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The state of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Higher Education announced that ºÚÁÏÍø has been awarded Choose Ohio First grants totaling $3.5 million to support students in the critical fields of science (including health professions), technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

One of ºÚÁÏÍø’s newest faculty members in the Department of Geology has already made her mark with the recent publication of her and her colleagues’ work to better understand the effects of global warming as it relates to the arctic ocean. Allyson Tessin, assistant professor, specializes in biochemistry, oceanography and sedimentary geology. She is currently studying the relationship between the chemistry of the ocean and climate change.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way people experience their education. Over the summer of 2020, ºÚÁÏÍø’s eight-week Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program transitioned to a completely remote environment, and the results were surprising. 

A liquid crystal research group at Kent State led by Oleg Lavrentovich, Ph.D., is knocking on the doors of the biomedical industry with its current project. The recent publication of research explains a technique of controlling bacteria movement with liquid crystal structures that could have a potential impact in many areas of research and medical care.   

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches a one-year mile marker, the temptation and opportunity to socialize, party, and indulge in public events grows increasingly stronger. Associate Professor Clarissa Thompson received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences to reinforce the dangers of the virus to the public.

Faculty researchers from ºÚÁÏÍø’s College of Nursing were recently funded by the prestigious Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation with a yearlong President’s Grant award totaling $35,000. The goal of their study is to help ensure the competencies of new healthcare providers to facilitate vital family communication at the end of life.

In the medical field, demand for technological advances that can speed data analysis and be less prone to human error continues to increase. Robert Clements recently received a federal grant to continue his work creating a more efficient and improved system to analyze medical data that will benefit not only the biomedical industry but also students at Kent State.

“The pessimistic estimate is that by 2050, antibiotics could be obsolete,'' said Songping Huang, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. Huang and his Kent State team, including Min-Ho Kim, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, are working on closing that chasm with the development of new antimicrobials. 

Honors College alumna Jessica Maisano, ’94, B.A., started her career at Kent State as a fashion merchandising student before realizing her passion for dinosaurs and dirt was a viable career option. One Kent State professor would show Maisano that childhood dreams are actually within reach.

Ryan Claassen, professor of political science at Kent State, conducted research during the fall semester finding that American voters think politicians view situations differently depending on party affiliation. Claassen’s research was recently featured in an article from the Record-Courier.