UPDATE: Please note that all Spring Commencement ceremonies and pre-commencement celebrations have been postponed. See www.kent.edu/coronavirus/commencement for more information.    Dean Kahler, one of the nine Kent State University students wounded in the May 4, 1970, shootings by the Ohio National Guard, will return to campus on Saturday, May 9, to serve as speaker for the One University Commencement. Thomas Grace, Ph.D., another of the nine wounded students, will serve as speaker for the Advanced Degree Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 8. Kahler and Grace’s roles ...

Leadership Tuscarawas is accepting applications for its 2020–21 Signature Program class through May 15. The program focuses on developing the growth of participants as community leaders through interaction with local decision-makers and classmates representing diverse and unique perspectives. Group interaction, teamwork and collaborative community-based projects are important components of the overall experience. The Signature Class begins with an intensive two-day opening retreat. Following the retreat, participants spend one full day each month for the next nine months addressing a spe...

Kent, OH — Kent State University’s College of the Arts and Hugh A. Glauser School of Music are pleased to announce the launch of the “Marching Golden Flash Award.” This new $1,000 scholarship opportunity will be available to all returning members of the Marching Golden Flashes as well as incoming Kent State students. It is open to students of any major starting in the fall 2020 season. “This new scholarship shows the University’s collective commitment to supporting and continuing the long-standing tradition of the marching arts at Kent State,” said John Crawford-Spinelli, Ed.D., dean of the...

Kent State University psychology professor John Gunstad, Ph.D., has received a grant of nearly $2.6 million from the National Institutes of Health to expand his Alzheimer’s disease research into a national study. Gunstad is studying how speech patterns in older adults can be used as an early detector of Alzheimer’s, the progressive neurological disorder that is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Alzheimer’s causes changes in the brain before symptoms appear. Gunstad’s research began last year, through Kent State’s Brain Health Research Institute and its partnership with the C...

You may be looking for a way to make a big difference to help further our mission. If you are 70½ or older you may also be interested in a way to lower the income and taxes from your IRA withdrawals. An IRA charitable rollover is a way you can help continue our work and benefit this year. Benefits of an IRA Charitable Rollover Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to our organization Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits o...

Charitable Gift Annuity Rates Have Gone Up - And Up! There's good news for those who have a cash income and would like to support Kent State University while enjoying tax benefits at the same time. A charitable gift annuity is a great vehicle for meeting both your immediate needs and those of the university once your gift matures. The best news is that rates for charitable gift annuities have risen considerably since July 1, 2018. Rates are based on age, are recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities and are not affected by fluctuating stock and real estate markets. For gift an...

Chaya Kessler, director of the Jewish Studies Program, recently received the Exemplary Holocaust Educator award from the group SSI, (Students Supporting Israel). This award speaks highly of how she has gone above and beyond to bring outstanding holocaust education to her students. It shows how passionate and committed Chaya is to teaching future generations in all areas of Judaism, including the holocaust. She was nominated by Sophia Witt, a graduate from the Jewish Studies Program, who was moved by Kessler’s teachings. Sophia stated, “The trip I took to Poland changed my life forever, and rem...

Kent State University, the city of Kent and the Portage Area Regional Transit Authority (PARTA) jointly have committed to the economic development of retail/entertainment areas serving students, employees and guests of the university and the city. Together, they have committed to work toward a successful design solution to alleviate traffic congestion and safety concerns along East Main Street from Willow Street to Horning Road. At its March 4 meeting, the Kent State Board of Trustees approved the memorandum of understanding between the three partners for the redevelopment project to transf...