Community & Society

Photo of the members of the Kent State Police Department

The Kent State University Police Department is scheduled for a virtual assessment as part of a program to achieve international reaccreditation. Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA), the program requires agencies to meet state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.

Protesters in Cleveland, Ohio following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Sylvia Lorson)

Kent State University Associate Professor Elizabeth M. Smith-Pryor has authored a perspective piece on racial equality that is featured in the July 15 Washington Post column, “Made by History.”

Volunteers Dave and Terri Cardy pack and weigh produce to hand out at the Campus Kitchen in Beall Hall. The food is mostly donated by Trader Joe’s locations in the Cleveland area.

The Campus Kitchen at Kent State University, a student-run organization that reclaims food to feed the needy in the Kent area, has had to swiftly switch gears from operating a hot food kitchen to an expanded food pantry.

J.R. Campbell, executive director of Kent State University’s Design Innovation Initiative, tries on a face shield produced by the Kent State team.

Members of Kent State University’s Design Innovation Initiative are forging creative collaborations with local and regional organizations and funders as they work toward the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cleveland Police Patrolman Kevin Jones is captured shedding a tear by Kent State photography student Sylvia Lorson.

A Kent State University student is gaining recognition for a photo she took that captures an African American Cleveland police officer shedding a tear as he came face to face with demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis Police custody.

Photo depicts business and commerce

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the United States would benefit from a public banking system, says Mark K. Cassell, Kent State University professor of political science.

10 Questions about Contact Tracing App With Gokarna Sharma

Apple and Google partnered in early April to create a new smartphone app that uses Bluetooth to track coronavirus cases. Using a technology called contact tracing, the app alerts a user when they come in contact with someone who has been positively diagnosed with COVID-19. Gokarna Sharma, assistant professor in Computer Science, recently answered 10 questions about the new app based on his professional opinion. Sharma is experienced in algorithms, blockchain and smart technologies such as this.

Dining Services handing over keys to Fork In The Road to Justin Crews, 
District Manager for Aramark K-12

Kent State’s famous food truck, known for its mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches and fresh-cut french fries, is now becoming known for giving back to its community. The university is loaning its campus food truck to Aramark to provide meals to students from Kent, Elyria and Lorain City School Districts who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kent State Starsphere and Sign

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home order remind Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the Teaching, Leadership, and Curriculum Studies Department Doris Simonis of her previous experiences with social distancing.

College of Education, Health and Human Services
Jamie L. McCartney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, ASL/ English Interpreting Program Coordinator

During Governor Mike DeWine’s daily press conferences on coronavirus updates to the state of Ohio, he’s usually shown with Marla Berkowits, an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. ASL has become a very prominent topic throughout the world during this trying time, and Kent State is doing its part in upholding the responsibilities to the Deaf community. Rachel Walter, an academic advisor at Kent State, said the interpreter at the press conferences shows Ohio’s inclusivity.