Duane and JacquelineAn Unexpected InterviewOur StoryI met my husband at the Institute of African American Affairs (IAAA), now known as Oscar Ritchie Hall. I was the editor of a journal we were publishing in our English class taught by Hulda Smith. I had scheduled an interview with the Black United Student's president for an article about the organization to include in the journal. However, the president did not show up. I was sitting in the hall way looking very lost and this guy came up and asked if he could help me. I told him my dilemma and he said well don't worry you can interview me I am...

Valarie and GeneGospel Rap Kickstarts LoveOur StoryWe met at the Kent Gospel Rap held in the student center in 1978, and we started dating in January 1979. We graduated and married in 1982. We started our careers with the help of the Kent placement center.The Proposal and MarriageGene and I were engaged for over a year while our careers transferred us to Columbus, Ohio. We moved back to Cleveland in 1985. Staying Connected to Kent State TodayWe now have our last child who has just started in the Kent nursing program, and we are thrilled to have one of our children become a Kent State grad...

Steve and SarahAn Anti-Valentine’s Day Set Up Our StorySpring semester 1991, I was an officer in the KSU Amnesty International chapter, as was Steve's roommate, Bill. I shared an office in the Union with the International Film Club, and we all became friends. For Valentine's Day, we planned an "Anti-Valentine’s Day" dinner in the Rathskellar, but secretly we were trying to set some people up. I hadn't met Steve yet, only his roommate. Once that night came, the only two people who didn't have a match up were Steve and I. So, we sat and talked. He walked me back to Engelman, even though he ...

Brian and RebeccaAn October Afternoon in the Park      Our StoryWe met our sophomore year while both living in Fletcher Hall and began dating later that year. There is some debate between the two of us as to when exactly the first time was that we met. Discrepancies aside, we met in the dorms!The Proposal and MarriageWe were engaged during our senior year at a park near the city of Kent. We had visited this park frequently during our time in college; down one path there was a tiny waterfall with a big rock nearby to sit on, and this was "our park." On one October afternoon,...

Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, lawyer, political strategist and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, to serve as keynote speaker. A prominent political strategist, lawyer and advocate for positive change in the political process will serve as the keynote speaker at Kent State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, will join the university in celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 23 at 3:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.  Ms. Rye offer...

The work of 153 ecological researchers from 40 countries, including Kent State University Assistant Professor Dave Costello, Ph.D., from the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, has revealed new findings on the effect of climatic factors on river-based ecosystems. The findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Science Advances. “This is the largest such study, with respect to spatial coverage, and allows us to study carbon cycling in streams at unprecedented global scales,” said Dr. Costello, who serves as second author on this paper. “We are...

UPDATED 1/16/19: Please note that registration for the Jan. 23 keynote address is now closed. The registration limit has been met. View the full list of celebratory events at www.kent.edu/diversity/mlk-celebration-calendar-events. Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, lawyer, political strategist and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, to serve as keynote speaker A prominent political strategist, lawyer and advocate for positive change in the political process will serve as the keynote speaker at Kent State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr...