More than 200 Kent State University employees were honored with numerous distinctions as awards and recognitions were presented to staff and faculty members for their excellence and dedication at the University Honors Banquet, April 12, 2023.
Opening remarks were made by Senior Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley and President Todd Diacon. Awards were presented by Douglas Delahanty, vice president of research and sponsored programs; Tiffany Murray, interim vice president of human resources; and Tankersley. Diacon presented closing remarks.
“Flashes continue to take care of one another, and we continue to create new successes — together,” Diacon said. “We continue to generate new knowledge and have earned the coveted R1 research designation, a distinction of excellence only reserved for elite research institutions.”
The 20-Year Club Service Award was presented to 42 employees. This award was established in 1966 to honor classified and unclassified staff employees who have dedicated 20 years of continuous service to Kent State University.
Promotion and tenure were recognized for 125 faculty and staff. These significant milestones are a reflection of the remarkable work of the faculty and their recognition in their fields of scholarship.
The Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success was presented to four employees. This student-focused award celebrates the commitment of the MAC to creating a holistic student experience and the dedication to an environment that supports success in school and in life.
The Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award was presented to seven employees. This is Kent State’s highest award for research and scholarship and celebrates the awardee’s accomplishments over the course of a career. The recipients are selected based on the quality of their research, creative activities and scholarship, and their impact on society.
The Outstanding New Faculty Research and Scholarship Award was presented to five employees. This award honors Kent State’s exceptional researchers and scholars within 10 years of becoming assistant professor.
The Mentoring Excellence in Research Award was presented to six faculty. This award serves to honor and recognize faculty members who effectively guide and support students through undergraduate or graduate research, scholarship, or artistic productions and assist students in attaining and exceeding their goals.
The President’s Faculty Excellence Award was presented to nine faculty members. This award was created to recognize exceptional performance by a faculty member that leads to the achievement of national or international recognition through research, teaching or service.
The President’s Award of Distinction, formerly the President’s Excellence Award, was presented to 10 employees. The award was created as a recognition program to reward staff members who have demonstrated outstanding achievements, service, leadership and dedication to Kent State in advancing the university’s strategic priorities and core values.
“We have been named the best university in the United States for global education, and we have been recognized most recently as a most promising place to work in America for professionals in student affairs,” Diacon said. “We’ve also been named one of the top places to work in all of Ohio.”
