Dear Kent State University Faculty and Staff, The commencement tent is up, and we are in the homestretch as we conclude the semester. In the midst of exams, final projects and graduation, proposed legislation has attracted our attention and concern.  For the next edition of Talking With Todd, please join me as I discuss Ohio Senate Bill 83 and the proposed Ohio state budget for higher education. Our next session will be on Monday, May 1, at 2:30 p.m. Click Teams Live to join the session. I will do my best to answer your questions and address your concerns. We will finish wit...

The Meadvilletribune.com reports that EHHS grad Armendia Dixon, Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, has a new book available, “A Diamond on the Diamond: The Multifaceted History of Stone United Methodist Church, 1968-2021.” Dixon also received the MEd in school administration from Edinboro University. Her book traces the history of Stone United Methodist Church from 1968-2021. ...

The protected prairie surrounding Kent State University’s Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be burned on Tuesday, April 25, starting around 9 a.m. to allow for new growth during the summer season.   The city of Kent Fire Department will conduct the controlled burning of the prairie, which has been a yearly practice since 2004. The prairie burn on April 25 is dependent on the weather and the Kent Fire Department not being called to an emergency. (If postponed, the prairie burn will be rescheduled for a later date.)   The burning of the prairie helps control the sp...

An American Airlines flight in Columbus had to make an emergency landing after a bird strike caused an engine fire over the weekend. Flight 1958, which was headed from Columbus to Phoenix, safely returned to John Glenn Columbus International Airport after the strike. No one was injured in the incident.  Syed A.M. Shihab, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kent State's College of Aeronautics and Engineering, shared his insight on bird strikes in a previous article, “What’s the Big Idea? Birds and Drones.”  Shihab establ...

How does a college student build the confidence and independence to tackle life after college? Students build these skills in a multitude of ways, but for Justice Jama, it was participating in the Washington Program in National Issues (WPNI) during his senior year at Kent State University. WPNI has been bridging the gap from college to the labor market for Kent State students for 50 years. WPNI is a 15-week academic program offered to a select group of Kent State University juniors and seniors across academic disciplines who are interested in everything from politics and public policy to ed...

To better understand the events that transpired at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, we must also understand the national tension and climate leading up to that day. A graduate student and two design students have demonstrated the context of May 4 in a stunning, creative visual exhibit. “The Vocal Majority: 1969” is an in-depth exhibit featured in Kent State’s May 4 Visitors Center that depicts a series of massive Vietnam War protests that occurred in 1969. The exhibit is an assortment of anti-war artifacts from that era such as posters, photos, videos and other memorabilia, like button...

  Alumnus Michael Christoff is bringing balance and perspective to the field of architecture.With over 17 years of practice under his belt, Christoff’s community-focused perspective has earned him coveted spots on Crain’s Cleveland Business’ 40 under 40 list, Inside Business Magazine’s Northeast Ohio 25 under 35 Movers & Shakers and the Cleveland Bridge Builders. But, he’s not done making a mark on Cleveland or the architecture industry as a whole.Christoff’s love for architecture first sparked during childhood summers spent at his father and grandfather’s property development bu...