Kent State University invites all to pay tribute to those who have served in the U.S. armed forces and attend the university’s annual Veterans Day Commemoration. The event will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Student Green on the Kent Campus. The Student Green is located in front of the Kent Student Center and Risman Plaza.
The program, titled “Honoring All Those Who Serve,” will include a flag-raising ceremony conducted by a joint color guard from Kent State’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs; Tim Coyne, senior business manager for Kent State’s Division of Student Life, serving as bugler; the national anthem; the “Service Song Medley”; an invocation; and welcome remarks from Kent State Executive Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley, Ph.D.
Serving as emcee is Jayla Hartmann Starks, a Kent State senior majoring in speech pathology and audiology and American Sign Language from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is an airman first class in the Air National Guard at the 179th Cyberspace Wing in Mansfield, Ohio. Currently, she works in individual protective equipment (IPE) mobility as part of the Logistics Readiness Squadron. Hartmann Starks also serves as president of Kent State’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.
This year’s keynote speaker is Maj. Allison Brager, Ph.D., Kent State alumna and science and technology advisor for the U.S. Special Operations Command and NATO Special Operations Headquarters. An Army neuroscientist who studies sleep, particularly in extreme environments and high-stress situations, Brager is the recipient of two National Institutes of Health National Research Service Awards and a National Academies of Sciences fellowship. Her work spans from clinical trials on novel drug and technology development for military operations to studying physiology and behavior in some of the most austere places in the world, including Antarctica. She has previously served as chief science officer at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and director of human performance operations and outreach education for the U.S. Army Warrior Fitness Training Center.
She is the recipient of a Joint Commendation Medal and two Meritorious Service Medals for her research and development efforts in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic (Operation Gotham). In 2020, Brager underwent astronaut assessment and selection at NASA, making it to the second final round in 2021. As a former professional athlete, she has leveraged her experience to help develop the first mental health handbook for the NCAA. She sits on several fatigue-related working groups for NATO, U.S. Special Operations and the federal government. In addition to more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in flagship journals, she is the author of “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain.” She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Brown University in 2007 and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Kent State in 2011.
Kent State has been recognized for its unwavering commitment to supporting military-connected students. For 2024-2025, Kent State earned the Military Friendly® School designation for the 15th consecutive year and improved its standing by securing a Gold ranking. In addition, Kent State was named to the 2024 Military Times “Best for Vets: Colleges” list, ranking No. 141 overall and No. 20 in the Midwest. In 2022, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine presented the university with Ohio’s Collegiate Purple Star designation for its support for veteran and military students.
Those who are unable to attend the Nov. 8 event in person can watch it via livestream.
For more information about Kent State’s Veterans Day Commemoration, visit www.kent.edu/veteransday.
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Top Photo Caption:
Members of the Kent State University Air Force and Army ROTC programs salute the American flag during the university’s 2023 Veterans Day Commemoration. (Photo credit: Bob Christy)
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595