During this year's Black History Month, Kent State University is highlighting Black trailblazers who were advocates for underrepresented and underserved students, faculty and staff as well as the first to make beneficial changes to Kent State. Oscar Ritchie  Oscar Ritchie came to Kent State in 1942 to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. Five years later, Ritchie became the first African American to serve as faculty at a predominantly white university in Ohio. Kent State’s Oscar Ritchie Hall was named in his honor Nov. 10, 1977. Members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity j...

'U Good', an initiative by the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use, was featured in an article by KentWired. U Goods, previously called "Flash-Ups" are funded through the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant. U Good events have been hosted both in-person and virtually, however, currently they are only offered virtually as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U Good events feature different topics ranging from improving your self-esteem to alcohol misuse awareness. Click here to read the full KentWired Article Click here for a full list of U Good...

KENT, OH - Results from a study, led by William Lechner and colleagues of KSU, were highlighted in a recent Nature article about mental health and alcohol use.   The impact of the pandemic on college students’ mental health and use of alcohol was the focus of the study by KSU researchers Lechner, Deric Kenne, Kimberly Laurene, Sweta Patel, Megan Anderson and Chelsea Grega. Lechner and colleagues found that university students’ mental health has suffered during COVID-19. Healthy ways to cope with anxiety and stress are less accessible with COVID restrictions, correlating wi...

Each semester, the School of Theatre and Dance's Black Box Series presents a collection of student produced works. These productions are provide students with opportunities to direct, write, perform, stage manage, and design existing and original works in a laboratory environment. Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020-2021 Black Box Series is being presented virtually. On February 26 and 27, 2021, the Black Box Series will present Zarry, a pre-recorded dance work choreographed Morgan Messer. Zarry displays the negative effects of repetition focusin...

...

Kent State University’s LGBTQA Living-Learning Community (LLC) has gone virtual this semester, but campus leaders continue to support the group’s members who relocated to other residence halls after Korb Hall, which has housed the community since 2016, was closed along with Lake Hall because fewer students had chosen to live there. “The mission behind the virtual Living-Learning Communities is to try and keep these communities active and whole even though they are virtual,” said Ken Ditlevson, director of the LGBTQ+ Center. “We want to make sure that the students are connected as best as po...

Two seniors from the Kent State University School of Fashion were announced as Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) 2021 scholarship recipients. Fashion design seniors Jordan Bigelow and Mattney Yates used their creativity and knowledge to develop case studies focused on current world issues. This year, FSF awarded scholarships to 120 students all over the country. This is slightly down from last year in which 211 scholarships were awarded, making 2021 more competitive than in years past.  Since its inception in 1937,  FSF has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships to thousands of st...

Michael Daniels is the director of the Student Multicultural Center (SMC) where he has the opportunity to make a difference on campus and continue the legacy of those who came before him. Daniels, who has worked at Kent State since 2015, previously served as the program coordinator as well as assistant director for the SMC and was recently awarded the President’s Award of Distinction for his success with the programs and initiatives offered by the SMC during a global pandemic. Learn more about Daniels as he answers these 10 questions. How do you describe your current position? In my pos...

After nearly 32 years of service, it was difficult to imagine the College of Podiatric Medicine (CPM) without Dr. Vincent Hetherington, DPM, following his retirement in September 2020. Thankfully, that wasn’t a reality that the community had to imagine for long. Effective immediately, Dr. Hetherington has assumed a new title that will allow CPM to benefit from his continuing identification with the college he has served so long and so well: Emeritus Faculty.  Emeriti faculty members are appointed by the President and are regarded as valued contributors of the university community....

Kent State public relations students are participating in a campaign and competition to educate their peers about civility this spring. Their campaign, “To Unity and Beyond,” is part of the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Bateman Case Study Competition. College student participants across the nation are challenged to develop and implement a comprehensive campaign that engages students and professors in discussions about civility and how to combat incivility through students’ future careers. The team, Bateman Gold, is made up of six public relations juniors and seniors...