Profiles

Kent State Today
Maria McDonald in Massillon Museum’s Studio M

Since childhood, Maria McDonald loved painting. But it wasn’t until she got to college that she saw how painting could be a career. Now, this Kent State alumna is enjoying her first solo art show in Massillon Museum’s Studio M.

Senior Hannah Fender is preparing to defend her honor's thesis.

Hannah Fender is entering the home stretch.

She crunched her bachelor’s degree studies into three years, packed them full of research and other activities and now she is staring down the final 10 weeks of her undergraduate college career.

Leah Benson

Leah Benson's childhood dreams were filled with visions of flight. If you asked what creature she'd choose to be, she'd promptly reply, "A bird!" Her parents always encouraged her to pursue her passions, and now she's doing just that as a senior aerospace engineering student at Kent State's College of Aeronautics and Engineering (CAE). For Leah, this field combines her love for planes, space, math, and physics. Imagine her excitement upon learning that she's been selected for an internship at NASA!

Kent State Today
Flash Friday Shane Reese

Shane Reese, a junior finance major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his story of resilience and leadership is this week's Flash Friday.

Marcellus Byrd

“Kent State’s ABSN program was more desirable than other programs I had considered because I could complete it in 15 months, much quicker than most schools,” said Byrd. “Many of the nurses on my floor raved about Kent State’s nursing program, too. When I spoke with an advisor, they were also very helpful in decerning which program would suit my needs best, which also solidified my decision.”

Brunner walking the runway with a model

Senior fashion design student Frances Brunner uses lessons from distinctive fashion program to make her mark.

Virginia Doherty Flash Friday collage

Meet Virginia Doherty, a junior triple major of history, art history and economics with minors in marketing and ancient, medieval and renaissance studies from Pittsburgh.

Kent State Today
Zachery Pfouts

Zachery Pfouts’s journey to the job of his dreams looked more like a mountain trail than a straight path. Along the way, Pfouts found Kent State University at Tuscarawas. The campus’s distinctive Bachelor of Science and Engineering Technology degree turned out to be the key to his success.  

Kent State Today
Flash Friday Ariyanna Robb

Say hello to Ariyanna Robb, a senior hospitality and event management major, concentrating in event management and hotel and resort management, and minoring in business, from Trenton, Ohio.  

Kent State Today
Flash Friday - Brandon Smith

Meet Brandon Smith, a senior zoology major at Kent State University from North Lima, Ohio. Smith quickly fell in love with research, while pursuing a lifelong passion for wildlife and the natural world. He plans to attend graduate school for wildlife research after the completion of his undergraduate degree.