Maggie Anderson, the founding director of Kent State University’s Wick Poetry Center, was the first to offer words of verse to begin the three-day celebration of the center’s 40th anniversary.Reading from her poem, “Beyond Even This,” Anderson reflected on when she arrived at Kent State, in 1989 to begin teaching creative writing.  “Who would have thought the afterlife would look so much like Ohio?” she read, garnering a loud chuckle from the audience.Anderson was joined by more than 40 authors who have won acclaim from the nationally renowned poetry center and returned for the anniversar...

Pamela Brigger, a senior majoring in Environmental Studies, is making significant strides in her research through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURE), with mentorship from David Kaplan, PhD, Professor in the Department of Geography and sponsorship by The Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI). Brigger’s project focuses on the environmental impacts of Ohio’s rapidly expanding cannabis and hemp industry, particularly concerning waste management. “There will be an effect on the environment with any agricultural industry located on farmland or urbanized commu...

This academic year, the university will be preparing for a comprehensive on-site evaluation to reaffirm our accredited status with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This accreditation site visit will be conducted by a team of experienced reviewers, occurs every ten years and will take place April 14-15, 2025. Throughout the coming semester, more information will be shared about the schedule, activities and additional ways to be involved. For more information and updates, check out the 2025 Accreditation Reaffirmation website.About AccreditationAccreditation is a behind-the-scenes process t...

All current Kent State employees, including student employees, are required to complete a state-mandated fraud training program by Oct. 29. This is following Section 117.103 of the Ohio Revised Code, which requires public employees to complete training provided by the Auditor of State detailing Ohio’s fraud-reporting system and the means of reporting fraud, waste and abuse.  About the trainingThe on-demand virtual training should only take about 10 minutes and is designed to inform all state employees of the process of reporting potentially fraudulent activities. The training is...

The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air while voices from the NFL Network play on the televisions in the background. Sports memorabilia and artwork cover every wall. It’s a sports lover’s haven. This is State Champs Coffee, downtown Kent’s new sports coffee shop and streetwear brand.Kent State University alumna, Cassy Kopp, '16, co-founded State Champs with friend Ally Eclarin after meeting through social media and bonding over their love for Saturday Night Live and women’s sports.   Kopp graduated from Kent State in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a m...