kelly and Lindsay. In 1996, when both her daughters were in school, she decided to enroll at Kent State Trumbull. "With both girls in school, I didn't need to stay at home any longer," Cooney said. "I had just finished a three-year volunteer job at the church, along with a couple of other volunteer job...