It is with heavy hearts we share news that Dr. Dolores Noll, diversity trailblazer and pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights, passed away on January 8, 2019. To honor the life and legacy of Dr. Noll, the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality and the LGBTQ Student Center are jointly hosting a memorial on February 11, 4-6 pm in the LGBTQ Student Center (Kent Student Center, O24). All are invited to attend to share stories and celebrate the life of an important pioneer in LGBTQ rights.
The first Diversity Trailblazer Award to Professor Emeritus of English Dolores L. Noll. The award was presented to Dr. Noll by Dr. Lester Lefton and Kent State's Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alfreda Brown.
A national pioneer in gay and lesbian issues, Noll was an early contributor to Kent State's own history of supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies. That history goes back to 1972, when Noll became the first professor to teach a gay and lesbian issues course at Kent State. Noll also was a founding adviser to the Kent Gay Liberation Front, now called PRIDE! Kent, one of the oldest gay rights student organizations in the country.