As a child, Deanne Parr dreamed of one day becoming a nurse. And while a teenage pregnancy influenced her decision to drop out of high school, 14 years later and now a mother of two, her dream came true on a Friday night last May. Parr’s success results from a long journey. Eight years ago, she completed her GED and moved to Champion, Ohio, to take care of her mom, Lourie. Parr then started a nursing program, but she acknowledges that it was challenging while caring for her children. "My mom lived nearby, so I drove by the Kent State Trumbull Campus every day," Parr said. "By then,...

We are thrilled to announce that Farah Shahrour has been named a 2022 CFDA x Coach Design Scholarship recipient!  Farah’s project, “Illusions of Individuality” explores identity, asking who we are outside everything that defines us, and uses fashion to generate conversations that will lead to change in conventional ways of thought. This award was introduced as part of Coach’s Dream It Real initiative and its mission to help break cycles of inequity by empowering the next generation to reach their full potential through higher education. It is given to students who use their design voice...

Diane Petrella, Dean of the College of the Arts, is pleased to announce that Dr. Wendy K. Matthews has been appointed as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Assessment in the College of the Arts.  Dr. Matthews holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland-College Park, and George Mason University. Prior to joining the Kent State faculty, she led the music department at Northern Virginia Community College as Assistant Dean, developing new programs and growing student enrollment, served as Associate Professor ...

Logan and Stacey Eisenhart have been married for six years, and throughout almost their entire marriage, one or both of them have been studying nursing at Kent State University Twinsburg Academic Center. “It is stressful and requires good communication and prioritization. We have supported each other by being flexible and understanding with each other,” Logan Eisenhart said. “We make time for regular date nights. We keep our life goals discussions ongoing as motivation. We also give each other the time and space required for each of us to be successful in school.”  Logan Eisenhart sta...

Kent State University has again been recognized as one of America’s Best-in-State Employers for 2022 by Forbes and market research company Statista. In Ohio, Kent State ranks No. 3 among the top 100 employers in Ohio, landing above such notable employers as Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic, both located in Cleveland. This is the third consecutive year that Kent State has been named to the list that highlights America’s best employers. The 2022 ranking also marks Kent State’s highest placement to date on th...

Kent State journalism Professor Jacqueline Marino spent her fall 2021 sabbatical learning the techniques of audio storytelling. While developing new skills, she reported on the rural doctor shortage in America for WKSU. The piece she produced, “The Rural Doctor Is In,” is now the winner of two national journalism awards: The Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary (small market division) First place in the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) Short Documentary category, Division B Read and Listen to the Story         ...

With the close of another fiscal year comes the announcement of another cohort of 20-Year Club inductees. Determined on a fiscal-year basis, these employees hit their twentieth anniversary with the university between Jul. 1, 2021, and Jun. 30, 2022. Kent State is grateful for their dedicated service and continual effort toward making the university a place of excellence.  Please join us in congratulating the 2022 inductees!  2022 Inductees For more information on the 20-Year Club, and to see past inductees, visit the 20-Year Club webpage. ...