Alumni

Rollie, ’64, and Frances Layfield visit Kent State’s Army ROTC

Rollie, ’64, and Frances Layfield Help Students Build Skills for Success

Hard work and discipline are a driving force for Rollie Layfield, ’64, and they have served him well throughout his life and his career in business. He credits both his degree program in business administration and his time in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at Kent State University for helping him develop the leadership, entrepreneurship and organizational skills to thrive after graduation.

Tags: Inspiring Stories , Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Legacy , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Image of tools

Modern Humans Using Ancient Tools

Kent State anthropology professor Metin Eren, Ph.D., has a hands-on approach when teaching students about prehistoric stone tools that involves immersing themselves in a specially equipped lab in Lowry Hall that features everything from flint arrowheads to a ballistics station.

Tags: Prioritizing Student Success , Beyond Academics , Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Alison Caplan in Washington DC

‘May 4 Moments’

In her first year as the director of the May 4 Visitor Center, Alison Caplan has enjoyed uniquely wonderful and "magical" experiences in how Kent State's history creates connections and inspiration.

Tags: May 4 , May 4 Visitors Center , Community Impact , Alumni , University News , University Libraries , Oral History , Community & Society

Kent State Today

Kahler on campus two

Dean Kahler’s 'One Bad Day' Fuels a Lifetime of Purpose

Dean Kahler, ’77, one of the nine wounded in the May 4, 1970, shootings, wasn’t supposed to be at Kent State that day. 

Tags: Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Armstrong Phares

Alumni Support Global Education Experiences

Kent State has received two $1 million donations in support of Global Education experiences for students. These gifts will make education-abroad experiences available to more students through the Global Education Endowment fund that was created in 2022.

Tags: Prioritizing Student Success , Global Education , Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Illustration of five lit birthday candles with phrase "A Birthday Wish for Kent State"

Help us Celebrate Kent State’s 114th Birthday

Kent State is turning 114, and we are celebrating by raising funds for Kent State scholarships and programs. This year, the Kent State University Foundation has pledged $5,000 to match employee gifts dollar for dollar (up to $250 per donor until the match money runs out) to the fund of YOUR choice s…

Tags: University News , Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Organizational Sustainability , Alumni , Success Story ,

Alumni and Giving

Judge Kani Hightower

Making the Local Justice System Easier to Access

Summit County Domestic Relations Court Judge Kani H. Hightower is on a mission to make the justice system in Summit County, Ohio, more accessible for underprivileged and underrepresented citizens. Whether it’s related to transportation challenges or helping them sort through the red tape of documentation, Hightower, a Kent State University graduate, is creating solutions to streamline the process for Summit County residents.

Tags: Kent State Works , Community Impact , Government/Public Service , Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement , Humanities , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Art from Graphic Content exhibition

A Closer Look at ‘Graphic Content’

Alison Caplan, director of the May 4 Visitors Center, provides an up close look at some of the items in the center's "Graphic Content: The Comics of May 4" exhibition.  She also share stories about the art and the artists that created it.  

Tags: May 4 , Alumni , May 4 Visitors Center , Community & Society , taylor hall , Nationally Distinctive , Arts & Culture

Kent State Today

Mackenzie Morgan

Global Experience Fuels Alumna’s Career

McKenzie Morgan, ’22, appreciates the opportunities Kent State provided her that included completing her academic journey with the university’s education-abroad program in Florence, Italy. “Studying abroad was definitely my all-time highlight,” Morgan said.

Tags: Prioritizing Student Success , Global Education , Alumni ,

Alumni and Giving

Olivia Carnprobst standing next to a Piper Seminole aircraft

From Aspiring Aviator to First Officer: Olivia (Semon) Carnprobst's Journey Through the Nikki Kukwa Memorial Aviation Camp

Olivia (Semon) Carnbprobst’s (’22, ’23) journey from a high school junior at the Nikki Kukwa Memorial Aviation Camp (NKMAC) to a first officer at Endeavor Air epitomizes the camp's impact on young women's careers in aviation.

Tags: Aeronautics , Alumni , College of Aeronautics and Engineering , High School Students

College of Aeronautics and Engineering