Kent State University President Todd Diacon delivered his commencement address to the thousands who gathered on Manchester Field on May 13 to celebrate the academic achievement of this year’s graduates. However, Diacon’s message was aimed at an audience that went far beyond those physically in attendance.  “There is in Ohio, among some state elected officials, a growing ivory tower accusation being leveled against our state’s public universities and against, quite frankly, Kent State University,” Diacon said. An “ivory tower,” Diacon explained, was a term his father used...

On May 18-19, the university community will celebrate Kent State University’s 113th birthday with its annual Day of Giving. As Golden Flashes reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re going, the Kent State community can join this journey to light the path forward for Kent State students. There are special incentives to help gifts make an even greater impact on students during the 2023 Day of Giving. What’s more, all donors who give $50 or more will receive a Kent State luggage tag to help them travel in blue and gold style during their next trip.   Help Kent State celebrate an...

Former state legislator and retired classroom teacher John R. Patterson, Jr., Ph.D., is the 2023 Ashtabula Area College Committee, Inc. Community Service Award recipient honoring a career spanning over 40 years dedicated to improving education in local communities. He was presented the award at a community reception event in the Blue & Gold Room prior to the May 11, 2023 commencement ceremony at Kent State University at Ashtabula. The Community Service Award is given by the Ashtabula Area College Committee since 1991 in recognition of the contribution and leadership the recipient h...

Kent State provides a steady stream of employees to employers across Ohio, with skilled graduates ready for the workforce. Career fairs, internships and university partnerships with major Ohio institutions offer students many opportunities to work for companies within the state—boosting the region as well as their own career prospects.  Whether it’s supplying Ohio employers with intellectual capital, pursuing research partnerships that spur innovation, helping entrepreneurs launch new businesses, or forging connections that benefit communities surrounding the university’s Regional Camp...

Stavros Atsas is a currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the Research, Measurement & Statistics program at Kent State University. He recently published a book, The Cost of Congress: What Americans Get for Their Money, with co-author, Karen Kunz. In this work, Kunz and Atsas assign dollar values, using federal data, to congressional practices and policies. They examine the costs of producing legislation, court challenges, and Supreme Court reversals. They also look at the costs of committee and special investigations, committee assignments, staffing and facilities, and such per...

Kathy Zarges, assistant dean of Advising, Student Success and Licensure for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, was awarded the 2023 Kent Academic Support and Advising Association Advising Administrator award (KASADA). The Kent Academic Support and Advising Association (KASADA) is an allied member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). KASADA provides professional development for academic advisors and student affairs professionals at Kent State University through internal and external collaborations. It seeks to enhance the academi...

The College of the Arts is pleased to announce that Dr. Mourad Krifa has been appointed as the Margaret Clark Morgan Director of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, effective May 15. Professor Krifa joined the Kent State faculty in 2017. He previously served on the faculties of The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University.  Dr. Krifa has a long record of excellence in teaching, research, and academic leadership in the field of textiles and apparel, with research that encompasses diverse activities and interests spa...